cfp.english.upenn.edu

Madness is a concept of relativity, types and degrees alongside being a state and experience with its own realities. Even though primarily it refers to the field and science of psychiatry and psychology, it has leaked into everything human. Literature, embracing everything human and also being regarded as a field or activity not ordinary, normal or sane, has explored the states of “madness” for ages. Melancholia, hedonism, materialism, utopias, chemicals or arts- all breed insanity. Artists,scientists and women, among other groups, have been called mad. Some madwomen and madmen have been regarded as heroines and heroes and some heroes and heroines have been tortured as madmen and madwomen. The label “mad” has also provided opportunities for privileged groups to control or oppress the disadvantaged or the “other. This inter-disciplinary conference seeks to investigate and explore the nature and significance of madness and its impact on diverse fields of art such as literature, drama, film or painting.

To encourage innovative dialogues, we warmly welcome papers from diverse disciplines.

Suggested topics:

Madwomen and Madmen

Divine and Diabolical Madness

Madness and Creativity

Madness and Sadness

Madness and Idealism

Better Mad Than Bad

Madly in Love

The Language of Madness

The Label “ Mad” as a Tool of Oppression

Madness as Mask

PLEASE SEND YOUR PROPOSALS WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE NO LATER THAN 03 JUNE 2013.

For fees and other deadlines please check the conference page:
http://edebiyat.istanbul.edu.tr/ingilizdili/?page_id=6703