Russell Crowe’s talents were globally recognized in the early 2000s after he appeared in a slate of well-received films – L.A. Confidential, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind, among others – that earned him critical acclaim. Nevertheless, in the years following these productions, he has continued to be a part of numerous projects with international and creative appeal. Alongside his films are his associations with Roman soccer teams – established in Spera’s (2023) chapter in my recent volume on Gladiator (https://vernonpress.com/book/1213) – his social media presence, and his musical performances.

The twentieth anniversary of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) was an important moment in film history, for it not only marked a great film and work of art, but it also reminded audiences how peplum and historical epics still mattered. The edited collection “A Hero Will Endure”: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of ‘Gladiator’ (2023) provided insights on the film two decades after its release.

Yet now there is a sequel with a November 2024 release. This CFP therefore serves to build on the work done in the 2023 essays and provide a further avenue of exploration for connections between the two films as well as innovative readings of Gladiator 2 on its own.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

REVISED DEADLINE: Special Issue of Surveillance & Society on Literature and Surveillance now accepting submissions until 12 January 2025.

Call for Papers: Surveillance and Literature

Special Issue of Surveillance & Society

Edited by Steph Brown, University of Arizona

Submission deadline: January 12, 2025 for publication September 2025

This special issue asks: what does literature, and the study of literature, offer our shared understanding of surveillance? And what can literature tell us about surveillance and its entanglement with the arts?

ASLE 2025: Collective Atmospheres, July 8-11, 2025

University of Maryland, College Park

Panel: National Cinemas of Agriculture

This proposed panel at ASLE 2025 seeks proposals that explore the ideal of national cinema in the global landscape, with specific emphasis on the cinematic representations of agriculture, rural life, and their connections to (post)colonial and Indigenous foodways.

The Function of Humour
A Transdisciplinary Conference

Conference Date: January 28-30, 2025 
Format: Online Virtual Conference
Fees: £100 for non-members (excluding Eventbrite fees)
15% discount for LABRC Members
Proposal deadline: 29 December 2024

Conference Webpage: https://labrc.co.uk/humour/

“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” – Mark Twain

(Also, it’s a pretty good excuse to host an academic conference where people can laugh while learning!)

***Extended Deadline*** 

Nothing on Leila (1997) please!!!

ReFocus: The International Directors Series, published by Edinburgh University Press invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit papers for a title dedicated to the influential works of Dariush Mehrjui (1939-2023), a seminal figure in Iranian cinema. Known for his profound impact on the New Wave of Iranian cinema, Mehrjui’s films blend social commentary, philosophical inquiry, and aesthetic innovation. This title aims to explore the multifaceted dimensions of Mehrjui’s oeuvre, examining his contributions to film art and his role in shaping Iranian and global cinema.

Topics of Interest

Webpage: https://labrc.co.uk/mythic-muse/

Mythic Muse: Writing Poetry with Mythology
An 8-week poetic inquiry course blending creative writing with research

When: 7 Wednesdays from January 15-March 5 (no class on Feb 19), 2025
19:00-21:00 (London Time)

Where: Online

Course Overview:

For sign-up forms, consult: https://beyondtrauma.yolasite.com/ 

The Beyond Trauma Conference (June 9, 10, & 11, 2025; Nice, France) aims to gather an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars to share their research (ethnographies, theories, and clinical practice) on post-traumatic states from resistance and resilience to retribution and growth. More specifically, we propose to focus less on trauma and PTSD and more on modes of healing that so often involve the arts for trauma survivors. 

Conference online: 23-24 January 2025

CFP:

Call for Papers for WLA’s guaranteed panel at the 2025 American Literature Association Meeting (Boston, May 21-24) This year’s general call seeks proposals related to any aspect of the study of Western literature, regardless of period.  Papers on single texts or single authors are welcome, though comparative, transnational, and/or multiethnic approaches are especially encouraged. Graduate students are encouraged to apply. For consideration, please submit an abstract (250-400 words) to Travis Franks (travis.franks@usu.edu) by DECEMBER 31, 2024.

This call has expired!

The Human Catalyst: Ecological Crises and Their Cinematic Echoes

The Fourth International Conference of the Modernist Studies in Asia Network (MSIA) 

MSIA 2025 – Modernism and Language 

June 26-27, 2025 

Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea   

Keynote Speakers 

• Rebecca Walkowitz (Barnard College, Columbia University)
• Janet Poole (University of Toronto)

Call for Papers

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. John Carlos Rowe, the USC Associates’ Professor of the Humanities and Professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity, and Comparative Literature, the University of Southern California

Dr. Lan Duong, Associate Professor of Cinema & Media Studies, the University of Southern California

Dr. Long Bui, Professor of Global and International Studies, the University of California, Irvine

Dr. Pheng Cheah, Professor of Rhetoric, the University of California, Berkeley

Call for Papers: Nineteenth-Century Women Writers, Astronomy, and Gender