CFP: Essay Collection, "Supernatural" and the Gothic Tradition (abstracts: 15 March 2015)

full name / name of organization: 
Dr Melissa Makala
contact email: 

Essays are invited for an edited collection of essays focusing on the television series "Supernatural" and its relationship to the Gothic tradition. This study seeks to examine how the series is directly tied to Gothic concerns of anxiety, the monstrous, family/generational trauma, curses, and of course, the supernatural itself. In addition to these overarching themes, the series provides a rich framework with which to discuss major Gothic sub-genres such as the Comic Gothic, Suburban Gothic, Political Gothic, Female Gothic, and Postmodern/Meta Gothic. As a television show, "Supernatural" also allows connections between the Gothic and reception studies (such as comparisons of Gothic serialization on the page and screen). The collection is under contract with McFarland Press and will be part of their expanding Pop Culture series. Essays may examine any aspect of the representation of the Gothic/supernatural within the context of the series.

Themes might include:
American Gothic (particular characteristics)
Comic Gothic (the comedic episodes that recur on the show)
Religious Gothic (the involvement of angels and demons on the show)
Political Gothic (leviathans, vampires, demons, angels, world dominance, social control)
Contemporary/Postmodern Gothic (the fragmented self, shifting/multiple identities)
Gothic Television (how the series relates to this emerging field of study)
Meta Gothic and Fan Fiction

Other suggested topics:
Monsters; ghosts; vampires; revenants; shapeshifters; haunting/memories; familial anxiety; curses; cursed objects; the beast within; monstrous or victimized women; folklore, mythology and urban legends; monstrosity; hybridity; fairy tales; demons and angels; possession; identity; death and dying; the occult; mysticism; sexuality; class; race; gender.

Please send a 300-500 word abstract (or complete essay) and C.V. by 15 March 2015. All submissions will be acknowledged. If your abstract is accepted, the complete essay (5,000-6,000 words, including endnotes and bibliography) will be due 1 July 2015.

Submissions should be emailed to Melissa Makala at me.makala@gmail.com.