LSU EGSA Mardi Gras Conference on Language and Literature.
Feb. 16-17, 2007
Lod Cook Alumni Center
Baton Rouge, LA

Members Only: Gatekeepers and the Future of Literary Studies

Keynote Speaker: Timothy Brennan, Professor of Comparative Literature,
Cultural Studies, and English, The University of Minnesota.
Selected Publications: Wars of Position: Cultural Politics of Left and
Right (2005), Ed. Music in Cuba (2001), At Home in the World:
Cosmopolitanism Now (1997), .

The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) welcomes submissions
on a variety of topics relating to language, literature, film,
cultural studies and pedagogy, for its 17th annual EGSA Mardi Gras
Conference.

The theme of this year's conference is the future role of
"Gatekeepers" in literary studies. According to usage, the term
"Gatekeeper" refers to a select group of individuals who set the
standards for Membership and punditry among literary theorists. One
frequently encounters colleagues that categorize themselves in the
context of one theoretical school or another; the question remains,
however: Is the status that one gains through self-identification on a
par with that granted by "endorsed" Membership. In an attempt to
address this question, we are seeking papers for a special
"Chancellor's Panel," which will examine such topics as:
theoretical/political allegiance within academia, internal delineation
of authority within specific theories, and the ideological
construction of academic boundaries.

By way of explanation, we offer the following list (by no means
comprehensive) for consideration:

-"Theory as Subjectivity"
-"Intellectual Succession and the Revision of Gatekeepers"
-"The Delineation of Authority and Space within Theoretical Movements"
-"The Privatizing Role of Jargon in Literary Studies"
-"Sharing the Same Space?: Multiculturalists, Post-Colonialists, and
Atlanticists"
-"The Future of [insert theory here]: Considering the Long-term
Relevance of Theoretical Methodologies"
-" Beyond the Gate: Exploring the Horizons of World Literature"
-"Benjamin and the Post-secular"
-"Keys to the Kingdom: Who is Defining Contemporary Academic Feminism?"

In 2006, we were privileged to host Terry Eagleton, whose keynote
address examined the challenges of conveying theoretical
considerations from academic environments to the realm of social
praxis. This year we are pleased to present Timothy Brennan, whose
latest book, Wars of Position: Cultural Politics of Left and Right,
makes him uniquely qualified to speak about the future role of
ideology and politics in academia.

Visit us on the web at: <http://www.lsu.edu/student_organizations/egsamardigras>

A detailed 250-word abstract should be submitted by November 30, 2006,
to Joseph Brown <EGSA_at_LSU.EDU>. Papers should be 15 minutes in
length. Please submit your abstract in the body of your email. No
attachments, please.

--Matthew Landersmlande1_at_lsu.eduLouisiana State University ========================================================== From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List CFP_at_english.upenn.edu Full Information at http://cfp.english.upenn.edu or write Jennifer Higginbotham: higginbj_at_english.upenn.edu ==========================================================Received on Sat Oct 14 2006 - 20:52:09 EDT