Scholarly attention to Shakespeare's function in the popular imagination has grown with the inclusion of cultural and presentist studies within the academy, and excellent work has analyzed Shakespeare's dichotomous construction in that imagination (e.g., writer of/for the people vs. intimidator of the people). Yet there has not been a sustained examination of the specific ways modes, media, and bodies intersect with each other to impact the construction of popular Shakespeares. How exactly do different modes (telling, showing, interacting, etc) affect generic possibilities for popular Shakespeares? For instance, are interactive modes limited to quest narratives with happy endings? What bodies are depicted as being included/excluded in those narratives? How do the specific media involved (textual, live performance, digital, etc) generate generic and modal expectations? And how are bodies written into or out of these popular constructions? The Journal of Narrative Theory (JNT) invites submissions of essays that examine the ways the modes, media, and bodies impact the creation of popular Shakespeares.

For more information about JNT see http://www.emich.edu/english/jnt/.

Essays must be received by January 1, 2011. Queries can be sent to Ayanna Thompson (ayanna.thompson@asu.edu).