cfp.english.upenn.edu

Some seek the pleasure cruise. Others prefer roughing it. The pleasures of comfort or the joys of discomfort can shape travel writing, lending it elements of conflict, suspense, or humor. Such moments are frequently sites of exposure and insight as well, disclosing a traveller’s presuppositions, expectations, and ideological frameworks. The SATW invites proposals for papers that analyze moments of (dis)comfort in American travel writing. Possible questions include: In what ways does (dis)comfort serve as a measure by which a place is judged? How does (dis)comfort reveal a travel writer’s expectations and prejudices? How does (dis)comfort reveal travel infrastructures and the political realities that create and sustain them? What impacts does the establishment of comfort have on the environment? Does (dis)comfort expose uneven social relationships? What are the possible motivations for, and/or ironies of, marketing travel that will produce an 'unexpected' encounter?

The Society for American Travel Writing will host two panels at the 2013 American Literature Association annual conference. Scholars of American travel writing and practicing travel writers are particularly encouraged to submit proposals.

Please send 300 word proposals by January 13, 2012 to Andrew Vogel at vogel@kutztown.edu or Melanie Scriptunas at mscript@udel.edu. For further information, please consult the ALA website at www.americanliterature.org.