In Our Time: F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 21st Century 

Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden June 26-July 2, 2023

Niklas Salmose, Site Director; Helen M. Turner, Program Director

As we move through the 2020s, anticipating and celebrating centennial milestones in the life and career of F. Scott Fitzgerald, it is easy for us to view him as a writer defined by his historical moment. This conference aims to position Fitzgerald as a figure relevant to contemporary theoretical, social, and political concerns. Just as the 1920s were a period of flux and transition, our current decade is proving equally as turbulent. What does this writer have to say to readers living through a period of change and uncertainty?

While consideration will be given to proposals on any aspect of Fitzgerald’s life and work, we particularly welcome papers concerned with the following areas, which take advantage of the research expertise of our host institution:

• Fitzgerald and Media: film adaptations; graphic novels; magazine publishing of the 1920s and 1930s.
• Fitzgerald and Media: film adaptations; graphic novels; magazine publishing of the 1920s and 1930s.
• Fitzgerald and Race: Post-colonial readings of the novels and short stories.
• Fitzgerald and Migration: Migrant narratives; migrant representations; depictions of nationhood.
• Fitzgerald and Ecology: Eco-critical interpretations of Fitzgerald’s work.
• Fitzgerald and Digital Humanities.
• Teaching Fitzgerald in the 21st century.

While we are always happy to consider proposals on The Great Gatsby, we are especially interested in discussions of lesser-known works, including those published in 1923-24, such as overlooked short stories (“Hot & Cold Blood,” “Dice, Brassknuckles and Guitar,” the “Gatsby cluster”), his play The Vegetable, or nonfiction pieces such as “How to Live on Practically Nothing a Year” and “The Cruise of the Rolling Junk.” Proposals on Zelda Fitzgerald's writings are also welcome.

Please send proposals (250-500 words) as well as a brief biographical statement and audio-visual requirements to our conference email address fitzgeraldsociety@gmail.com by January 1, 2023. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by mid-January.