CFP: Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference (12/15/10; San Antonio 4/20-23/10)

SW/TX PCA/ACA convenes in 2011 with the national PCA/ACA conference in San Antonio, Texas, and has issued its various calls for papers as listed below:

Subject Area Chairs

American Culture

CFP for 2010 Kelli Shapiro, American History and Culture, Brown University, Dept. of American Civilization, shapiro@alumni.brown.edu

CFP for 2010 Lisa K. Stein, American Studies, Ohio University, Zanesville, stein@ohio.edu

CFP for 2010 Scott Zeman, Atomic Culture in the Nuclear Age, New Mexico Tech., Office of Academic Affairs, szeman@nmt.edu

CFP Monica Ganas, California Culture, Azusa Pacific University, Dept. of Theater, Film and Television, Mganas@apu.edu

CFP Dina Hartzell, Interdisciplinary Studies, Marylhurst University, dhartzell@marylhurst.edu

CFP Paul Nagy, Motorcycle Life and Culture, Clovis Community College, English Dept., nagyp@clovis.edu

CFP for 2010 Leah A. Murray, Politics, Weber State University, Political Science and Philosophy, lmurray@weber.edu

CFP Wes Bergen, Religion, Wichita State University, Dept. of Religion, wesley.bergen@wichita.edu

CFP Victoria M. Grieve, Visual Arts of the West, Utah State University, Dept. of History, victoria.grieve@usu.edu

CFP for 2010 Brad L. Duren, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam Wars, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Dept. of Behavioral and Social Sciences, uriahok@yahoo.com

Computer, the Internet, & Technical Writing

CFP Andrew Chen, Co-Chair, Computer Culture, andrewsw@gmail.com

CFP for 2010 Joseph Chaney, Co-Chair, Computer Culture, jchaney@iusb.edu

CFP Carlos Salinas, Technical Communications, University of Texas-El Paso, English Dept., cdsalinas@utep.edu

Ethnicity

Raymond A. Hall, Africana Studies, Central Washington University, Africana and Black Studies, hallray@cwu.edu

CFP Richard Allen, American Indians Today, Cherokee Nation, Richard-Allen@cherokee.org

CFP for 2010 M. Elise Marubbio, American Indian/Indigenous Film, Augsburg College, American Indian Studies, marubbio@augsburg.edu

CFP for 2010 Lutfi Hussein, Arab Culture in the U.S., Mesa Community College, Dept. of English, LHussein@mesacc.edu

CFP Jeanette Sanchez, Chicano/a Literature, Film, and Culture, University of Washington, School of Drama, jeannie8@u.washington.edu

CFP for 2010 Citlalin Xochime, Co-Chair, Native American/Indigenous Studies, New Mexico State University, Dept. of English, citlalin@nmsu.edu

CFP for 2010 L. Rain Cranford-Gomez, Co-Chair, Native American/Indigenous Studies, University of Oklahoma, English Department, L.Rain.C.Gomez@ou.edu

Film, Television, and Media Studies

CFP for 2010 Kirsten Day, Classical Representations in Popular Culture, Augustana College, kirstenday@yahoo.com

CFP Lynnea Chapman King, Film Adaptation, Butler Community College, lynneaking@hotmail.com

CFP Janna Jones, Film Archive and Cultural Heritage, Northern Arizona University, School of Communication, janna.jones@nau.edu

CFP for 2010 Richard Crew, Film (General), Misericordia University, dick.crew@gmail.com

CFP for 2010 Tobias Hochscherf, Co-Chair, Film and History, University of Applied Sciences Kiel (Germany), Department of Media, tobias.hochscherf@fh-kiel.de

CFP for 2010 Christoph Laucht, Co-Chair, Film and History, University of Liverpool, School of Modern Languages (German), c.laucht@liverpool.ac.uk

CFP for 2010 Jennifer L. Jenkins, Film Theory, University of Arizona, jenkinsj@email.arizona.edu

CFP for 2010 Michael Howarth, Hitchcock, Missouri Southern State University, English Dept., Howarth-M@mssu.edu

CFP for 2010 Robert G. Weiner, James Bond and Popular Culture, Texas Tech University Library, Humanities Librarian, rweiner5@sbcglobal.net

CFP for 2010 Brad Houston Lane, Reality Television, Core Faculty, Arts, Humanities, and Adult Basic Education, Seattle Community College District, blane@sccd.ctc.edu

CFP for 2010 Anna Gurley, Rhetorics of New Media, University of Oklahoma, Dept. of English, annagurley@ou.edu

CFP for 2010 Kelli Marshall, Shakespeare on Film and Television, The University of Toledo, Dept. of Theatre and Film, kellirmarshall@gmail.com

CFP for 2010 Robert G. Weiner, Silent Film, Texas Tech University Library, Humanities Librarian, rweiner5@sbcglobal.net

CFP James Knecht, Television, Oklahoma State University, Academic Services for Student-Athletes, james.knecht@okstate.edu

CFP for 2010 Paul Varner, The American West: Film and Literature, Abilene Christian University, psv07a@acu.edu

CFP for 2010 Robert G. Weiner, Co-Chair, Transgressive/Exploitation Cinema, Texas Tech University Library, Humanities Librarian, rweiner5@sbcglobal.net

CFP for 2010 John Cline, Co-Chair, Transgressive/Exploitation Cinema, University of Texas-Austin, John-Cline@mail.utexas.edu

Human Relations

CFP for 2010 Michael Johnson, Gender and Sexual Identity, Dept. of American Studies, mjohnso9@wsu.edu

CFP for 2010 Pat Tyrer, Women's Studies, West Texas A&M University, Dept. of English and Modern Languages, ptyrer@wtamu.edu

Libraries, Archives, Museums, & Popular Culture

CFP for 2010 Janet Brennan Croft, Co-Chair, Libraries, Archives, Museums, & Popular Culture, University of Oklahoma, Head of Access Services, jbcroft@ou.edu

CFP for 2010 Rhonda Harris Taylor, Co-Chair, Libraries, Archives, Museums, & Popular Culture, University of Oklahoma, School of Library and Information Studies, rtaylor@ou.edu

Literature

CFP for 2010 Christopher Carmona, Beat Generation and Counterculture, Texas A&M University, beatswtxpca@yahoo.com

CFP for 2010 Melinda McBee, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, and Personal Narrative, Grayson County College, Dept. of Literature and Language, mcbee58@verizon.net

CFP for 2010 B. Mark Allen, Captivity Narratives, South Texas College, Dept. of History and Philiosophy, bmallen@southtexascollege.edu

CFP for 2010 Diana Dominguez, Children's/Young Adult Literature and Culture, UT-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, gypsyscholar@rgv.rr.com

CFP for 2010 Jerry Bradley, Creative Writing (Poetry, Fiction), Lamar University, jerry.bradley@lamar.edu

CFP for 2010 Phil Heldrich, Creative Writing Pedagogy, University of Washington-Tacoma, Interdisciplinary Arts & Science, pheldrich@sbcglobal.net

CFP for 2010 Ken Hada, Eco-Criticism and the Environment, East Central University, Dept. of English, khada@ecok.edu

CFP for 2010 Phil Heldrich, Editing Literary Journals and Small Press Publishing, University of Washington-Tacoma, Interdisciplinary Arts & Science, pheldrich@sbcglobal.net

CFP for 2010 M. Catherine Jonet, European Popular Culture and Literature, New Mexico State University, mjonet@nmsu.edu

CFP Hugh Tribbey, Experimental Writing and Aesthetics, East Central University, htribbey@ecok.edu

CFP for 2010 Phyllis Bridges, Co-Chair, Folklore Studies, Texas Woman's University, Dept of English, pbri41@msn.com

CFP for 2010 James Bell, Co-Chair, Folklore Studies, College of the Ozarks, Dept. of English, jimlutexas@aol.com

CFP for 2010 Robert G. Weiner, Graphic Novels, Comics and Popular Culture, Texas Tech University Library, Humanties Librarian, rweiner5@sbcglobal.net

CFP Cristine Soliz, Historical Fiction, Fort Valley State University, solizc@fvsu.edu

CFP Steffen Hantke, Horror (Literary and Cinematic), Sogang University (Rep. of Korea), Dept. of English, steffenhantke@hotmail.com

CFP Nancy Mae Antrim, Linguistics, Sul Ross State University, Dept. of Languages and Literature, nantrim@sulross.edu

CFP for 2010 Phil Heldrich, Literature (General), University of Washington-Tacoma, Interdisciplinary Arts & Science, pheldrich@sbcglobal.net

CFP for 2010 Charles Wukasch, Mystery/Detective Fiction, Austin Community College, Dept. of English, accprof@att.net

CFP S. Melissa Morphew, Myth and Fairy Tales, Sam Houston State University, Dept. of English, eng_smm@shsu.edu

CFP M.R. Hofer, Poetry and Poetics (Critical), Mail Stop Code 03-2170, University of New Mexico, mrh@unm.edu

CFP Alana Hatley, Satire, Northeastern State University, hatleyad@nsuok.edu

CFP for 2010 Steve Davis, Southwestern Literature, Texas State University-San Marcos, sdavis@txstate.edu

Material Culture

CFP for 2010 Kathrin Dodds, Collecting, Collectibles, Collectors, Collections, Texas Tech University Libraries, kathrin.dodds@ttu.edu

CFP for 2010 Laura Anh Williams, Food and Culture, New Mexico State University, Dept. of English, williaml@purdue.edu

Music

Nicholas Meriwether, Grateful Dead, UC Santa Cruz, nicholasmeriwether@gmail.com

CFP for 2010 Brad Klypchak, Music: Traditional, Political, Popular, Texas A&M University, Commerce, Liberal Studies Program - College of Arts & Science, brad_klypchak@tamu-commerce.edu

CFP for 2010 Bryan L. Jones, Punk, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Dept. of English, (405)744-9474 or (405)744-9473, Fax: (405)744-6326, bryan.l.jones@okstate.edu

CFP for 2010 Robert Tinajero, Rap and Hip-Hop Culture, University of Texas-El Paso, hiphopcfp@hotmail.com

Science Fiction & Fantasy

CFP Alyson Buckman, Cornelia Funke and Eureka, California State University, Dept. of Humanities & Religious Studies, abuckman@saclink.csus.edu

