popular culture

"The dominant literary mode of the twentieth century has been the fantastic…. When the time comes to look back at the century, it seems very likely that future literary historians, detached from the squabbles of our present, will see as its most representative and distinctive works books like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...." –Tom Shippey, J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century (2001)

This anthology will focus on the elements of Tolkien Studies that Professor Shippey originated and disseminated in his work over the last thirty years. 5000-7000 word essays are sought on topics including but not limited to:

Shippey's role in the field of Tolkien studies

The Journal for South Texas English Studies, a blind-peer-reviewed publication, is seeking submissions for its inaugural edition, which has been aptly themed "New Beginnings." The first edition will be published online on December 1, 2009. New beginnings occur when anything new is attempted, when one literary period changes to another, when an author pens a coming-of-age novel, when technology profoundly changes culture, when a new literary theory is debuted, when a new literary technique is attempted, when new theories emerge, and when communities are threatened by new challenges. As you can see, this is an open-ended theme. Papers not connected to the theme will be considered, but those that follow the theme have the best chance to be published.

Call for Papers: Africana Area
Southwest/Texas PCA/ACA 31st Annual Meeting
February 10-13 2010
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Call for Papers: Anime & Manga Area
2010 Southwest/Texas Popular Culture/American Culture Association
31st Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 10-13, 2010
The 2010 SW/TX PCA/ACA Conference will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Hyatt Regency downtown at 300 Tijeras, Albuquerque, NM, 87102. 505-842-1234.
More information can be found at http://www.swtexaspca.org.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Much has been written on how queer characters in novels are "straightened" in mainstream television and film adaptations. This panel seeks to investigate the opposite practice: the queering of straight or coded characters in the process of adaptation from written text to film, television, or fan fiction.

The journal "Jura Gentium Cinema" is seeking reviews (between 5000 and 10000 words) for the New Zealand-South African movie " District 9" by Neill Blomkamp.

The review should particularly address the postcolonial dimension of the movie. The review should be informative and evaluative, without being dismissive: that is, the reviewer should find some value in the work being reviewed.

Reviews in French, Spanish, Italian are also welcomed.

Please contact dr. Filippo Del Lucchese for proposals (f.dellucchese@gmail.com)

Jura Gentium Cinema
www.jgcinema.org

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR A SESSION ON HEROISM AND VILLAINY IN WEIRD FICTION, 1925-1945
SW/TX PCA/ACA CONFERENCE, FEBRUARY 10-13, 2010
Science Fiction/Fantasy Area

We are seeking short anecdotes for inclusion in a forthcoming book (Tentative Title: Publishing for Profit and Promotion) addressing publishing and professional development opportunities for non-tenured faculty (graduate students, part-time faculty, adjuncts, assistant professors, academic professionals, lecturers, and other contingent faculty). We invite stories that share:

Call for Papers

International Conference

** CINEMA AND LANDSCAPE**

University of Sheffield
United Kingdom

April 16-18, 2010

Following the publication of a major new edited book in Winter 2009, Cinema and Landscape (Intellect, 2009), featuring essays by notable film scholars from around the world, an international conference is to be held on the subject of cinema and landscape.

The conference will be hosted at the University of Sheffield, April 16-18 2010, with the aim of exploring the intersection between Film, Film Culture, Landscape, Place and Geography.

Proposals** (a 150 word abstract) are very welcome for:

A Call for Papers

"Punk Rock Warlord: Critical Perspectives on the Life and Work of Joe Strummer"

Although the life and music of punk icon Joe Strummer have been the subject of a number of recent biographies, documentaries, websites, and musical celebrations, Strummer's work with the Clash, the Mescaleros, and numerous side projects and films has not received its critical due. "Punk Rock Warlord" seeks to fill this sizeable critical gap.

The editors of this collection seek papers that address any (and more) of the following topics:

(Please note the extended deadline, now 31 August 2009.)

ENTERPRISING CREATIVITY: INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH

[Student-led postgraduate conference]

University of Leeds
Hosted by the Leeds Humanities Research Institute
6-7 November 2009

This year, the EU celebrates the 'European Year of Creativity and Innovation', aiming to 'raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation for personal, social and economic development'. What does in mean to innovate in the arts and humanities, and what role does such innovation play in a global society increasingly concerned with the valuation of ideas?

Call for Papers

MLA 2011: Los Angeles, January 6-9, 2011

Literary Architectonics of the U.S. South

December 21 2012 is believed to mark the end of the thirteenth B'ak'tun cycle in the Long Count of the Mayan calendar. A growing number of people believe this date to mark the end of the world or, at the very least, the end of the world as we know it: a shift to a new form of global consciousness. 2012: Reflections on a Mark in Time brings together for the first time a range of scholarly analyses on the 2012 phenomena grounded in various disciplines including religious studies, anthropology, Mayan studies, cultural studies and the social sciences. 2012: Reflections on a Mark in Time will show readers how much of the 2012 phenomenon is based on the historical record, and how much is contemporary fiction.

There is less than two weeks to go to the 28th August deadline for submissions for the Transnational Feminisms Conference. We have received some very exciting submissions so far but welcome more, be they proposals for papers, panels, workshops or art work. See below for the call for papers. Further details can be found on the conference website.

Call for Contributions

Transnational Feminisms Conference
University of Manchester
4-5 December 2009 (with associated activities on 6 December)