This panel probes the representation of the grotesque and science in early modern European discourse, whether in the travel narrative or other literary discourse, such as memoirs, letters, notes on experiments, or even the publications from various royal societies. The narrative may, in fact, be factual or fictional, published or in manuscript form. While the definition of the term "grotesque" and its context is relatively open, the grotesque must be clear and it must connect with early modern science and literary discourse in some immediate way. For this panel, I will consider early modern as dating from 1500 to 1700. Please forward by April 28, 2016 an abstract of 250 words and a vita to J. A.

Asia Pacific Writers and Translators Conference (APWT) 2016
25th – 27th November, Guangzhou, China, plus follow on events in Hong Kong and Macau.

http://www.apwriter.org

This year, APWT's annual conference 'Ideas and Realities – Creative Writing in Asia Today' will be hosted by the Centre for Creative Writing within the School of Foreign Languages at Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou.

Racism and Discrimination in the Sporting World
An interdisciplinary volume to be edited by:
Professor of French and Fulbright Scholar
Eileen M. Angelini, Ph.D.
Canisius College

What is it about culture and society that creates an environment in which an athlete is able to excel or fail in his/her respective sport? Which factors, such as racism, discrimination, financial advantage or hardship, propel or hinder an athlete's achievements? This volume seeks to explore how the world of sports is often a microcosm of the real world and the many ways in which it uniquely reflects cultural and societal issues. Abstracts are welcomed from all disciplines.

thresholds is a new digital journal co-edited by Whitney Trettien (UNC) and Fran McDonald (U. Louisville). The journal's platform bears witness to the dynamic processes that constitute reading and writing by way of a split-screen architecture. On the left side of the screen, we publish short essays (essayer – trial, attempt, test). The right side of the screen is populated by the various text fragments, images, audio, and video clips that inspired the author and propelled the corresponding work. Unlike a footnote or endnote, these fragments are not explicitly harnessed to the essay's main body; they do not rustle the reader toward a specific interpretative conclusion.