"Going Public" in Children's and Young Adult Literature and Culture
Children’s Literature and Young Adult Literature Permanent Sections
Session Coordinator: Dr. Amberyl Malkovich
Dept. of English, Concord University
“Going Public” in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Cultures
Whether Harry Potter takes up his wand, Ada Twist delves into scientific discoveries, Charlotte pushes Wilbur out of his pen, Esperanza rises above her circumstances, or Aristotle goes in search of Dante, at some point such characters must “go public” to defy societal constructs and establish their own space in the world. In this vein, the concept of “going public” will be explored through a variety of lenses. Questions may arise such as: What is the role of Children’s and Young Adult Literature within public spheres? How do events such as war or pandemic cause reflection and change on societal, cultural, and/or individual levels? We seek papers that explore all aspects of Children’s and Young Adult Literature, as well as those addressing the conference theme of “Going Public.” Considerations may be given to audience, war, race, technologies, body image, sexualities, traumas, identity/-ies, disabilities, politics, diasporas, literacies, socioeconomics, immigration, rural/urban spaces, posthumanism, regionalism, and any other critical issues in children’s and young adult literature from any period and genre. Panel proposals are also welcome.
The MMLA conference will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio November 2-5h, 2023. Inquiries and/or abstracts of 250-300 words should be sent to Dr. Amberyl Malkovich at amalkovich@concord.edu by June 14th, 2023. Please include your name, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, and paper title in your abstract.