cfp.english.upenn.edu

“Place is a space which has historical meanings, where some things have happened that are now remembered and which provide continuity and identity across the generations. Place is a space in which important words have been spoken which have established identity, defined vocation and envisioned destiny...Place is indeed a protest against an uncompromising pursuit of space. It is a declaration that our humanness cannot be found in escape, detachment, absence of commitment, and undefined freedom... Whereas pursuit of space may be a flight from history, a yearning for place is a decision to enter history with an identifiable people in an identifiable pilgrimage.” Walter Brueggeman

“Whatever is true for space and time, this much is true for place: we are immersed in it and could not do without it. To be at all – to exist in any way – is to be somewhere, and to be somewhere is to be in some kind of place. Place is as requisite as the air we breathe, the ground on which we stand, the bodies we have.” Edward Casey

Literature and Religion panel at PAMLA seeks papers that address how questions of faith have shaped literary works and cultural meanings. In particular, it welcomes papers that address the topic of sanctuary and sacred space. How do literary texts represent sanctuary and sacred space? What is the role of memory in creating sacred space? What is the relationship between physical place and sacred space? How does one’s experience of suffering contribute to the creation of sanctuary and sacred space? How do migration, immigration and movement impact the construction of sacred space?

The conference will take place at Seattle University, Washington from October 19-21, 2012.

Submission Deadline: April 22, 2012.

Proposals of 300-500 words should be submitted by April 22, 2012 to: haein.park@biola.edu

Please include your email and a brief bio with the proposal.

You should also upload your proposal on the Literature and Religion section listed on PAMLA website: http://www.pamla.org/2012/