CFP for 2010 Tamy Burnett, Doctor Who, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dept of English, tamy.burnett@gmail.com

CFP Brian Cowlishaw, Lost, Northeastern State University, Dept. of Languages and Literature, cowlishb@nsuok.edu

CFP for 2010 Ximena Gallardo, Co-Chair, Science Fiction and Fantasy, FH LaGuardia Community College, English, ximena_gallardo_c@yahoo.com

CFP for 2010 Alyson Buckman, Co-Chair, Science Fiction and Fantasy, California State University, Dept. of Humanities & abuckman@saclink.csus.edu

CFP for 2010 Tamy Burnett, Co-Chair, Science Fiction and Fantasy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dept of English, tamy.burnett@gmail.com

CFP for 2010 Brian Cowlishaw, Co-Chair, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Northeastern State University, Dept. of Languages and Literature, cowlishb@nsuok.edu

CFP for 2010 Brian Cowlishaw, Twilight Series, Northeastern State University, Dept. of Languages and Literature, cowlishb@nsuok.edu

CFP for 2010 Alyson Buckman, Co-Chair, The Works of Joss Whedon, California State University, Dept. of Humanities & Religious Studies, abuckman@saclink.csus.edu

CFP for 2010 Tamy Burnett, Co-Chair, The Works of Joss Whedon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dept of English, tamy.burnett@gmail.com

Special Topics

CFP for 2010 Debbie Scally, Anime Manga, sensei0918@yahoo.com

CFP Katie Mills, (Auto) Mobility and Road Culture, Occidental College, Art History and Visual Arts Department, mills@oxy.edu

CFP Debbie Olson, Children in Film, Oklahoma State University, Englihs Dept., debbieo@okstate.edu

CFP for 2010 Jessica Strubel, Fashion, Appearance, & Consumer Identity, jessica.strubel@gmail.com

CFP for 2010 Judd Ruggill, Games Studies, Culture, Play and Practice, Arizona State University, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Communications Studies, jruggill@asu.edu

S. Melissa Morphew, Magical Realism, Sam Houston State University, Dept. of English, eng_smm@shsu.edu

CFP for 2010 Lisette Davies Ward, Personal Journal, lisette.daviesward@cgu.edu

CFP for 2010 Sara Sulter-Cohen, Popular Culture and Sex, Bellevue College, sara.sultercohen@bellevuecollege.edu

Justin Everett, Pulp Studies, j.everet@usp.edu

Teaching and the Profession

CFP for 2010 Leslie A. Donovan, Pedagogies and the Profession, University of New Mexico, University Honors Program, ldonovan@unm.edu

CFP Erik Walker, Popular Culture and the Classroom, Plymouth South High School, Dept. of English & Journalism, ErikMWalker@aol.com

CFP Raymond A. Hall, Undergraduate Research, Central Washington University, Africana and Black Studies, hallray@cwu.edu

CFP: Dave Sim Cerebus Book (11/30/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=174541

Dave Sim Cerebus Book
Call for Papers Date: 2010-11-30
Date Submitted: 2010-03-02
Announcement ID: 174541
EADLINE: November 30, 2010

Call for papers for a collection of critical essays on various aspects of or approaches to Dave Sim's comic book Cerebus, both a scholarly and popular, though coherent, companion (and introduction) to the series.

Any subject matter is welcome, so long as it pertains to Dave Sim and/or Cerebus.

Some recommendations:

Discussion of 1970's comics scene in which Dave first started to contribute together with a discussion of the various influences on Cerebus (Howard the Duck, Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja)

Cerebus as satire of the comics medium (The Roach, "reads," etc)

Cerebus as social satire (political and religious satire)

The shift in tone from earlier and later Cerebus as a result of Dave's conversion

The influence of Cerebus on the comics industry

Cerebus and the graphic "Novel"

Dave Sim as self-publisher and his feud with Gary Groth and the Comics Journal

Dave Sim and the CBLDF

Comics fandom and Aardvark Comment (& the Yahoo Group)

Narrative structure in Cerebus

"Mind Games"

"Something Fell"

Dave Sim as magpie (Barry Windsor-Smith, Mort Drucker, etcetera)

Gerhard's impact on Cerebus

Sim's use of literary characters (Wilde, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc)

Sim's use of public personas (Elrod, Mick and Keef, Lord Julius, Konigsberg, The 3 Stooges, etc)

Meta-narrative in Cerebus (Viktor Davis/Reid in Reads, Sim in Minds and Guys)

Cerebus and Religion (both pre-and post-conversion)

Cerebus as a critique of feminism

Gender issues in Cerebus (male/female light/void, he/she/it, YHWH, God,
"Tangent," "10 Impossible Things," etc)


Eric Hoffman
860-328-0988
Email: lily_anselm@yahoo.com

CFP: Re-Presentations of Early America: Teaching with Texts, Films, and Images (9/20/10; Society of Early Americanists Conf. 3/3-5/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=175899

Re-Presentations of Early America: Teaching with Texts, Films, and Images
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2011-03-03
Date Submitted: 2010-04-28
Announcement ID: 175899

Society of Early Americanists, 7th Biennial Conference, Phila., PA, March 3-5, 2011
This roundtable will examine how we can most effectively teach texts, films, and images that depict early America but were created in later centuries. How can we help students understand literary, historical, or artistic interpretations of key themes in early American life? How do we teach texts that blur lines between fiction and non-fiction? How do we teach students to analyze an artistic process that begins with historical research and reflection but ultimately leads the artist to re-present early America imaginatively or inaccurately? What, exactly, are we studying in our classrooms when we study re-presentations of early America? Presenters are encouraged to focus on specific works they have taught and should highlight pedagogical strategies and assignments that have worked well for them. Possible topics include texts such as Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Kamensky & Lepore’s Blindspot, and the children’s classic Johnny Tremain; films such as Black Robe, The Patriot, and Amistad; historical documentaries; and images ranging from John Trumbull’s iconic but after-the-fact painting of the Second Continental Congress to contemporary political cartoons.

Darcy Fryer
The Brearley School
drfryer@gmail.com

Keat Murray
Independent Scholar
kemurr@ptd.net
Email: kemurr@ptd.net
Visit the website at http://www.societyofearlyamericanists.org/conference/2011/index.shtml

CFP: Flow Conference 2010 at the University of Texas at Austin (8/20/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176535

Flow Conference 2010 at the University of Texas at Austin -- Call for Response Papers
Location: Texas, United States
Call for Papers Deadline: 2010-08-20 (in 15 days)
Date Submitted: 2010-05-28
Announcement ID: 176535
Call for Responses
FLOW Conference 2010
September 30-October 2, 2010
The University of Texas at Austin
http://FlowTV.org
Deadline for 150-word abstracts: June 11, 2010

Flow Conference 2010 is the 3rd biannual conference for FlowTV.org, a University of Texas at Austin graduate student-run, online academic journal focusing on television and media culture.

Flow Conference 2010 will resemble traditional academic meetings in name only: There will be no panels, no papers, and no plenary sessions. Instead, the event will feature a series of roundtables, each organized around a compelling question. Respondents are asked to submit a 150-word abstract addressing one of the roundtable questions as listed on our conference Web site: http://flowtv.org/conference

Some roundtable topics include:

Global Television Flows
Virtual World Building
Postfeminist Media Culture
Race and Representation
Twitter and Celebrity
The State of the American Sitcom
TV and the Question of a "Mass Audience"
HBO & History
Comics Across Media
Serialization and Viewership
Media Policy and Scholarship
Online Publishing and Criticism
Song, Sound, and Remix

Visit the conference Web site for a complete list of roundtable questions in full detail.

We especially encourage responses that address issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, and ability, as well as international perspectives.

Please e-mail flowconference2010@gmail.com with a 150-word abstract and the title of the roundtable you are responding to in the subject of the email by June 11, 2010. Please respond to only one roundtable topic. Include your full name, e-mail address, and affiliation in your e-mail.

We will inform participants of acceptance via e-mail by June 28, 2010.

Upon acceptance, respondents will be asked to expand their abstract to a 600-800 word position paper, due by August 20, 2010.

In an effort to include a wide range of participants (i.e., scholars, fans, critics, activists, policymakers, industry professionals, etc.), we encourage wide distribution of this call.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at flowconference2010@gmail.com

Flow Conference 2010 Organizing Committee
Department of Radio-Television-Film
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas, USA
http//:FlowTV.org/conference
flowconference2010@gmail.com
Email: flowconference2010@gmail.com
Visit the website at http://flowtv.org/conference

CFP: Understanding Avatar: A Movie Made for the Masses (9/30/10; NeMLA 4/4-7/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176541

Understanding Avatar: A Movie Made for the Masses

42nd Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) April 7-10, 2011 New Brunswick, NJ – Hyatt New Brunswick Host Institution: Rutgers University
Location: New Jersey, United States
Call for Papers Deadline: 2010-09-30
Date Submitted: 2010-05-29
Announcement ID: 176541
Call for Papers
Understading Avatar: A Movie Made for the Masses

42nd Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
April 7-10, 2011
New Brunswick, NJ – Hyatt New Brunswick
Host Institution: Rutgers University

Sven Birkerts identifies language erosion as one of the morbid symptoms of the electronic age: “Syntactical masonry is already a dying art; simple linguistic pre-fab is the norm. Ambiguity, paradox, irony, subtlety, and wit – fast disappearing. In their place, the simple ‘vision thing.’” The popularity of James Cameron’s Avatar may prove the worldwide spread of this morbid symptom. While Slavoj Žižek argues that the technical brilliance of the film serves to hide old-fashioned storylines and simplistic metaphors (the unobtainable mineral sought in vain by the human invaders is named Unobtainium), it could be argued, in the spirit of Marshall McLuhan, that the film’s medium is its message – the groundbreaking 3-D verisimilitude is a delivery system not for an environmental allegory but for the obtuse imagery itself. The film is not a return to nature, but a re-creation of nature using the simplest metaphors to suit the instant download needs of the blogging, Facebooking, Second Life-living millions who were always its intended audience. While the indigenous Na’vi of Avatar have become like McLuhan’s tribal man, a simulacrum of a people living sensually and symbiotically with nature, they are not primitives: fibre optic cables writhe at the end of their braided hair and enable each of them to upload information from horses, trees, and one another. While Žižek is correct in identifying Avatar as the latest “white man’s fantasy film,” the metaphors that establish it as such are perhaps too obvious to merit serious academic study. What is most compelling about Avatar is that its popularity, despite its lack of subtlety and wit, may verify Birkerts’ prognostication: the predominance of hypertext over actual text, and the pseudo-communication of “txting” may have eroded language to such a point that even fantasies must be delivered with as little imagination as possible.

