cfp.english.upenn.edu

Western Literature Association Conference November 7-10, 2012 Lubbock Texas

Lubbock, TX is nicknamed “The Hub City” because it has historically been the crossroads of the vast, multicultural South Plains—home to Native peoples for 15,000 years, first dubbed the Llano Estacado (Staked Plains) by Coronado in 1540, and once referred to as the American Serengeti for its massive herds of buffalo, pronghorn, and deer.

We have some very exciting presenters and events this year. We will honor the careers of Distinguished Achievement Award winners Richard Slotkin and his former student, filmmaker and producer Joss Whedon. Dr. Slotkin will be giving the keynote address. Annette Kolodny will be launching her new book. The Writers Series features readings by Annie Proulx, Barry Lopez, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Stephen Graham Jones. ASLE will be celebrating their 20th Birthday with a party on the opening night of the conference. And our band this year is the Gary P. Nunn Band from PBS’s Austin City Limits.

The 2012 WLA Conference invites proposals engaging themes of Literature, Social Justice, and Environment in Western texts; panels or papers on any of our featured authors; or presentations on any aspect of Western literatures and cultures. The 2012 conference also welcomes proposals for inclusion in interdisciplinary panels that approach such topics across disciplines (for example, a panel may examine images of the Western prairies in the novels of Willa Cather, Western films like High Plains Drifter, traditional Western folk songs, and contemporary Western art). Other topics may include:
• Animals and animal studies in the West
• Native literatures of the High Plains
• Art and artists/music and musicians of Texas and the West
• Texas Tall Tales and Western humor
• Spanish exploration and colonization in Texas and the West
• Mexico-Texans: Mexican American literatures in Texas
• Western films and television
• Western Sci Fi
• The West in graphic novels

Each member of pre-formed panels (four presenters) and roundtables must individually submit an abstract. Please follow the naming guidlines in the instructions.

DEADLINE: June 22, 2012.

Abstract submission is online: https://www.conftool.pro/wla-conference-2012/index.php?page=index

For more information, see http://www.usu.edu/westlit/wla-conference-2012/