UPDATE: [Romantic] Midwest Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference: Faking It! Production, Knowledge, Authenticity

full name / name of organization: 
Midwest Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference
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EXTENDED DEADLINE!

Midwest Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference: Faking It! Production,
Knowledge, Authenticity

The fourth annual Midwest Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee seeks submissions for “Faking It!
Production, Knowledge, Authenticity,” a graduate student conference to be
held February 20-22, 2009, in conjunction with the Center for 21st Century
Studies and its 2007-09 research theme “Past Knowing.”

This year’s theme calls upon scholars to interpret and consider variously
the provocation of “Faking It!” Beyond the obvious copulatory connotations
of the theme, we are interested in exploring the broad ramifications of
labeling an act or object a “fake.” Thus we call for papers that consider
if, how, and when the three terms of the subtitle interact in theory and
practice. Who is authorized to produce and what counts as authentic? What
kinds of knowledge lead to “authentic” or “fake” productions? What are the
implications or consequences of employing strategies that “fake it”
(plagiarism, parody, etc.)? How is authenticity produced? What does “faking
it” produce? How does “faking it” interrogate or disrupt boundaries,
especially those between discourse communities?

We aim to engage in a multi-day, interdisciplinary exploration of
persistent tensions amidst the concepts of “faking it” and authenticity. In
doing so, we expect to question the binarizing marks of truth and reality
that are obsessively affixed to various cultural objects and acts. In turn,
we will investigate how conscious or unconscious “faking” might shape,
alter, and/or produce the very notion of authenticity.

Submissions that explore “Faking It!” from a diverse range of fields and
disciplines are encouraged. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

* Artistic Techniques of Plagiarism, Collage, Pastiche, Adaptation,
Recreation and Reenactment
* Theories of Reality, Baudrillardian Hyperreality, and Virtual Reality
* Truth and Deconstruction
* Theories of Epistemology and Meta-Epistemology
* Practices of Truth and Falsity: forgeries, hoaxes, pranks, magic,
conspiracy theories
* “Faking” Identity: passing, impersonation, parody, minstrelsy, blackface
and identity theft
* “Faking” Gender and/or Sexuality: camp and drag performances, sex work,
transgender studies
* “Faking” Bodies: plastic/reconstructive surgery, performance enhancers,
hypochondria, care of the self
* “Faking It” in Mass Media: Film and Television (cinema verité,
docu-/mockumentary, makeup/special
effects, reality television, (fake) news); Radio; Music (sampling, mashups,
lip-synching, karaoke and cover bands); Print Media (tabloids, PhotoShop
disasters, advertising); the Internet
* Uses and Limitations of “Fakelore,” Folklore, Myths and Fairy Tales
* Political/Governmental “Faking It”: war, cover-ups, propaganda, scandals,
juridical proof, etc.
* “Faking” the Literary: pseudonyms, romans á clef, publishing and the
history of the book
* “Faking” Life and Death: pseudocide and the premature obituary; celebrity
impersonators
* “Academic Impostor Syndrome,” Diploma Mills, and the Functionality of
Academia
        
This year’s keynote will be a lecture by Berlin-based conceptual artists
Renata Stih and Frieder Schnock.
Please submit a 250 word abstract, with title, for a 15-20 minute
presentation as an MS Word file attachment to: grad-conference_at_uwm.edu.
Panel proposals for 75 minute sessions will also be considered (comprised
of three presentations); please submit an abstract for each presenter and
indicate that you are proposing a panel.

(NEW!!) Deadline for Submissions: November 15, 2008

For more information, visit our website at: http://pw.english.uwm.edu/~migc

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Received on Mon Oct 27 2008 - 08:32:07 EST

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