cfp.english.upenn.edu

Calling All Papers

Fordham University
New York City
February 12, 2010

Sex, Death, and Boredom
Keynote Speaker: Simon Critchley

The Graduate English Association seeks submissions for our annual interdisciplinary conference entitled “Sex, Death, and Boredom.” This year’s one-day conference to be held on February 12, 2010 asks presenters to engage the interconnections amongst sex, death, and boredom and to challenge conventional definitions of each. Due to the importance we place on the thorough interrogation of the topics and the exchange of ideas that can take place amongst scholars of different disciplines in such a venue, we have decided to devote a large portion of every session to discussion. Consequently, each panel will consist of three, possibly four short ten-minute presentations followed by a twenty or thirty minute discussion amongst panelists, conference attendees, and a moderator. It is our hope that these extended discussions will keep the sessions lively while also developing, challenging, and even altering the ideas relayed in the presentations. Our aim in structuring the sessions in such a way is to foster not only the exchange of knowledge but also the very creation of knowledge throughout the conference.

In addition to traditional academic papers, the committee encourages creative literary work, performance art, and multi-media presentations that in some way address the topic. Pre-formed panels will be accepted for review but are not necessary for submission. We are particularly interested in provocative work that will inspire discussion. Possible topics may include:

• Pornography and Boredom
• Boredom and Death
• Necrophilia
• Cultural Constructions of Boredom
• Manifestations of Boredom in Certain Periods in History
• Chapbook Culture and Elicit Material
• Grave Robbing
• Catholic Universities and Sex
• Voyeurism, Participation, and Performance
• Power and Sado-Masochistic Practices
• Boredom and Technology in the 21st Century
• Auto-Erotic Asphyxiation
• Boredom and Anxiety
• Photographs of the Dead
• Séances
• Academia and Boredom

The deadline for submissions is December 12, 2009.

Please send 300-word abstracts of academic papers to sexdeathandboredom@gmail.com.
Word documents only, please.

For creative work, please limit your submission to ten pages (or three to five poems).

A description and/or images of the performance piece may be submitted electronically in a single Word document or by post to:

GEA Conference
Attn: Will Fenton
English Department
Fordham University
Bronx, NY 10458

If you have questions about anything pertaining to the conference or your paper submission, contact Will Fenton at fenton@fordham.edu.