CFP: [Children] The Adolescent Body in Young Adult Fiction

full name / name of organization: 
Adrianne Finlay
contact email: 

The Adolescent Body in YA Fiction

We are seeking articles for a proposed collection of essays on popular young adult fiction,
normalcy, and the conflation of the modern adolescent body with the disabled body, both
through stories of self-conscious adolescent body-image, and in more overt stories of eating
disorders, self-mutilation (“cutting”), and teenage pregnancy. How does young adult fiction
imagine the adolescent identity as it relates to the adolescent body (in terms of sexuality,
menstruation, or teenage pregnancy)? In what ways is the adolescent body a “disordered” body?
Examples of texts might include, but not be limited to, Judy Blume’s Deenie, John Neufeld’s Lisa
Bright and Dark, Natasha Friend’s Perfect, Patricia McCormick’s Cut, or any of the “Anonymous”
texts like Go Ask Alice, It Happened To Nancy, or Annie’s Baby.
Body, ability, disability, disorder, and normalcy may be broadly considered. Possible topics might
include:
eating disorders
cutting
scoliosis
drug abuse
weight and body image
AIDS/HIV
cancer/leukemia
depression/suicide

Please send a proposal of approximately 200-500 words along with a brief CV.
Deadline for proposals and abstracts: February 1

Contact information:
Adrianne Finlay
Department of English
Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
afinlay_at_binghamton.edu

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Received on Fri Sep 14 2007 - 11:33:32 EDT