Are the primitive yet “linked-in” Na’vi the manifestation of a form of nature now dreamed about by modern “users” dependant on the Internet for their understanding of the world?

Did Cameron select obvious metaphors and recycled themes to ensure Avatar would be understood by bloggers and “textrs” no longer capable of subtlety or wit?

Does the popularity of Avatar represent the “erosion of language” prophesized by Birkerts?
Please submit 250-500 word by abstracts to pchafe@ryerson.ca by September 30, 2010

Paul Chafe
Department of English
Ryerson University
350 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON
M5B 2K3

Please indicate A/V requirements (if any; $10 handling fee with registration)

The 42nd Annual Convention will feature approximately 360 sessions, as well as pre-conference workshops, dynamic speakers and cultural events. Details and the complete Call for Papers for the 2011 Convention will be posted in June: www.nemla.org.

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA session; however panelists can only present one paper (panel or seminar). Convention participants may present a paper at a panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable. Please do not accept a slot if you may cancel to present on another session.

Paul Chafe
Department of English
Ryerson University
350 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON
M5B 2K3
pchafe@ryerson.ca
Email: pchafe@ryerson,ca
Visit the website at http://www.nemla.org

CFP: Ecogothic in Italian Literature and Culture (9/30/10; NeMLA 4/4-7/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176544

Call for Papers-NEMLA 2011-The Ecogothic in Italian Literature and Culture
Call for Papers Deadline: 2010-09-30
Date Submitted: 2010-05-29
Announcement ID: 176544
Call for Papers
Session: The Ecogothic in Italian Literature and Culture

The fear of disintegrating species boundaries has engendered panicked visions of the human, natural, and animal worlds that manifest themselves vividly in Gothic literature of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Yet, while monster figures and issues of human, nonhuman, and species identity reach historic proportions in the Gothic, critics are just beginning to view the genre from an ecocritical perspective. This panel addresses the Gothic and allegories of monstrosity in Italian literature and culture, especially as they intersect with issues of species identity, food, nature, and consumption. Various critical and theoretical approaches and methodologies, including cross-cultural viewpoints, are welcome.

Send one-page abstract by e-mail only by Sept. 30, 2010 to: delprinciped@mail.montclair.edu

April 7-10, 2011
Northeast Modern Language Association
Hyatt New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ USA

Host Institution: Rutgers University

Deadline: September 30, 2010

Please include with your abstract:
Name and Affiliation
Email address
A/V requirements (if any; $10 handling fee with registration)

The 42nd Annual Convention will feature approximately 360 sessions, as well as pre-conference workshops, dynamic speakers and cultural events. Details and the complete Call for Papers for the 2011 Convention will be posted in June at: www.nemla.org

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA session; however panelists can only present one paper (panel or seminar). Convention participants may present a paper at a panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable. Do not accept a slot if you may cancel to present on another session.

Dr. David Del Principe
Associate Professor of Italian
Dickson Hall 367
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ 07043-1699
973.655.7499 Voice

delprinciped@mail.montclair.edu
http://chss.montclair.edu/~delprinciped

David Del Principe
Dept. of Spanish and Italian
Dickson Hall 367
1 Normal Avenue
Montclair State University
Montclair, MJ 07043
Email: delprinciped@mail.montclair.edu

CFP: Games and simulations in education -- Spec. Issue of Academic Exchange Quarterly (2/25/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176563

Call for Papers: Academic Exchange Quarterly
Call for Papers Deadline: 2011-02-25
Date Submitted: 2010-05-31
Announcement ID: 176563
CALL FOR PAPERS
Academic Exchange Quarterly
Summer 2011, Volume 15, Issue 2
Expanded issue up to 400+ pages.
Articles on various topics plus the following special sections.
Games and simulations in education

Feature Editor:
Maria Mavrommati, PhD candidate- Instructor, Department of Applied Informatics
University of Macedonia, Greece
Email: mmavrom@uom.gr or mariamavrommath@gmail.com

Focus:
The proposed issue will focus on the use of games and simulations in education, secondary and tertiary. Specific interest on theoretical and practical research on the field, its purposes, functions, potentials and limitations.

Who May Submit:
Submissions by academic and independent researchers, graduate students, teachers, games and simulations industry etc. Please identify your submission with keyword: GAMES

Article submission deadline:
End of February 2011 See details for other deadline options like early, regular, and short.
Early submission offers an opportunity to be considered for Editors' Choice

Submission Procedure:
http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/rufen1.htm

PROMOTION VENUES know to this journal
Academic Exchange Quarterly print edition
has authors and readers in 50 U.S. states and 48 countries

AEQ print edition = wide global recognition

make it happen...

Maria Mavrommati
PhD candidate- Instructor, Department of Applied Informatics
University of Macedonia, Greece
Email: mmavrom@uom.gr or mariamavrommath@gmail.com
Email: mariamavrommath@gmail.com
Visit the website at http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/games.htm

CFP: Academic Studies of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (9/7/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176760

REOPENED CALL: Call for Essays: Academic Studies of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Call for Papers Date: 2010-09-07
Date Submitted: 2010-06-08
Announcement ID: 176760
Call for Essays: Academic Studies of Mystery Science Theater 3000

Seeking more submissions to a book of scholarly essays interpreting MST3K from compelling academic perspectives. We have received several excellent proposals thus far but would prefer to produce a longer book, so we are reopening the call. Some topic possibilities include:

•Narrative structure
•Literary criticism
•Recurring themes
•The show’s treatment of specific cultural or social issues and/or public figures
•Iconic episodes and their significance
•Film studies approaches

Please submit one-page essay proposal and preliminary bibliography as MS Word document to Dr. Shelley Rees at srees@usao.edu. Proposals due September 7, 2010.

Dr. Shelley Rees
Assistant Professor of English
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
1727 W. Alabama
Chickasha, OK 73018
405.574.1244
Email: srees@usao.edu

CFP: Popular Fiction/Culture (9/30/10; NEMLA New Brunswick, NJ)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176373

CFP -- NEMLA 2011 in NJ -- Popular Fiction/ Culture
Location: New Jersey, United States
Call for Papers Deadline: 2010-09-30
Date Submitted: 2010-05-24
Announcement ID: 176373

While many influences, from the international to the interdisciplinary, have shaped detective fiction over the years, arguably, it is most complicated and challenged by the influence of other genres, such as sci-fi, adventure, and Gothic. Whether the centrality of scientific theory and practice in forensic investigation or the wrong that will not go away and must be discovered and avenged (reminiscent of the Gothic), other genres, both marginal and established, continue to color this one. How do these influences force a redrawing of generic boundaries? How to they intersect with the above-mentioned international and interdisciplinary influences to force this redefinition?
Case studies focusing on single works/ authors or broader generic overviews will be considered for this panel; please submit proposals (250 – 500 words as an MS Word attachment) by Sept. 30 to Maria Plochocki at bastet801@att.net.

Maria Plochocki
bastet801@att.net
Email: bastet801@att.net

CFP: Images of Women in Film and Media -- Spec. Issue of MP: An Online Feminist Journal (9/21/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176422

CFP: Images of Women in Film and Media
Call for Papers Date: 2010-09-21
Date Submitted: 2010-05-25
Announcement ID: 176422

Women in film:
We've come a long way, baby! Or have we? MP journal seeks submissions that explore the ways Women/Femininity/Female agency are depicted in visual media such as video games, television, film, animation (anime), comic books, graphic novels, or any other visual depictions. MP Journal welcomes academic papers, book reviews, and other well-written inquiries from a feminist perspective on modern visual representations of women. International submissions are encouraged. Submissions may be in any accepted academic format such as MLA, APA, Legal Bluebook, or Chicago Style but must be consistent throughout and thoroughly and carefully edited. Please send the submission, a 50 word bio, and a CV to Lynda_hinkle@yahoo.com before midnight September 21, 2010.

lynda_hinkle@yahoo.com
Email: lynda_hinkle@yahoo.com
Visit the website at http://academinist.org/mp

CFP: Global Feminist Science/Speculative Fictions Advance Social Change -- NEMLA (9/30/10; New Brunswick, NJ 4/7-10/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176984

Global Feminist Science/Speculative Fictions Advance Social Change
Location: New Jersey, United States
Call for Papers Deadline: 2010-09-30
Date Submitted: 2010-06-17
Announcement ID: 176984
I invite you to submit an abstract to be considered for the “Global Feminist Science/Speculative Fictions Advance Social Change” session of the Northeast Modern Language Association’s 2011 convention in New Brunswick, New Jersey, April 7-10, 2011.
Please send 400 word abstracts or papers with abstracts as Word attachments to Deanna Utroske at deannautroske@gmail.com with “feminist sf submission” in the subject line.

The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2010.

This NeMLA session aims to expand the conversation among feminist iterations of science and speculative fictions (broadly defined).

The panelists will discuss various (social, political, cultural, etc.) changes that feminist science and speculative fictions envision; how instances of these fictions test or demonstrate the change they suggest; and what action or activism they call for beyond the test. How might authors, editors and publishers, fans, casual readers, and critics work to manifest the social changes feminist science and speculative fictions portend for a given nation (or globally)? Or in instances where these fictions present dystopias, how might readers respond to prevent the negative future described?

Papers read in this session will allow the presenters and attendees to contrast the methods and goals of these fictions. We will compare the distinct and similar visions that texts within these literatures reveal, across national boundaries; and we will learn from each other to better foster change through these literatures in our global and local spaces.

This conversation, here among scholars, continues in classrooms where feminist practices, transnational literatures, and science and speculative fictions mingle.

The 42nd Annual NeMLA Convention will feature approximately 360 sessions, as well as dynamic speakers and cultural events. Details and the complete Call for Papers for the 2011 Convention are available at www.nemla.org. “Global Feminist Science/Speculative Fictions Advance Social Change” is Session ID: 11298.

