Call for Papers

Fifth IABA Conference, Mainz, Germany, 27-31 July 2006

Organizer: Alfred Hornung

The fifth biennial conference of the International Auto/Biography=20
Association will take place at the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz,=
=20
Germany, from 27-31 July 2006. The general topic of "Auto/Biography and=20
Mediation" will permit a wide range of papers dealing with issues of=20
auto/biography as media and auto/biography in the media, performing a=20
process of mediation.

  Auto/Biography and Mediation

All forms of life-writing represent specific processes of mediation,=20
thematically between the self and the world, technically between the author=
=20
and the chosen medium of self-representation. Thematically, an=20
auto-biography may mediate between individual positions and choices taken=20
in life, in the sense of the critical concept of relational selves, or it=20
may mediate between self and place as in imaginary geographies and=20
eco-biographies. As such, auto-biographies are involved in literary,=20
cultural, psychological, legal or political processes of mediation in which=
=20
the auto-biographer becomes a mediator in intercultural, interethnic, and=20
interracial affairs. An auto-biography can also mediate between different=20
disciplines of the humanities, the social and natural sciences,=20
neuro-science and medicine. Auto-biographical memory functions as a medium=
=20
for time and reality. Technically, auto-biographers can choose from a wide=
=20
range of media in which to present their lives: print media, performance,=20
film and video, radio and tapes, or the internet. Many auto-biographers=20
combine different media for intermedial effects, such as the inclusion of=20
photography in texts, voice and music on the radio or tapes, sound and=20
images in filmic auto-biography, music and dance in self-performances.=20
Auto-biographical multi-media installations dissolve boundaries between=20
genres and technologies of signification. The overall goal of=20
auto-biography as mediation is to find some kind of resolution between=20
different positions and the choice of media for the representation of life.

  We invite proposals for individual papers and workshops within the range=
=20
of these areas. Please choose one of the following sections for your=20
contribution:

  1. Theory of mediation and intermediality via auto-biographies

2. The mediation of medicine, natural sciences, neuro-sciences or=20
social sciences in auto-biogaphies.

3. Media of culture(s) as expressed in auto-biographies

4. The mediation of cultures in auto-biographies

5. The mediation of African and Latin American worlds in=
 auto-biographies

6. Performance and auto-biographies

  Please send a one-page abstract of your proposal and a one-page=20
curriculum vitae by 20 November 2005 to my e-mail address below. We would=20
like to encourage auto-biography scholars, especially from Africa and Latin=
=20
America, to participate and to focus also on auto-biographical material=20
outside of the Anglo-American canon.

We will set up a home page for this Fifth IABA conference in September with=
=20
further details. Mainz is located centrally in Germany, with easy=20
connection to the Frankfurt airport, about 25 miles away, where most=20
international flights arrive.

We are looking forward to your proposals and hope to see you all next year=
=20
here in Mainz.

I would refer you to Zhao Baisheng's IABA website=20
<http://www.iaba.org.cn/>www.iaba.org.cn where you can take a first glimpse=
=20
of the city of Mainz and the Johannes Gutenberg University.

  Prof. Alfred Hornung
American Studies
Johannes Gutenberg Universit=E4t Mainz
PF 3980
55099 Mainz
Phone: +49-6131-392-3535

Fax. +49-6131-392-5577

e-mail: <mailto:hornung_at_uni-mainz.de>hornung_at_uni-mainz.de

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Received on Mon Aug 22 2005 - 10:52:14 EDT