cfp.english.upenn.edu

Call for Papers: “Rising Tides: Major and Minor Trends in English Studies”
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Graduate English Association Conference
April 17 & 18, 2008 (The conference is on April 18, but we plan to host a social event the night before.)

“Upon those who step into the same rivers, different and again different waters flow.”

Over 2500 years have passed, but Heraclitos’ wisdom remains salient. None would deny that there are dominant movements and perspectives; yet, every scholar must admit that the topography of the discipline is in continual flux. Each year generates a new approach and a new trend – a new branch from the old.

With this in mind, the UNCW Graduate English Association plans to hold its fourth annual conference. We are interested in the current flow of ideas that are being generated below the surface and those that incorporate the canonized trends. We are inviting abstract submissions to our conference, which will be held on April 18, 2009, and entitled “Rising Tides: Major and Minor Trends in English Studies.” We welcome papers from all fields of English studies: literature, literary theory, rhetoric, composition, linguistics, creative writing, science writing, and professional writing. Papers can follow different aspects of a major or minor trend: how a trend (or counter-trend) arose, what a trend consists of, what influences a trend is having/has had.

Abstract submissions of 300 words or fewer are due by April 1, 2009. Please email abstracts as an attached Word document to uncwgea@gmail.com or submit abstracts online at http://student.uncw.edu/org/gea/Abstract_Paper_submissions.html. Also, please refer to the GEA website for the most current conference information: http://www.uncw.edu/gea. Any questions can be e-mailed to Karlie Herndon (keh5286@uncw.edu) or Thomas Polk (thp9064@uncw.edu). All participants’ abstracts and selected papers will be included in our informal publication.*

* The informal publication, called Speculations, will consist of participants’ abstracts and a limited number of papers (8-10 of what we perceive to be best and most representative of the papers at the conference) to be published on the GEA website. Although each individual retains the copyright to his or her abstract and paper, the institution of UNCW does not maintain copyright; therefore, participants are allowed to seek publication of their papers elsewhere. For more information, please visit: http://student.uncw.edu/org/gea/abstracts.html.