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA session; however panelists can only present one paper (panel or seminar). Convention participants may present a paper at a panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable. Do not accept a slot if you may cancel to present on another session.

You are welcome to forward this invitation and contact me with any questions. And I’d be glad to have your suggestions of other scholars to invite or appropriate places to post this opportunity.

With thanks for your attention and good wishes.

Deanna Utroske
--

Editorial Assistant
Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society

Founding Editor
Films for the Feminist Classroom

Email: deannautroske@gmail.com

Seeking Panelists, Chinese Science Fiction Panel, AAS (3/1/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176995

Seeking Panelists, Chinese Science Fiction Panel, AAS
Location: Hawaii, United States
Call for Papers Deadline: 2011-03-01
Date Submitted: 2010-06-18
Announcement ID: 176995

Recently, the subject of Chinese science fiction (SF) has begun to gain serious academic attention. SF has occupied and continues to hold a unique position in the literary scene, as a tool of pedagogy and popularization of scientific knowledge, a vehicle for expressing anxieties and hopes for modernization and globalization, and a medium of social and historical critique. Studies of intersections between SF and theories of modernity, national and colonial critique, and utopian thought have demonstrated the cultural relevance of the genre. Among the potential academic contributions of Chinese SF studies are new insights into the development of the novel during the late Qing; the Utopian desires expressed in the May Fourth Movement and in the literature of the socialist period; the anxieties and criticisms of the Hundred Flowers movement; and new formulations of national identity in the post-socialist period.
We would like to invite two to three panelists to join us at the annual meeting of the AAS in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2011. We welcome papers on all aspects of science fiction (or related genres) from China. Please submit an abstract of 250 words or less, paper title, institutional affiliation, and contact information to Nathaniel Isaacson, nki@ucla.edu, or feel free to email me with any other questions about submissions.

Nathaniel Isaacson, PhD Candidate
Asian Langauges and Cultures
290 Royce Hall
Box 951540
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Email: nki@ucla.edu

CFP: Romance -- Spec. Issue of Mosaic (10/31/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177154

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: "Romance". Mosaic, a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature
Call for Papers Date: 2010-10-31
Date Submitted: 2010-06-28
Announcement ID: 177154
Call for Submissions "Romance". Deadline for submissions: October 31, 2010.

The OED has to give some three pages to defining the word ROMANCE that, with all of its rich history, is at the centre of this Mosaic Call for Papers. We invite innovative interdisciplinary literary and critical submissions for a special issue we are planning on this theme. For this issue, our interests include, but are not limited to, the following: “the Romantics,” who have undergone a renascence of late; the French novel, the roman; romantic fiction; Romanticism; the state of the love story in literature and/or film; and the figure of the “romantic.”

If you would to contribute an essay for review, please refer to our Guidelines for New Submission document in PDF format at http://umanitoba.ca/mosaic/forms/

Dawne McCance, Editor
Mosaic, a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature
University of Manitoba, 208 Tier Bldg.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2
Canada
Email: mosaic_submissions@umanitoba.ca
Visit the website at http://www.umanitoba.ca/mosaic

CFP: Re-tellings: Literature as Literary Criticism (9/30/10; NEMLA New Brunswick, NJ 4/7-10/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177282

Re-tellings: Literature as Literary Criticism
Location: New Jersey, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2010-09-30
Date Submitted: 2010-07-05
Announcement ID: 177282
Re-tellings: Literature as Literary Criticism

Whether we call them twice told tales, parallel texts, prequels, sequels, or even, most broadly, adaptations, creative re-tellings locate their source in previous texts.

Literary re-tellings offer the recognition of satisfying familiarity as well as the exciting twist of difference. This pre-approved panel proposes to examine not only the ways in which creative works of literature re-tell previous works but how these re-tellings function as a form of literary criticism. In offering alternative versions of older texts, re-tellings provide a different perspective that critiques, indeed, even transforms, the original texts.

Re-tellings engage with feminist perspectives, post-colonial perspectives, the perspective of the child or the disadvantaged; they give views from the margins and voice the unspoken. Some examples of pairings might include Emily Bronte’s _Wuthering Heights_ and Maryse Conde’s _Windward Heights_; Dickens’ _Great Expectations_ and Peter Carey’s _Jack Maggs_ or Lloyd Jones’ _Mr. Pip_; Twain’s _Huckleberry Finn_ and Jon Clinch’s _Finn_, but submissions from a wide range of literatures, genres, and periods are welcome.

Please submit 300 word (ca.) abstracts, contact information, and a brief biography to rbode@trentu.ca, no later than September 30th. Enquiries welcome. Please see www.nemla.org for information on NeMLA and the convention (April 7-10, 2011, New Brunswick, NJ).

Rita Bode, Trent University
Email: rbode@trentu.ca
Visit the website at http://www.nemla.org

CFP: Faery Lore & Dreams -- Spec. Issue of Coreopsis A Journal of Myth and Theatre (8/20/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177463

Call for Submissions: Coreopsis A Journal of Myth and Theatre
Location: California, United States
Call for Papers Deadline: 2010-08-20 (in 15 days)
Date Submitted: 2010-07-12
Announcement ID: 177463

CFP Vol 2 # 3: Autumn: Faery Lore & Dreams Submissions: August 20 peer review: Sept 15. Publication: November 1, 2010. The 2010 Autumn issue of Coreopsis will be on Faerie Lore and Dream Theatre (including all "flavors" of performance: music, performance art, public ritual, etc. - inspired by faerie lore, dreams & dreaming). As well as research papers, works from theatre technicians and all artists and performers are encouraged to submit. Full CFP: http://sites.google.com/site/mythandtheatre/Home/cfp-faery-lore
CFP Winter: Vol 2 # 4: Musing upon Euterpe: Electric and Acoustic Music of Our Times. Submissions open until December 20, 2010. Seeking referees. To celebrate the opening of the Grateful Dead archives at the University of Santa Cruz, this issue will examine the classical and popular music of our times as it is used in ritual and performance. From the stadium rock show to the trance-inducing meditative chants of spiritual traditions and kirtan, how does music influence modern mythic theatre arts? Was/is there a "golden age" of rock? What is the place of the "rock opera" in the overall picture of classical styles? How has music enhanced public forms of ritual, especially in ritual theatre? With a special emphasis on rock in all of its forms and influences over the past 40 years, send submissions electronically with "Vol 2 # 4" in the subject line.

Published quarterly. Submissions are welcomed at any time. Articles, essays, and book, audio recording or performance reviews on any aspect of folk, mythic, and ritual theatre are accepted for peer review and eventual publication. Because this is a broadly based publication, "any aspect" includes classic, modern, and folk theatre, other types of performance including music, dance, drama and comedy; theatrical-based research, musicology, faerie lore, folklore, historical and anthropological research, theological aspects, mythopoetic analysis, shamanic and dream research, art, artistic considerations, and the technical aspects of mounting productions through history and across cultures.

Style and length: While there is no hard and fast rule concerning length, articles should be between 3,000 and 10,000 words in length. Our preferred stylistic format is MLA 6th edition or APA - 4th edition. Both are equally accepted. Be consistent and precise in your citations and references. Coreopsis does not publish creative works, excerpts from books, or papers that have been published elsewhere.

For essays, article, and column suggestions, please consult the submission guidelines: http://sites.google.com/site/mythandtheatre/Home/submission-guidelines

Send all submissions to: "Editors": coreopsisjournalofmyththeatre@gmail.com

Email: coreopsisjournalofmyththeatre@gmail.com
Visit the website at http://sites.google.com/site/mythandtheatre/Home

CFP: MELUS Special Issue: The Future of Jewish American Literary Studies (10/15/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177501

Extended Deadline: MELUS Special Issue: The Future of Jewish American Literary Studies
Call for Papers Date: 2010-10-15
Date Submitted: 2010-07-14
Announcement ID: 177501
Special Issue of MELUS: The Future of Jewish American Literary Studies

Guest Editors: Lori Harrison-Kahan and Josh Lambert

Addressing questions raised by the 2009 MLA roundtable “Does the English Department Have a Jewish Problem?,” this special issue of MELUS will survey the current state of Jewish American literary scholarship and explore new directions for the future of the field. The issue aims to highlight innovative approaches that will reinvigorate and redefine the study of Jews and Jewishness in American literature and to examine challenges posed by Jewish literature to the disciplinary and theoretical paradigms of American and ethnic literature.

We invite a broad range of contributions, but topics of particular interest include:

· Pedagogical approaches to integrating Jewish literature into multi-ethnic literature curriculum
· New opportunities for the study of Jewish literature created by recent critical approaches such as whiteness, transnational, comparative ethnic, and multilingual studies, and book history
· Moving beyond equations of Jewishness with whiteness (e.g., essays on American Jews of color, Sephardic Jews, and non-Jewish ethnic writers whose work addresses Jewishness)
· Gender, sexuality, and queer identity (e.g., essays on underrepresented women, gay, and lesbian writers)
· Aesthetic contributions of Jewish writers to the development of American literature
· Texts written, in whole or in part, in languages other than English, such as Yiddish and Hebrew
· Studies in genres other than prose fiction, including poetry, autobiography, drama, criticism, children’s and young adult literature, graphic narratives

Completed papers in MLA format should be between 7000-9000 words, including notes and works cited. Queries concerning possible submissions are welcome. Please send essays as e-mail attachments to Lori Harrison-Kahan (harrislo@bc.edu). The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript, but should be included on a separate title or cover sheet, which should also contain complete mailing and e-mail addresses.

Deadline for submission: October 15, 2010.

Lori Harrison-Kahan
English Department
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Email: harrislo@bc.edu

CFP: Understanding Superman (collection) (10/15/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177552

Call for Papers: Understanding Superman
Call for Papers Date: 2010-10-15
Date Submitted: 2010-07-16
Announcement ID: 177552
Call for Abstracts

Collection: Understanding Superman: The Evolving Contexts of a Pop Culture Icon
Edited by Joseph J. Darowski
Publisher: McFarland & Company

Please circulate and post widely

The editor of Understanding Superman: The Evolving Contexts of a Pop Culture Icon is seeking abstracts for essays which could potentially be included in the upcoming collection. The essays will examine the relationships between Superman comic books and the period of American history when those comics were published. Analysis may demonstrate how the stories found in Superman comic books (and the creators who produced the comics) embrace, reflect, or critique aspects of their contemporary culture.

