"PUSHing Boundaries, PUSHing Art: A Symposium on the Works of Sapphire."
February 28, 2007. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

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The English Department at Arizona State University announces a call for
papers for "PUSHing Boundaries, PUSHing Art: A Symposium on the Works of
Sapphire." This symposium focuses particularly on author and
performance artist Sapphire's highly acclaimed debut novel PUSH and its
non-literate, African American, adolescent, female protagonist, Precious
Jones. Recognizing the complexities of the novel, this symposium means
to foster discussion of the multi-genre characteristics of Sapphire's
writing in which the conventions of traditional African American
literature (including orality, invisibility, and literacy acquisition),
ethnography, trauma narrative, and bildungsroman converge to produce a
text that forces readers-and teachers-to confront personal, social,
cultural and political structures and spaces that maintain inequities
and limit humanity.

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Through a series of plenary sessions in which scholars and writers will
present papers on a range of topics raised in the novel and Sapphire's
body of work, the symposium will foster discussion and expose university
students and surrounding communities to diverse intellectual and
creative approaches that address injustice and humanity. Sapphire has
agreed to give a reading and talk about her work. Part of the impetus
for this symposium comes from an attempt to engage in a discussion of
the benefits, risks and (in)appropriateness of teaching and/ or
recommending this provocative text and related others in any classroom.
To this end there will be at least one session on pedagogy and academic
freedom. Outside the classroom, PUSH and Sapphire's other works offer a
wealth of opportunities for exploring issues of trauma and abuse, the
failure of public education, media representations. This novel and
Sapphire's presence will be the beginning of larger discussions about
performing race, performing sexuality, performing gender.

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We invite submissions for presentations on any aspect of PUSH or
Sapphire's other works.=20

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Submit proposals (200-word abstract) to
DoVeanna S. Fulton
by email only to doveanna.fulton_at_asu.edu
Please include "Sapphire Symposium" in subject line
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ALL PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY DECEMBER 8, 2006
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Please pass this announcement on to your colleagues. Thank you.

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Received on Sun Nov 05 2006 - 20:39:50 EST