theory

From Fredric Jameson’s The Political Unconscious (1981)to Toni Morrison’s Playing in the Dark (1992), theories of narrative so often double as theories of violence, the one theory reciprocally informing the other. For Jameson, the Marxian violence of exploitation central to the long history of capitalism can be interpreted from the internal dynamics of narrative form: just as capitalism works to repress the true reality of its oppressive mechanisms, narratives work to repress the true reality of History itself (that being, the grand narrative of class struggle).

CFP for NeMLA 2020, March 5-8. Boston, MA Panel Session: Visibility of the Invisible: The Idea, Theory, and Ontology of Trace

This panel invites proposals to examine the notion, theory, idea, and ontology of the trace and the ways in which it can be deployed in literature, critical theory, image studies, art, film, and other media and disciplines. 

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From its rudimentary manifestations as smoke and fire and footprint, to theological significations of the image of Jesus on the Shroud of Turin, the trace, as a visible marker of an absent presence, generates a compelling milieu to meditate on the proliferation of meaning in text and image. 

Depending on the institution, the department, the politics, and the history of a space, composition and literature faculty often face constant pressure to legitimize or explain the work that we do. However, few opportunities are available to do so in real and tangible ways with departments and faculty outside of our own. This panel seeks to explore the ways that writing and English courses function within and across institutions throughout the country in an effort to develop real-time strategies that increase the visibility of our work, including its interdisciplinarity. How can we increase collaboration with faculty outside of our own silos in order to foster a stronger writing culture across campuses?

The International Lawrence Durrell Society requests proposals for 20-minute presentations on fictional, dramatic, or poetic cycles from the modernist era. Such cycles may include explicit trilogies (tetralogies, etc.) or works connected in more implicit ways. Potential subjects include:

Why do we do what we do in the field of literary studies? Why does it matter? To whom? What redemptive or transformative work does literature do? When? Where? How? We invite reflection and conversation about the different kinds of work literature does to and through writers, readers, teachers, thinkers, and scholars. Our topic is intentionally broad as we seek to inspire, encourage, and celebrate the creation, interpretation, and appreciation of literature from any historical period and any genre. Our format is inclusive with panels for professors, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as scholars from multiple disciplines including English, Modern Languages, Theology, Education, Psychology, Science, and Humanities.