Essays should focus on stories from Superman’s comic books, not the many media adaptations of the character. Furthermore, essays should look at a single period of comic book history, rather than drawing comparisons between different publication eras. For example, an essay that analyzed Superman comics from the early 1960s and contextualized them with what was happening in American society would be more likely to be accepted than an essay that contrasted Superman comic books from the late 1930s with Superman comic books from the 1980s. The completed essays should be 12-15 double-spaced pages.

Some possible topics for essays include, but are not limited to, the following:

Superman and the Aftermath of the Great Depression; Mild Mannered Civilians and a Superpowered Government: Superman’s Dual Identity in the late-1930s; Propaganda, Powers, and Patriotism during the Second World War; New Roles for America and Its Heroes After World War II; The Nuclear Age and the Man of Steel; Superman and the Comic Book Controversies of the 1950s; Supervillains and Cold War Politics; Countering Counter Culture: Superman’s Message to Youth; Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane and the Feminist Movement; Reimagining Superman in the Reagan Era; Searching for Meaning in “The Death of Superman”; Defining Superman in a New Century; Is Superman a Superbully?: Power and Influence on the World Stage; 9/11, Sacrifice, and the Definition of Heroism; No Longer the Only Superpower: The World of New Krypton.

Abstracts (100-500 words) and CVs should be submitted by October 15, 2010.
Please submit via email to Joseph Darowski, darowski@msu.edu.

Joseph Darowski
Michigan State University
106 Morrill Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1036
Email: darowski@msu.edu

CFP: Romance Novels Through the Internet Age (edited collection) (11/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177619

A New Generation of Readers: Romance Novels Through the Internet Age (edited collection)
Call for Papers Date: 2010-11-01
Date Submitted: 2010-07-19
Announcement ID: 177619
A New Generation of Readers: Romance Novels Through the Internet Age

We are currently soliciting contributions for a peer-reviewed edited collection tentatively titled, A New Generation of Readers: Romance Novels Through the Internet Age. The essays in this collection will focus on the often sophisticated engagement of internet literacy in romance fan communities. Using Janice Radway’s work as an historical baseline, the collection seeks to discuss the ins and outs of communities and their memberships. The collection will examine trends in modern romance consumption as influenced by internet community building featured in sites such as the popular romance blog, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, or the more generalized book community, Goodreads, among others. It will also discuss the function of these communities to the readers and writers.

We encourage interdisciplinary critical contributions which focus on contemporary romance, their readers, and community formation. Possible topics might include, but are not limited to:
• Function of romance blogs and publication trends
• Post-modern narrative and genre trends (paranormal, urban fantasy, geek romance, erotic, etc.)
• Amazon.com Recommends, Borders Recommends, etc. – how readers are instructed to buy books
• Why read - Escapism vs. Identification
• Discourse practices of virtual romance communities
• Romance community scholarship – gender studies, reader response, economic theory

Please send an abstract of 300-500 words and a very brief biography to the editors, Nicole Pfannenstiel and Michelle Iwen, at IwenME@cardiff.ac.uk and niki@asu.edu. Abstracts are due by November 1, 2010 and completed papers will tentatively be due May 2011.

Nicole Pfannenstiel & Michelle Iwen
Arizona State University
Cardiff University, Wales

Email: niki@asu.edu; iwenme@cardiff.ac.uk

CFP: Vampires: Myths of the Past and the Future (4/30/11; London 11/2-2/11)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177736

Vampires: Myths of the Past and the Future
Location: United Kingdom
Call for Papers Date: 2011-11-02
Date Submitted: 2010-07-25
Announcement ID: 177736
Vampires: Myths of the Past and the Future

An interdisciplinary conference organised by Simon Bacon, The London Consortium In collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Cultural Memory, Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, University of London

Deadline for submissions: 30 April 2011
Conference dates: 2nd – 4th November 2011
Venue: Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

Myths of vampires and the undead are as old as civilisation itself, wherever humans gather these ‘dark reflections’ are sure to follow. Whether as hungry spirits, avenging furies or as the disgruntled dearly departed, they have been used to signify the monstrous other and the consequences of social transgression. Embodying the result of a life lived beyond patriarchal protective proscription that quickly changes from dream to nightmare and from fairy tale to ghost story.
However their manifold and multifarious manifestation also provides a point of opposition and resistance, one that subverts majority narrative and gives agency to the disenfranchised and oppressed within society. This is seen most clearly in the late twentieth century where, in a plethora of filmic and literary texts, amidst a growing ‘sympathy for the devil’ the vampire is constructed as a site of personal and social transition. Here alternative narratives (e.g. feminist, ethnic, post-colonial discourses etc) find expression and ways in which to configure their own identity within, or in opposition to, the dominant cultural parameters revealing hybridity as the catalyst for future myth making. In the course of the past century the vampire has undergone many transformations which now see them as a separate evolutionary species, both genetically and cybernetically, signifying all that late capitalist society admires and desires thus completing its change from an abhorational figure to an aspirational one; the vampire is no longer the myth of a murky superstitious past but that of a bright new future and one that will last forever. This interdisciplinary conference will look at the various ways the vampire has been used in the past and present to construct narratives of possible futures, both positive and negative, that facilitate both individual and collective, either in the face of hegemonic discourse or in the continuance of its ideological meta-narratives.


Keynote speakers include:

Stacey Abbott
Milly Williamson
Catherine Spooner

We invite papers from a wide variety of disciplines and approaches such as: anthropology, art history, cultural studies, film studies, history, literary studies, philosophy, psychology, theology, etc. Possible themes include but are not limited to: • Myths, fairy tales and urban legends • Cross cultural colonisation; vampiric appropriation and reappropriation • Cinema, Manga/ Anime and gaming • Fandom, lifestyle, ‘real’ vampires and identity configuration • Minority discourse and the transcultural vampire • Genetics, cybernetics and the post human • Blood memory, vampiric memory and the immortal archive • Dracula vs. Nosferatu; Urban vs. Rural • Globalisation, corporations and ‘Dark’ societies • Immortality, transcendence and cyberspace • Old World/ New World and vampiric migration • From stakes to crosses to sunlight • Blood Relations and the vampiric family • Abjection, psychoanalysis and transitional objects • Papers will also be considered on any related themes. Abstracts of 300 words should be submitted to Simon Bacon at vampiremyths1@googlemail.com no later than April 30th 2011.

Simon Bacon
The London Consortium In collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Cultural Memory,
Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, University of London
Email: vampiremyths1@googlemail.com

CFP: Popular Culture and the Classroom (12/15/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177750

CFP: Popular Culture and the Classroom
Location: Texas, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2010-12-15
Date Submitted: 2010-07-26
Announcement ID: 177750
CFP: Popular Culture and the Classroom
Southwest/Texas Popular Culture Association & PCA/ACA Joint Conference
April 20-23, 2011
San Antonio, TX
Proposal Deadline: December 15, 2010

Conference Hotel: Marriott Rivercenter San Antonio
101 Bowie Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone 1-210-223-1000

Papers (panelists) needed to examine role of popular culture in today’s classrooms (which includes secondary classrooms or college classrooms) at the Southwest and Texas Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association Annual Conference (meeting with the PCA/ACA) April 20-23, 2011 in San Antonio, TX.

Here’s a quick test for today’s educators:
“Glee,” Facebook, “American Idol.” “Lady Gaga, “Mad Men,” “Lost.” Ipods. Celebrity Weddings and Break-ups. “Twilight,” Twitter, Instant Messaging, Reality Television. Superhero Films. Comic Books and Graphic Novels. X-Box. “LOL and IM Speak” Cell phones. Text messaging. Advertising and Stereotypes.

The list may cause some teachers and professors to scratch their heads, but to our students, these entries would be part of the daily vocabulary of being a student today.
From instant messages discussing homework to the Ipod Revolution, high school and college students are often the experts when it comes to technological advances and cultural awareness. As educators, it’s increasingly important we embrace popular culture whenever possible to create meaningful lessons that help students link the curriculum we teach with the world they live in and understand.

Whether a single lesson idea, a scholarly paper, or a theme for a course, the “Popular Culture and the Classroom” section of this conference seeks teachers with new ideas of how to use popular culture effectively in the classroom. We have had presentations in English, Communications, Journalism/Media Studies, Social Studies/History, Math, ESL, Deaf/Sign Language Classrooms in middle schools, high schools, and college classrooms, and it’s always valuable to see popular culture used in so many exciting ways throughout the country.
Any presentations involving, television, literature, film, history, computer software, music, graphic novels and comic books, Instant Messaging Language, Video Games, or a variety of other popular culture references/ texts/ or sources are welcome!

Send inquiries, a brief abstract or entire paper (your choice) by December 15 to area chair, Erik Walker. (Email preferred)

For more information on the Conference, check out the conference web site at: http://swtxpca.org/

Erik Walker
Dept. of English & Journalism
Plymouth South High School
490 Long Pond Road
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 224-7512

Erik Walker
Dept. of English & Journalism
Plymouth South High School
490 Long Pond Road
Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone (508) 225-7512
Fax: (508) 224-6765
Email: erikmwalker@aol.com

CFP: The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies Issue 9 (10/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177860

The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies Issue 9 CFP Articles and Reviews
Call for Papers Date: 2010-10-01
Date Submitted: 2010-07-30
Announcement ID: 177860
The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies (ISSN 2009-0374) is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, biannual electronic publication dedicated to the exploration of Horror and Gothic literature, film, new media and television. It was launched in October 2006 and is edited by Elizabeth McCarthy and Bernice M. Murphy, both of Trinity College Dublin.

