Inspired by Fort Wayne’s proximity to the Allen County Library, with its large genealogical center, MVSA 2025 takes the theme of “Genealogies.” We encourage participants to think about origins and descent broadly speaking and across disciplines. Genealogies were powerful scientific tools or narrative red herrings, and they were also sources of anxiety for Victorians. Of course, people have genealogies, but so do ideas, artistic forms, and texts, including scholarly concepts and methods themselves. MVSA invites proposals for papers that present, interrogate, explore, celebrate, and puncture material and textual genealogies.
Papers Might Take up Issues Including, but not Limited to: