cfp.english.upenn.edu

Keynote Speaker: Lee Edelman (Tufts)

Roundtable Speakers: Judith Roof (Rice), Joseph Campana (Rice), Colleen Lamos (Rice), Timothy Morton (Rice), Renee Hoogland (Wayne State)

Rice University English Symposium

Sept. 14-15, 2012

After Queer, After Humanism

Queer & Humanism are two categories that have shown their limits in recent critical discussions. This symposium meets to consider the relation between humanism and the theorization of sexuality, gender, and sex. It provides a forum to debate the connection between posthumanism and growing dissatisfaction with “queer” as a critical concept. We also welcome research on posthuman genders and sexualities more broadly, from animals to biotech to digital bodies. Papers can address representation in whatever medium or take up the theoretical coordinates of a topic. “After Queer, After Humanism” calls for proposals, from any period or discipline, on theoretical and cultural production concerning the following themes:

gender systems—animal sexuality—biopolitics—LGBTQ!X2—science fiction—eugenic practices—digital bodies—identification—biotechnology—reproduction and fertility—political genomics—erototechnics—ethics—feminist materialisms—race and sexuality—necropolitics—rights discourse—community formation—body modification—homophobic power—animal breeding—homonormativity—queer capital—sexual economies—cultures of biology—evolutionary narrative—pheromone markets—the liberal subject—pornography—gender and temporality—political geography—activism—language practices

Proposals (max. 250 words) are due on June 1. Papers should be readable in 20 minutes, but we encourage shorter pieces which allow more time for discussion. Please email proposals to rice.symposium@gmail.com as a word document or pdf file.