cfp.english.upenn.edu

Over the past century, American fiction for girls has evolved in parallel with its youth culture. In life and literature, girls have been transfigured from elegant-mannered doyennes to chippy problem-solvers. This panel examines how classic and contemporary texts offer a continuum of expanded roles for girls, from wives-in-training to adventurers, detectives and heroines. Abstracts should examine specific text(s) that demonstrate the historical progression of female empowerment through reading. 500 word Abstract and CV by 9/30 to Sophie Lavin, NeMLA Women’s Caucus Rep, SUNY Stony Brook: blavin@optonline.net.