Art and Smoke: Morris, Ruskin, Art, and Industrialism
MLA Toronto (January 8-11, 2026). Both John Ruskin and William Morris decried the evil effects of industrial blight on the environment, citing the impossibility of authentic art in the context of poverty and pollution. We seek papers that treat all aspects of this topic as reflected in literature, art, and social theory: broadened definitions of art, late-Victorian and modernist responses to urban industrialism, art for the masses, eco-socialism, utopian otherworlds, and the rise of urban design. Contributions on Canadian-related and contemporary material are also welcome. Please send abstracts and a brief c. v. by March 15th to jnixon@salemstate.edu and florence-boos@uiowa.edu.