cfp.english.upenn.edu

Call for Papers
Charlie in the Heartland
An International Charlie Chaplin Conference
October 28, 29, and 30, 2010
Ohio University Zanesville, Zanesville, OH USA
Conference Website: http://www.zanesville.ohiou.edu/chaplin/

In keeping with the theme of the conference, "Charlie in the Heartland," which was chosen to commemorate Chaplin's first trip to the United States with Fred Karno's Comedians in October, 1910, we are seeking papers in a wide range of areas, all to do with Chaplin, his relationship with, influence on, or evocation of America, either during or after his long residence here.

Keynote Speaker and Honoree:
Charles J. Maland, Professor and Head of the University of Tennessee English Department and author of Chaplin and American Culture: The Evolution of a Star Image, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Other Confirmed Featured Speakers:
David Robinson, Film Critic and author of Chaplin: His Life and Art

Kate Guyonvarch, Director of Roy Export S.A.S. and the Association Chaplin office, Paris

Cecilia Cenciarelli, Archivist and Head of Progetto Chaplin, Cineteca di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Frank Scheide, Professor of Communications at the University of Arkansas and Co-Editor of The Chaplin Review

David Shepard, Film Preservationist

The following topics are meant to generate ideas for presentations, not limit creativity or exclude participation:

Maland's Chaplin and American Culture 20 Years Later
Reconsidering "Chaplinitis"
From Karno to Keystone: Eliding the Music Hall Stage and the Silent Screen
American Vaudeville Audiences of the 1910s-- A Herald of Silent Film Popularity?
Chaplin's Company: Who were Charlie's Character Actors and What Were Their Influences?
Vulgar Film Comedy as High Art.
Chaplin and Public Appearance: A Reconsideration of the Liberty Bond Tour
The Chaplin Imitator Phenomenon
Film Audience Reception in the Heartland
The Heartland Rebels: Chaplin and the American Legion
Brother Sydney Chaplin : What Was the Magnitude of His Impact?
The Representation of America or Americans in the Films of Charlie Chaplin
Chaplin's Little Tramp and the Beat Generation in America
Chaplin and Music

Individual papers or full panels are welcome to submit proposals.

Please send a 500-word abstract, a short bio and your contact information to Lisa Stein, Assistant Professor of English, OU-Zanesville, 1425 Newark Road, Zanesville, OH 43701 or via email by February 1, 2010. Graduate and undergraduate students are welcome and encouraged to submit.

N. B. We have tried to make this an accessible conference for young scholars by offering several low-cost housing options, as well as a reduced registration rate. We will also have a student travel grant available for applicants. Check back in early 2010.

NEWS BYTES:
The Zanesville Art Museum will host a six-week-long exhibit on Chaplin entitled “Charlie Chaplin and America,” to begin October 1, 2010.

We will welcome Maestro Timothy Brock from his home in Bologna, Italy to conduct an orchestral accompaniment to City Lights on the big screen in the Zanesville area, Sunday, October 24th. Check the website for updates on this event.