WE are now seeking article, review and 'Lost Soul' submissions for our 9th issue. We will consider articles between 6,000-8,000 words. They should be written in endnote format (see previous articles). Reviews should be approximately 1,000 words with full publication/release/transmission dates and details of the subject discussed. Please note, we can only accept reviews of contemporary and classic horror films that have been released or revived theatrically or on DVD within the last year. Articles and reviews can be submitted for consideration to Dr. Elizabeth McCarthy and Dr. Bernice M. Murphy at irish_gothic_journal@yahoo.ie or sent to The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies C/O The School of English, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. We regret that we are unable to offer feedback on article or review submissions which have not been selected for publication

Bernice Murphy and Elizabeth McCarthy

Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies

irish_gothic_journal@yahoo.ie
Email: irish_gothic_journal@yahoo.ie
Visit the website at http://irishgothichorrorjournal.homestead.com/index.html

CFP: Limina Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies Vol 17 (9/30/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177925

Limina Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies Vol 17 CFP Deadline 30 September 2010
Location: Australia
Call for Papers Date: 2010-09-30
Date Submitted: 2010-08-03
Announcement ID: 177925
Call for Papers

LIMINA: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies
Call for Submissions, Volume 17
Submissions Deadline: 30 September 2010

Limina is an online, refereed, academic journal of historical and cultural studies based in the Discipline of History at The University of Western Australia.

We are especially committed to publishing the work of postgraduate students and early career researchers, realising the importance of developing an early publication record, as well as the difficulties in doing so.

Recognising the fact that many articles get bogged down in the review process, at Limina we guarantee initial feedback on articles and the review process within 4 – 6 weeks, (ensuring your work is not buried somewhere for months on end).

As a journal catering to postgrads and early career researchers, we are aware of the importance of advertising your work to the broader academic community. Accordingly, we are interested in publishing literature reviews that detail where and how your work will extend research in your chosen area, as well as publishing more traditional articles that engage with, discuss and enlarge theoretical debates.

Limina publishes scholarly articles of approximately 5000 words from any field within the humanities, favouring work of an interdisciplinary nature. They must demonstrate original research and must be substantially different from other published work.

Submission should be in MS Word or RTF format and you will need to ensure that your submission conforms to the Limina style guide prior to publication. For more information please visit our website at: http://www.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au

The final submission date for articles to be considered for Volume 17 is 30 September 2010 with intent to publish in June 2011.

Limina
History M208
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Hwy
Crawley WA 6009
AUSTRALIA
Email: limina@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Visit the website at http://www.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au/

CFP: Time Keeps on Slipping: Popular Music Histories (10/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177933

CFP: Time Keeps on Slipping: Popular Music Histories.
Location: Ohio, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2010-10-01
Date Submitted: 2010-08-03
Announcement ID: 177933
International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U.S. Chapter – Call for Papers.

Time Keeps on Slipping: Popular Music Histories

Deadline for submissions: October 1, 2010

The International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U.S. Chapter (IASPM-US) will hold its annual conference Mar. 9-13, 2011 in Cincinnati, OH, in a joint meeting with the Society for American Music.

We invite proposals for individual papers or panels of three or four presenters. Alternate presentation formats, such as lecture/performances and roundtable panels, will also be considered.

We welcome proposals concerning all facets of popular music in the U.S. and abroad, but especially encourage submissions that address the following themes:

Canonical Histories: What aspects of the popular music past have assumed greatest authority, and why? What sort of power do canons (of music, of scholarship, of criticism) exert over the writing of popular music history?

Alternative Histories: What parts of popular music’s past have gone unrecognized? How can we re-imagine popular music history through the lenses of:
- Race and ethnicity?
- Gender and sexuality?
- Nationality and colonialism?
- Cultural hierarchy (high, low, middlebrow)?
- Bodily ability and disability?
Conversely, how can the study of popular music in historical perspective help to shed new light on these critical subjects?

Archival Approaches: What sources can we use to uncover popular music’s many pasts, and where can we find them? How are musical archives changing in the digital age?

Historical Methods: What counts as “history,” and what role does history play, in the various disciplines and sub-disciplines that comprise the field of popular music studies?

Local Histories: How can we decipher popular music’s connection to specific places at specific points in time? How can we use the location of this year’s conference – Cincinnati, Ohio – as a starting point for reflection on aspects of popular music history?

The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2010. Proposals should be submitted electronically to Steve Waksman, chair of the program committee, at iaspmus2011@gmail.com. Individual presenters should submit a paper title, 250-word abstract, and author information including full name, institutional affiliation, email address and a one-page c.v. Please send abstract and c.v. as separate MSWord attachments. Panel proposals should also include a panel title and abstract for the whole session.

All presenters at the conference are required to be current members of IASPM-US. For membership information, go to www.iaspm-us.net.

Steve Waksman
Department of Music
Smith College
Email: iaspmus2011@gmail.com
Visit the website at http://www.iaspm-us.net

CFP: Star Trek and History (10/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177962

Star Trek and History
Call for Papers Date: 2010-11-05
Date Submitted: 2010-08-04
Announcement ID: 177962
*Proposals Due Oct. 1, 2010*

*Call for Papers: Star Trek and History (book collection)*

*Editor:* Nancy Reagin, Pace University

*Description:*


We are inviting proposals for essays to be included in an edited collection, “Star Trek and History,” which will be published by Wiley & Sons in 2012 as part of its Pop Culture and History series. We’re looking for essays that historicize the Star Trek television series and movies: examining individual characters or aspects of the series against a historical backdrop, analyzing how popular historical understandings inform the series, or discussing the use of historical contexts or events within Star Trek. The primary focus of the collection is on the characters and stories of the first Star Trek series (and its movies), but essays that discuss the use of history in the later Star Trek series (Next Generation, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise) are also welcome.

The collection is aimed at a broader audience than is the case for many scholarly collections. We will ask authors to use language that is accessible to undergraduate readers, as well, and to write essays that are engaging to read and which push readers to think about the ways that history is used in popular culture. Essays should avoid focusing on a close reading of one single episode, but instead should examine a particular theme across a number of episodes, movies, or even across several Star Trek series, analyzing how the use of history in the series has changed since the 1960s.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:


• The Cold War in Star Trek
• Star Trek and the Vietnam War
• Race and gender in Star Trek, discussed against the backdrop of the period when the series was first made (and how the depiction of race, gender, and sexuality developed over the various series and movies)
• Star Trek’s depictions of earlier historical periods (e.g., the American Old West, Nazi Germany, etc.)
• Star Trek’s understanding of the history of science and technology
• How is history imagined, researched, and taught in the Star Trek universe?
• Making sure that history comes out “right”: the repeated attempts of characters to safeguard, or intervene in, the “right” timeline

• The UFP vs. the United Nations: Star Trek’s understanding of governance and legal systems


Wiley & Sons will pay contributors an honorarium of $400.

Please email a 500-word proposal, a one-page c.v., and contact information to Nancy Reagin at nreagin [AT] pace.edu by Oct. 1, 2010.

Notification of accepted proposals will be made by Oct. 15, 2010.

Chapter drafts of approximately 5,000 words will be due by June 1, 2011.

Nancy Reagin, Ph.D.
Professor of History and Women’s & Gender Studies
Pace University
New York, NY 10038
(212) 346-1676


Email: nreagin@pace.edu
Visit the website at http://webpage.pace.edu/nreagin/star_trek_history.html

CFP: Velvet Light Trap Issue #68 - Comedy & Humor (9/15/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=174869

CFP: Velvet Light Trap Issue #68 - Comedy & Humor (Deadline: 15 September)
Publication Date: 2010-09-15
Date Submitted: 2010-03-15
Announcement ID: 174869
Comedy & Humor

Mainstays of the mass media and popular entertainment, comedy and humor serve as the sources of various pleasures and as the sites of complex negotiations of cultures, industries, aesthetics, and tastes. This issue of The Velvet Light Trap seeks articles on comedy and humor in a variety of contexts. Papers may address traditional forms undergoing change, new or emergent forms, or comedy or humor as a component of cultural discourses.

Possible topics for this issue include but are not limited to:
-forms and aesthetics of comedy (including emergent forms such as comic blogs and web memes)
-comic genres (e.g. romantic comedy, the buddy comedy, animated comedy, the sitcom)
-hybrid comedic forms (tragicomedy, dramedy, comedy-horror)
-media industries and comedy production
-comedy and/in politics
-humor and comedy in relation to race, gender, sexuality, class, or other forms of identity
-humor, taste, and cultural capital
-nationally or culturally specific - or transnational/transcultural
- forms of humor or comedy
-comic stars and authors
-comedy albums or other audio recordings
-comedy and/for children
-historical studies of comedy

Papers should be between 6,000 and 7,500 words (approximately 20-25 pages double-spaced), in MLA style with a cover page including the writer's name and contact information. Please send one electronic copy of the paper (including a one-page abstract) saved as a Word .doc file suitable to be sent to a reader anonymously. The journal's Editorial Advisory Board will referee all submissions. For more information or questions, or to submit a manuscript electronically, contact Andrea Comiskey (acomiskey@wisc.edu), Liz Ellcessor (ellcessor@wisc.edu), Lindsay Garrison (hogangarriso@wisc.edu), or Jonah Horwitz (horwitz2@wisc.edu). E-mail submissions are due September 15, 2010.

The Velvet Light Trap is an academic, peer-reviewed journal of film and television studies. Graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Texas-Austin alternately coordinate issues. The Editorial Advisory Board includes such notable scholars as Peter Bloom, Mia Consalvo, David Desser, Yeidy Rivero, Joe McElhaney, Beretta Smith-Shomade, Darrell Hamamoto, Tara McPherson, Henry Benshoff, Joan Hawkins, Steve Neale, Aswin Punathambekar, Sean Griffin, Alisa Perren, Michael Newman, Radhika Gajjala, Richard Allen, and Michael Williams.

Andrea Comiskey
Dep't of Communication Arts
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Email: acomiskey@wisc.edu

CFP: Lost and Othered Children in Contemporary Cinema (8/31/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=175357

Call for Articles: Lost and Othered Children in Contemporary Cinema
Publication Date: 2010-08-31 (in 26 days)
Date Submitted: 2010-04-03
Announcement ID: 175357
Edited Collection: Lost and Othered Children in Contemporary Cinema

Call for contributions to Starlight and Shadows: Images of Lost and Othered Children in Contemporary Cinema. [tentative title]


Seeking original articles for an edited collection about lost and “Othered” children in contemporary cinema (from 1980 to the present). In contrast to traditional portraits of sweetness and light, there is a large body of cinematic works that provide a counter note of darkness to the more common notion of the innocent and pure child. These films depict childhood has as a site of knowingness, despair, sexuality, death, and even madness. Starlight and Shadows [tentative title] explores this filmic imagining of the dark side of childhood.

