cfp.english.upenn.edu

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Newman University English Department presents:

11th annual Literary Festival & Scholars Day
“The Well-Spread Fable: Food and Its Meanings”

Conference Description: Food is something we all think about every day—sometimes as scholars, and certainly as eaters. How have cultures been shaped by food production? How has food been used symbolically? What does it mean to eat? These and other questions will guide our discussions of the many meanings of food. Although the theme of the literary festival is “food,” the Scholars Day in which it is set encompasses submissions of work on any topic and in any format. Essays, poster presentations, and artwork from all disciplines are welcome and encouraged.

Keynote Speaker: Sandra Sherman, J.D., Ph.D. - "What Does Food History Teach Us About Us?"
March 31st, 7:00 P.M. De Mattias performance hall
Modern American food culture revolves around trends and scares: recalled eggs, locavores and killer spinach, vegans and tainted meat, heirloom tomatoes. It is populated by celebrities, driven by marketing, and is as much an adjunct to nutrition as visiting the doctor. Yet as Sandra Sherman will explain, we didn't invent any of this. Trendiness, scares, media frenzy and "regimens" have been with us since the 17th century. If we want to understand how we got here, and predict where popular food culture is likely to go next, we need to consider food history. Sherman will give us a long-term perspective.

Sandra Sherman is the author of The Invention of the Modern Cookbook (Greenwood Press), in addition to three other books and over 60 articles. Her expertise includes Restoration and 18th century literature, particularly the development of the novel, and the literary/cultural history of food, poverty, and finance. Sherman has been a professor of English at two universities and a senior attorney in several federal agencies. Currently, she is adjunct professor of English at Fordham University in New York City, and Assistant Director of the Intellectual Property Institute at Fordham Law School. She holds a J.D. and Ph.D. from Penn, and an LL.M in Intellectual Property Law from Fordham.

Guest/Newman Speakers: Prof. Sonja Bontrager, Dr. Bryan D. Dietrich, Dr. David Shubert

Sponsor: Eighth Day Books

Deadline for proposals on this or any literary topic: Monday, January 31st, 2011

Conference dates: Thursday, March 31st (keynote address) & Friday April 1st , 2011

Web site: http://www.newmanu.edu/literaryfestival

More information: E-mail Susan Crane-Laracuente or Julie Brin at Litfest@newmanu.edu
or call 316-942-4291, ext. 2226 (Susan), ext. 2483 (Julie)

“All sorrows are less with bread.” -Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote