cfp.english.upenn.edu

The journal Forum for World Literature Studies will be publishing a special issue devoted to politics and visual literature. Much of it springs from the 2010 Comparative Literature Conference at Purdue University, “Graphic Engagement: The Politics of Comics and Animation,” but we’re also looking for contributions outside of the conference. Our understanding of “political” is broad in scope, relating not only to affairs of state (at home and abroad), but also the praxis of visual narrative and ways it impacts individual identity and community dynamics. Possible paper topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Historical representations in graphic novels
• The appropriation of national myths and folktales in animated film
• Dynamics of humor and subversion in syndicated comic strips
• Imaging the ethnic/racial other in comics and other forms of visual narrative
• Representations of gender and sexuality in anime and manga
• Personal memoir in graphic novels or animation
• The international language of comics
• Representations of trauma in visual narrative
• Superheroes and the definition, or complication, of communal and national identity
• The Franco-Belgian comics tradition and its political import
• Visual narrative as transnational discourse
• Political cartooning and its social impact
• Journalism, biography, and graphic narrative
• Comics and graphic novels as international children’s and adolescent literature

Forum for World Literature Studies is co-edited in Wuhan and Shanghai, China, and West Lafayette, Indiana, and it reaches a world-wide readership. As such, we're particularly interested in those contributions that have an international perspective and/or would appeal to a broad audience, regardless of the text's national origin.

Papers should be between 4,000-5,000 words and formatted according to the latest MLA Style Manual. In addition, essays should reflect the Forum's house style, which should consider the following:

• In the body of the text, citations should be parenthetical and without “p.” (Smith 33). But in the Works Cited, you need to include “p.” or “pp.” where appropriate.
• You do not need to write “Print.” after entries in your Works Cited, as is called for in the latest edition of the Manual.
• Please use foreign languages in the original where appropriate, meaning where the language is important to the argument, followed by a translation in parentheses, “come questa” (Smith 33, “like this”).
• The house style does not allow scare quotes or any slashes or odd orthography (e.g., no “and/or” [pick one] or “(her)story.”

The Forum is aimed at a world-wide audience of scholars working in English, many for whom English is not the first language. As such, clarity is important. The journal also prints articles in Chinese and can easily handle Chinese characters.

The deadline for submission is January 5, 2011. Please submit your finished essays to graphic.engagement@gmail.com. Questions regarding the special issue should also be directed to the same email address.