Lost children are involuntary wanderers who are victimized, exploited, abandoned. Children who are “Othered” are forced to the fringes of childhood, are ostracized, ignored, victims of colonization, or part of Diasporas. These children navigate their way through the world living in the shadow of happy families, in murky or threatening environs, or living a form of placelessness. They must depend on their wits or, in some cases, on otherworldly influences. They negotiate a darkness that negates the Romantic view of childhood innocence. Submissions to Starlight and Shadows can include, but are not limited to, depictions of children negotiating race, gender, class, mental illness, forced migration, superstitions, peer pressure, crime, or other social and material conditions in which the film constructs a child character outside the romantic notion of the child.

Essays that take a child-centric approach, interrogate the idea of the Western romanticized child, or that draw upon multi-disciplinary theoretical frameworks including psychology, film studies, literature, women studies, and queer studies are encouraged. Contributions should be academic in nature and follow MLA documentation.

Proposals are welcome on, but certainly not limited to:

Neil Jordan
• In Dreams
• The Company of Wolves
Lee Daniels
• Precious
• Monsters Ball
Stephen Spielberg
• ET
• Hook
• Jurassic Park
Danny Boyle
• Millions!
• 28 Days
• Slumdog Millionaire
M. Knight Shyamalan
• Unbreakable
• Wide Awake
• Signs
• The Sixth Sense
• The Village
• The Last Airbender
Guillermo Del Toro
• Pan’s Labyrinth
• The Devil’s Backbone
• Hellboy
Stephen Spielberg
• Empire of the Sun
• AI


Prospective contributors should send a 200-500 word abstract, or, if complete, the full essay, a short biography, and complete contact information to Debbie Olson, debbieo@okstate.edu Deadline for abstracts is August 1, 2010. Full essays are due no later than December 31, 2010.

Debbie Olson
Department of English
Oklahoma State University
205 Morrill Hall
Stillwater, OK
74078
Email: debbieo@okstate.edu

CFP: Vampire States of America: Taking a Bite Out of Intersectionality (9/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176324

CFP: Vampire States of America (edited collection): intersectional feminist approaches to recent US cinematic and literary narratives about vampires. Sept 1, 2010.

Publication Deadline: 2010-09-01 (in 27 days)
Date Submitted: 2010-05-20
Announcement ID: 176324
CFP: Vampire States of America (edited collection): intersectional feminist approaches to recent US cinematic and literary narratives about vampires. Sept 1, 2010.
We invite scholars in queer studies, ethnic studies, women's and gender studies, history, art history, anthropology, sociology, legal studies, literature, film, and cultural studies to contribute to a projected volume that explores the construction of nation through recent U.S. literary, cinematic, and televisual narratives about vampires.

Since Donna Haraway's observation that "vampires are vectors of category transformation in a racialized, historical, national unconscious," attention has increasingly turned to the ways that the vexed racial formations characteristic of the United States have intersected with vampire narratives.

How have American literary and cinematic vampires figured the haunted past of slavery, the near-genocidal conquest of Native American lands, the conflicts over the shifting national border between the US and Mexico, the imperial and neo-imperial conquest of further territories, or the permeable borders of an immigrant nation?

We are interested in work on narratives both mainstream (such as Stephenie Meyer's /Twilight/ series) and marginal (such as Jewelle Gomez's /Gilda Stories/ or Aaron Carr's /Eye Killers/). We solicit essays that put into practice the insights of feminist intersectionality theory by considering relations among sex, gender, race, and class in the context of national identity.

Call for proposals/papers: Vampire States of America: Taking a Bite Out of Intersectionality
Please send a 500-word proposal and a brief CV
as Word.doc attachments by Sept 1, 2010 to
Luz María Gordillo: gordillo@vancouver.wsu.edu
and
Frann Michel: fmichel@willamette.edu
Completed essays will be due by October 15, 2010

Frann Michel
English Department
900 State Steet
Salem, OR 97209

Email: fmichel@willamette.edu

CFP: Nebula (8/10/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=176987

Nebula Call for Papers
Publication Deadline: 2010-08-10 (in 5 days)
Date Submitted: 2010-06-17
Announcement ID: 176987

The editors now invite submissions for Nebula 7.3 (September 2010).

We encourage submission of academic articles from any discipline, covering any subject or topic, provided that the language used is non-specialist and appeals to a wide audience. Unlike many academic publications, Nebula is not limited to a specific school, faculty, or subject.
We are also interested in providing an alternative view to mainstream cultural and political ideologies. As such, we encourage non-fiction, intellectual writing, that does not follow the generic conventions of academic writing but which demonstrates substantial sophistication and which may be of interest to a broad audience. We encourage contributors to offer their political readings of a particular social/political or military crisis current in the world. We are particularly interested in writings that may be deemed marginal or seem to be against the grain of mainstream ideologies. Our project is to ensure the publication of writing of high calibre that may be rejected by conservative institutions. Nebula also accepts “free writing” that is not politically motivated, but which may be attuned to various other cultural, social or artistic concerns (including television, film, media or music studies).
Nebula also accepts creative work in any form which can be displayed on the world wide web. Poetry, graphics, cartoons, short stories are all welcome for consideration.
All claims within academic articles must be evidenced. We will not accept poorly researched material. We are very intolerant of plagiarism. All submissions must be accompanied by a short letter to the editors which will include some autobiographical information and any institutional affiliations. Please make all attachments in .doc wherever possible. Articles and reviews are not limited to any particular referencing style but MUST be consistent throughout each submission. Contributions intended for Nebula (7.3) must be received by August 10, 2010. Keep in mind that only the most original, well- presented and well thought-out pieces will be considered for publication.
Email articles in .doc or equivalent to nebula@nobleworld.biz or editors@nobleworld.biz, please also include a brief biographical note and a brief CV

Dr Samar Habib
PO BOX 321
Glebe NSW
2037
AUSTRALIA
Email: nebula@nobleworld.biz
Visit the website at http://www.nebula.la

New Journal: Palimpsest

Submissions for exciting new journal Palimpsest
Location: United States
Publication Date: 2010-10-08
Date Submitted: 2010-07-06
Announcement ID: 177315

Palimpsest is a peer-reviewed journal of interdisciplinary inquiry. The editors seek submissions of innovative interpretive analyses in all fields. Essays may be drawn from any humanities, social science, or other fields including history, literature, philosophy, environment, psychology, sociology, fine arts, language, economics, business, and medicine. A palimpsest is a manuscript on which the original text has been rubbed or scraped away and written over, with shadows and nuances of the original text sometimes visible underneath. As a metaphor for our journal, a palimpsest describes the state of text in the information age: shadows, traces, and pluralities of texts shaped by the input of many minds and voices. There is no pristine text but nuances of other texts visible underneath and written over. As a critical metaphor, Palimpsest is meant to suggest that all areas of study have multiple layers of meaning, which the scholar may discover by “rubbing away” the old to reveal new insight. Palimpsest seeks to establish a dynamic forum for interdisciplinary discourse in the search of new paradigms and ways of seeing.

Papers may be submitted for consideration using any citation format; the final format for those accepted will be submitted in a modified version of the Chicago Manual of Style. The author’s name should appear only on the title page and in the file name of the submitted document (jones.doc). Manuscript length is standard, from 6,000 to 8,000 words. Online submissions are encouraged as attachments in doc or rtf files. For safe delivery please write “Palimpsest submission” in the subject line. Our website is under construction, but you may direct inquiries and submit manuscripts to Dr.Fred van Hartesveldt at hartesvf@fvsu.edu. Online submissions are preferred, but if you must submit hard copies, please send three copies SASE to Dr. Fred vanHartesveldt, Department of History, 1005 State University Drive, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030.

Dr. vanHartesfeldt
Department of History
The Fort Valley State University
1005 State University Drive
Fort Valley, GA 30130
Email: hartesfeldvf@fvsu.edu

CFP: Book on American Festivals (9/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177558

Articles Wanted for Book on American Festivals
Publication Date: 2010-09-01 (in 27 days)
Date Submitted: 2010-07-16
Announcement ID: 177558
Festivals and Faires:
American Culture, Sub-Culture, and Counter-Culture

This book under contract with Mellen Press, which began with papers from the Popular Culture Association/ American Culture Association Annual Joint Conference, seeks to explore the cultural aspects of festivals and fairs in the United States or the reaction in America to foreign festivals. The specific focus of the book is to examine how particular festivals and fairs reflect culture, counter-culture, or sub-culture in America. This project may include not only contemporary American festivals, but historical ones as well.

Please submit any questions and a 250-word abstract of your proposed chapter by 1 September 2010 to:

DrKTKorolEvans@yahoo.com
Kimberly Tony Korol-Evans, Ph.D.
301-412-9455
Email: drktkorolevans@yahoo.com

CFP: Spider-Man, Spider-Women, and Webspinners: Critical Perspectives (12/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177690

Call for Articles-Spider-Man, Spider-Women, and Webspinners: Critical Perspectives
Publication Date: 2010-12-01
Date Submitted: 2010-07-22
Announcement ID: 177690

