119th PAMLA Conference

Los Angeles, CA | November 11-13, 2022 (entirely in-person)
PAMLA 2022: UCLA Luskin Conference Center and Hotel

Sponsored by UCLA Department of English

Special Session: Gazing Through a Pandemic Lens: Absurdist Literature, Theatre & Film

Presiding Officer:  Dr. Kimberly Jew, University of Utah

This panel seeks papers that explore the connections between our experiences of the recent (and ongoing) global pandemic and Absurdist literature, theatre & film. 

The pandemic not only affected our bodies and health, but it shaped human concepts and practices of time, space, and life purpose. Images of confusion, challenges to verification, and the rhythm of repetitiveness and stagnation all emerged in heightened form.

This panel welcomes broad, working definitions of the Absurd, from the philosophical to the aesthetic. A guiding lens for this panel will be the exploration of how diverse genres embrace the Absurd. For instance, how do the formal and experiential aspects of literature, theatre & film shape the expression and reception of Absurdist perspectives and artistic phenomena? Are there notable distinctions of Absurdist messaging among diverse genres? And how does living under a pandemic - a time and space of illness, confinement, remote working and learning, out-of-control internet conspiracy theories - shape our understanding of the Absurd? 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: 

Paper proposal due: May 15, 2022

Submit via the Conference website: https://pamla.ballastacademic.com/Home/CFP

Contact Dr. Kimberly Jew for more information:      Kimberly.jew@utah.edu