International Pearl-Poet Society

Call for Papers — ICMS 2020

The International Pearl-Poet Society is sponsoring five sessions and one co-sponsored session with the Medieval Association of the Midwest (MAM) at the 55th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 7–10, 2020) at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. One session is:

Acceptance and Resistance: Emotional Tension in the Pearl-poet

From a distraught Dreamer and a wrathful, anthropomorphized God to a petulant prophet, the Pearl-poet’s characters are often complex figures struggling not just in morally complex situations but also with tumultuous emotions. Some find peace with their experiences while others remain besieged by or succumb to their inner demons. This session will delve into how the poet’s complex characters resolve or resist their deep emotional turmoil.

We invite abstracts from scholars of all levels. Papers may deal with one or all poems by the Pearl- or Gawain-poet. Paper sessions will consist of either three 20-minute or four 15-minute presentations; all paper sessions will afford at least 30 minutes for discussion.

Please send your abstract (max. 300 words) and the completed Participant Information Form by 1 September 2019 to

Ashley E. Bartelt

Northern Illinois University

Dept. of English, Reavis Hall, Room 215

1425 W. Lincoln Hwy.

DeKalb, IL 60116

abartelt1@niu.edu

The other International Pearl-poet sessions for ICMS 2020 include:

• The Final Frontier: Embodied Space in the Works of the Pearl-poet
• In aventure þer mervayles meven: The Mystical Tradition in the Pearl-poet and Analogues
• Form and Structure in MS Cotton Nero A.x. (A Roundtable)
• The Pearl-poet: Modern Connections, Adaptations, and Evolutions
• Ain’t Misbehaving: Medieval English Women Who Do Good Work by Nefarious Means (co-sponsored with MAM)

For more information, see their individual CFPs on the University of Pennsylvania CFP site.