Call for Essays: Spider-Man, Spider-Women, and Webspinners: Critical Perspectives
Edited by Robert G. Weiner and Robert Moses Peaslee;
When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko first penned a short story about a young man named Peter Parker who gets bit by a radioactive spider and becomes the hero known as Spider-Man, little did they know they would be creating the most popular super-hero in history (next to Batman). Like most “happy accidents,” the creation of Spider-Man almost did not happen. It was initially a throw away a story in a magazine that was getting cancelled anyway.
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko had hit upon a character that was different from all the others and one that everyone could relate to. Peter Parker (Spider-Man’s alter ego) was a teenager who had money/girl/family problems that he continued to struggle with even though he had “amazing” powers. He was in high school and had to learn some hard lessons of life. When Parker first got his powers, he used them to make money and get fame. But when he failed to stop a burglar who would eventually kill his Uncle Ben in a robbery attempt, he learned that “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Since Stan Lee wrote those words in 1962, they have become the most quoted comic book words in history and have served as a cautionary note pertinent far beyond the boundaries of the comic or film frame.
Since 1962, there have been no less than 10 different titles featuring Spider-Man, 5 different animated series, a live action series, animated movies, a live action series in Japan, and 3 very successful movies grossing a total of $2.4 billion and breaking box office records
The editors are seeking articles of around 4-6,000 words (No LONGER) discussing the phenomena of Spider-Man or its off-shoots related to the comics, films, animated series, games, television series, history etc.
Some possible topics to be addressed include
• The real meaning of “with great power comes great responsibility” and Uncle Ben’s life and influence on Peter Parker
• Dr. Octopus almost marrying Aunt May
• May Day Parker, Spider-Girl and the alternate universe
• Spider-Girl as a fan driven title
• J. Jonah Jameson and his hatred of Spider-Man
• Spider-Woman the first female off shoot
• The various Spider-Girls
• How did Amazing Fantasy 15 change the world?
• The Death of Aunt May
• The Clone Saga
• The various Spidey costumes: Black, Red/Blue/Maroon
• Venom and Carnage: Why did these particular villains become the most popular of all Spidey Villians?
• Spider-Man’s role in Civil War
• The Gwen Stacy affair
• Spider-Man’s uneasy relationship with the police
• The Green Goblin (Norman Osborne) and his love/hate relationship with Peter Parker
• The various Goblins: Green Goblin1&2/Hobgoblin/Demigoblin (What ties them together? Differences?)
• The artistic style of Steve Ditko
• The roots of Spider-Man (The old pulp hero The Spider)
• The writing of Gerry Conway
• The art of John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr. on Spider-Man
• The New Fantastic Four-Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Hulk, and Wolverine
• The relationship between Madame Web and Spider-Man
• Spider-Man’s role in the New Avengers
• The work of J. Michael Straczynski on the title
• How did Todd McFarlane change the Spider-Man world both through his art and writing?
• The first Marvel/DC crossover-Spider-Man meets Superman
• Why was the live action Spider-Man television series a big flop?
• Spider-Man 2099-A different kind of Spider-Man
• Comparisons between Nicholas Hammond and Tobey McGuire as Peter Parker
• What kind of creative licenses did the movies take that differ from the sequential art stories? How were they similar?
• Zombie Spider-Man
• Mary Jane comics and novels: teen romance in the Spider-Man world
• Spider-Man as an ideal children’s hero
• Spider-Man fan films and fiction
• Spider-Man as an ethical gauge for human behavior
• One of the first Super-Hero record albums: Spiderman: Rock Reflections of a Superhero
• The Scarlet Spider-who is he? What is his role in the Spidey universe?
• The Ultimate Spider-Man: What are the similarities and differences between the Ultimate version of the writing of Brian Michael Bendis on Ultimate Spider-Man
• Spidey Super Stories: An experiment in reading for children
• Spider-Man overseas? Why do the Europeans love Spider-Man as much as the Americans? What is his universal appeal?
• Mattie Franklin (Spider-Woman 3) and her relationship to J. Jonah Jameson as a surrogate father
• Peter Parker’s sister?
• The Red Skull and the killing of Peter-Parker’s parents
• Spider-related groups and societies: Spider Society; Webcorps
• Kraven the Hunter and his desire to be like the Spider
• J.M. DeMatties and the death of Kraven the Hunter
• The Vulture: A senior citizen as a villain
• The relationship between Captain America and Spider-Man
• Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends an animated series featuring Firestar and Ice-Man
• The Spider-Man family of heroes
• John Jameson and the Man-Wolf
• The Transformers: Spidey meets a Hasbro trademark
• The upcoming Spider-Man movie reboot
• Spider-Man as a barometer of the various historical periods in which he appears.
• The psychoanalytic aspects of Spider-Man, Peter, Mary Jane, etc.
• Spider-Man, Marvel, and the structure of the entertainment industry
• Spider-Man as ideology or counter-ideology
• Spider-Man, -Woman fandom and audience practice
• Spider-Man online
• Spider-Man as an urban (or particularly a New York) dweller

Please send 200 word abstracts by November 1st 2010 to
Rob Weiner
Rob.weiner@ttu.edu
Final papers will be due December 1st 2010. No exceptions. Please note the submission of an essay does NOT necessarily mean publication in the volume. The editors are striving to put together as tight a collection as possible with many diverse viewpoints covering all aspects of Spider-Man’s career. Authors are also expected to follow the editor’s style guide and be willing to have their work edited.
Thank you

Robert Moses Peaslee
Department of Electronic Media and Communications
Texas Tech University

Rob Weiner
Texas Tech University Library

Editors


Rob Weiner
Texas Tech University Library
Box 40002
18&Boston
Lubbock Texas
79409-0002
Email: rob.weiner@ttu.edu

CFP: Critical Explorations of the Sword and Sandal Film (10/1/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177777

Critical Explorations of the Sword and Sandal Film [UPDATE]
Publication Date: 2010-10-01
Date Submitted: 2010-07-27
Announcement ID: 177777

Critical Explorations of the Sword and Sandal Film – Call for Papers The sword and sandal film, or the peplum (as it is known in Italy, where the genre originated,) has been a part of movie lore since at least 1914, when the character of Maciste debuted in the Italian silent epic Cabiria. Pepla have remained a part of cinema ever since, with stories derived from barbarian and gladiator tales or Biblical and mythological origins. Most of these movies are infused with similar tropes: low technology warfare (hence the swords and sandals,) beautiful and scantily clad women, oppressive political states, a casual (yet oft interesting) relationship to history, and a surfeit of action and violence. Mostly, though, sword and sandal epics are known for their heroes, men with hyperstimulated musculature who tend to grunt and smash their way through much of the narrative. These films celebrate the excess of the masculine, reveling in depictions of male flesh and distinctly male aspects that distinguishes the genre from any other. Hundreds of these films have been produced in Italy alone, though the more famous incarnations to North American audiences have been produced since 1980, including the Conan the Barbarian series, the Beastmaster series, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Wolfgang Peterson’s Troy, and Zack Snyder’s 300. Currently, the genre is enjoying a renaissance, with numerous variations forthcoming: the remake of The Clash of the Titans, Centurion, and The Prince of Persia will all be released in theaters in 2010, and on television, Starz network has already renewed their original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Despite the proliferation of these movies, however, little critical exploration has been done on these films, especially on the nature of the genre as a whole. This collection works to correct that oversight. This work hopes to examine the genre’s relationships to masculinity, sex and sexuality, women, and violence and explore critical issues that take seed in individual films, in series, or in the genre as a whole.
While articles may be written on any film that qualifies as a sword and sandal epic (if you are unsure about a particular movie or television series, please query,) the collection hopes to emphasize more recent works.
Works explored may include, but are certainly not limited to, FILMS
300 (2007)
Alexander (2004)
Barbarian Master (1984)
Barbarians and Company, The (1987)
Beastmaster (1982, and its sequels)
Centurion (2010)
Clash of the Titans (1981, 2010)
Conan the Barbarian (1982, and its sequel)
Gladiator (2000)
Hercules (1983, starring Lou Ferrigno, and its sequels)
Hercules (1997, Disney)
Ironmaster (1983)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Prince of Persia, The (2010)
Red Sonja (1985)
She (1982)
Thor the Conqueror (1983)
Troy (2004)
The Italian Hercules, Maciste, Samson, Goliath, or Ursus series of pepla
TELEVISION
Spartacus: Sand and Blood
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (in its varying incarnations)
Thundarr the Barbarian
Editor Michael G. Cornelius is co-editor of Nancy Drew and Her Sister Sleuths: Essays on the Fiction of Girl Detectives (McFarland 2008), sole editor of The Boy Detectives: Essays on the Hardy Boys and Other Novels (McFarland 2010), and the author of numerous other works. Please send completed articles of around 5000-8000 words to the editor at the e-mail address below on or before OCTOBER 1, 2010. All articles should adhere to MLA style and citations. Please use endnotes, not footnotes (and use them sparingly.) Send questions via e-mail only. If you are unsure whether or not your article would fit the collection, please send an abstract of 500 words to the editor via e-mail as well. Please e-mail for style sheet. This collection is currently under contract.

Dr. Michael G. Cornelius
Chair, Department of English and Mass Communications
Wilson College
1015 Philadelphia Ave.
Chambersburg, PA 17201

Email: mcornelius@wilson.edu

CFP: The Hobbit and History (9/15/10)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=177937

"The Hobbit and History"(book collection)
Publication Date: 2010-09-15
Date Submitted: 2010-08-03
Announcement ID: 177937

We are seeking proposals for essays to be included in an edited collection with the working title of "The Hobbit and History," to be published by Wiley in 2012 as part of its Pop Culture and History series. We're looking for essays that elaborate the historical context of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and related works, examininga volume in individual characters or aspects of Middle-Earth against a historical backdrop, or analyzing how popular historical understandings inform the material. The collection is aimed at a broader audience than is the case for many scholarly collections, and seeks to make visible for readers the underlying use of historical events and culture in "The Hobbit". We welcome work from historians or those in cognate disciplines, including gender studies, medieval studies or cultural studies.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Bilbo and the ideals of English country gentlemen's respectability -- essays that examine the material culture and pastimes of the Shire -- Smaug and European dragon folklore -- Beorn and the history of berserkers -- a comparison of the arms and armor of Middle-Earth with medieval Europe -- Uncertain successions and Bard’s kingship -- Elrond and ideas of noble hospitality -- historical comparisons for the Battle of Five Armies -- Thorin’s company and medieval warbands -- from Merlin to Gandalf: counselors in myth and history -- essays on dwarves or elves in lore and in Middle-Earth -- the troubadour tradition of songs, poetry and stories in Bilbo’s world -- essays exploring the history and folklore relating to goblins, trolls and other creatures of Middle-Earth

This collection will be published by Wiley Publishing, which will pay contributors an honorarium of $400.

Proposals due: September 15, 2010. Please submit proposals of approx. 500 words as Microsoft Word (97-03-10 .doc or .docx format) or rich text file (.rtf) attachments to jliedl [AT] laurentian.ca. Please include your name and contact information on your proposal along with a short (one-page) c.v.

Notification of accepted proposals will be made by September 30, 2010. Chapter drafts of approximately 5,000 words will be due by June 1, 2011.

Janice Liedl, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Laurentian University
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
Phone: (705)675-1151 ext. 4206
Fax: (705) 675-4874
Email: jliedl@laurentian.ca

August Updates

July was a rough month, and I've fallen very far behind on things. But, I'm going to try and upload a series of posts today on this blog and our related blogs in the interests of catching up a little bit.