CFP: Masks and Passing in African American Literature (grad)
(03/15/07; 04/21/07)

From: Kenneth Florey <floreyk1_at_southernct.edu>

Panel Title: Masks and Passing in African American Literature
(graduate)
Conference: The Eighth Annual SCSU Graduate English Conference, Michael
J. Adanti Student Center, Southern Connecticut State University, New
Haven, CT, Saturday, April 21, 2007, 9:00 am-4:30 pm
Themes related to Passing are common throughout the Harlem Renaissance
literature but less so as we approach modern times. Commonly discussed
motives for Passing include economic and social betterment, freedom
from discrimination, self-hate, etc. This panel seeks new perspectives
on the concept of passing, including:
---a discussion of why the subject of Passing was so appealing to a
particular writer or a group of writers during the Renaissance.
---masking and passing. In addition to the obvious factors of color and
race, what other masks did the Passer assume after he/she made the
transition to a new identity? Were those masks always obvious to the
Passer?
---did Passing ever, in fact, free the Passer to enable her/him to
achieve an inner identity that may have been inhibited by expectations
of his/her own race?
---is the Passer really Passing if she or he is at least 50% White and
light enough not to be seen as African American? What is it that makes
us see someone as Black no matter how little the percentage of that
person’s ancestry is African American?
---reverse Passing. Are there times when Whites “Pass” permanently into
the Black world? Are their reasons similar to those of Blacks Passing
for White?

A proposal for a paper should consist of a 250-350 word abstract.
Paper proposals must also include the paper title, and the name, day
and evening phone numbers, fax number, e-mail address, surface mail
address, and institutional affiliation of the presenter.

Electronic Submissions:
Please send submissions by email to: floreyk1_at_southernct.edu, either
included in the body of the e-mail message or as an e-mail attachment
(in Word DOC). Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged.

Non-Electronic Submissions:
If you are unable to e-mail your proposal, you may send either a
PC-compatible floppy disk containing the document (in Word DOC) or a
hard copy to:

Dr. Kenneth Florey
English Department
Southern CT State University
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515.

Hard copy submissions must include a separate cover page with the
name(s), paper/panel title(s) and other details and a second page with
title(s) and abstract(s).

Deadline for receipt of submissions:
5:00 p.m., Thursday, March 15, 2007. You may submit early if you would
like an early decision.

Notification of Acceptance:
Decisions by the conference committee will be on-going, generally
within two weeks of submission of the paper or panel topic. Presenters
will be notified of the conference committee's decision by e-mail. No
decisions will be made after 2 April 2007.

Registration:
There will be a $20 conference registration fee for attendees and
guests ($5 for Southern CT students and faculty), due by April 2,
2007; on-site registration fees will be $25 ($10 for Southern CT
students and faculty). Registration fees include all food service
(continental breakfast, beverage breaks, and luncheon).

Make checks payable to Department of English/SCSU. Send checks to:

Elspeth McCormack
Graduate Conference 2007 Organizer
English Department
Southern CT State University
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515.

----------------------------------------------
Please visit the home page of the
English Department at
http://www.southernct.edu/departments/english/

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Received on Fri Jan 19 2007 - 20:53:40 EST