Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture
Issue 14.3

Spatial Literary Studies (Deadline for Submissions Mar. 15 2014)
Edited by Robert T. Tally Jr.

The spatial turn in the humanities and social sciences has occasioned an explosion of innovative, multidisciplinary scholarship in recent years. Spatially oriented literary studies, whether operating under the banner of literary geography, literary cartography,geophilosophy, geopoetics, geocriticism, or the spatial humanities more generally, have helped to reframe or to transform contemporary criticism by focusing attention, in various ways, on the dynamic relations among space, place, and literature. Spatial literary studies enablescholars to reflect upon the representation of space and place, whether in the real world, in imaginary universes,or in those hybrid zones where fiction meets reality. In examining spatial representation in literary works, spatially oriented criticism has also invoked inter- or transdisciplinary practices, frequently making productive connections to architecture, geography, history, politics, social theory, and urban studies, to name a few. Spatial criticism is not limited to the so-called real world, but often calls into question the facile distinction between real and imaginary places, while investigating what Edward Soja has referred to as the "real-and-imagined" spaces of the world. Indeed, although a great deal of research has been devoted to the literary representation of certain identifiable and well known places (such as Dickens's London, Hugo's Paris, or Joyce's Dublin), spatial critics have also explored the otherworldly spaces of literature, such as those to be found in myth, fantasy, science fiction, video games, and cyberspace. Similarly, such criticism is interested in the relationship between spatiality and different media or genres, as film or television, music, computer programs, and other forms supplement, compete with, and problematize literary representation. A spatial or geocritical approach would likely draw upon diverse critical and theoretical traditions in disclosing, analyzing, and exploring the significance of space, place, and mapping in literature and in the world.
We invite scholarly essays on any aspect of geocriticism or spatial literary studies. These essays may be critical, theoretical, or historical, arguing for or offering critiques of spatial literary studies. Contributors may demonstrate the effectiveness of a spatial approach by offering spatial or geocritical readings of particular texts. Essays that examine a discrete space or type of space are also welcome. We are also interested in critical explorations of virtual spaces, such as the worlds of video games or cyberspace. Topics may include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

- Theories of spatiality and literature;
- Geocritical readings of individual texts;
- Spatial issues in the work of individual authors;
- Cognitive mapping and other spatial practices;
- Fantastic or otherworldly spaces;
- Cartographic narratives;
- Spatiality in film, television, or other media;
- Analyses of "non-places";
- Relations between literary and graphic representations;
- Maps as literary texts;
- Spatial theorists (e.g., Lefebvre, Deleuze, Harvey, Jameson, etc.);
- Space and genre

Inquiries and submissions should be addressed to Robert T. Tally Jr. at robert.tally@txstate.edu.

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture (ISSN: 1547-4348) is an innovative online cultural studies journal dedicated to fostering an intellectual community composed of scholars and their audience, granting them all the ability to share thoughts and opinions on the most important and influential work in contemporary interdisciplinary studies. Reconstruction publishes three themed issues and one open issue per year. Send open submissions (year round) to reconstruction.submissions@gmail.com and submissions for themed issues to the appropriate editors listed on the site at www.reconstruction.eserver.org
Reconstruction also accepts proposal for special issue editors and topics. Reconstruction is indexed in the MLA International Bibliography.