Proposed panel for the American Studies Association (October 11-14,
2007; Philadelphia)

Responding to Celebrity in Nineteenth-Century America

This panel examines fan culture in the nineteenth-century United
States, with a specific emphasis on the emotional responses of fans to
celebrities and performances. We are seeking papers that are
interested in analyzing audience responses to a diverse array of
celebrities: authors, magazine personalities, actors/actresses,
musicians, traveling performers (ex. Barnum's traveling "exhibits"),
and other public personalities. Papers that interrogate specific
nineteenth-century fan groups and their responses to celebrity are also
encouraged. The aim of the panel is to initiate discussion about the
methodology of studying the fan in the nineteenth century. Thus,
papers that focus on "case studies" and establish interesting critical
models to respond to these questions are encouraged. Please submit a
500-word abstract and cv to Karah Rempe (University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill) at rempe_at_email.unc.edu by January 15, 2007.
Received on Fri Dec 15 2006 - 20:46:10 EST