“Hope and the Humanities” in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Cultures
Children’s Literature and Young Adult Literature Permanent Sections
Session Coordinator: Dr. Amberyl Malkovich
Dept. of English, Concord University
“Hope and the Humanities” in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Cultures
At a time when the Humanities are sometimes devalued and threatened, it might be questioned as to how they can offer a semblance of hope locally, nationally, and globally. Concepts of the Humanities and hope might also be up for consideration as societal and cultural upheavals continue. Yet such disruptions can be cause for growth, hope, change, and (r)evolution. Changes and challenges to global, national, and local communities can be difficult to understand and handle as they often transform that with which we are familiar. Such topics have long been addressed in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Culture, which impacts not only adolescence but also adulthood. Adults often reflect on their adolescent experiences with text, in its varying forms, as they situate themselves within adult spheres. Questions may arise such as: How does Children’s and Young Adult Literature create/develop/preserve hope? What is the role of Children’s and Young Adult Literature within the Humanities? How do events such as war or migration cause reflection and change? We seek papers that explore all aspects of Children’s and Young Adult Literature, as well as those addressing the conference theme of “The Humanities is where Hope Lives.” Considerations may be given to varying concepts of “Hope” across themes as it pertains to deportation, immigration, play, community, the environment, audience, war, race, technologies, body image, sexualities, disabilities, politics, literacies, socioeconomics, rural/urban spaces, post/humanism, 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 Milwaukee, WI November 14-16th, 2025. Inquiries and/or abstracts of 250-300 words should be sent to Amberyl Malkovich at amalkovich@concord.edu by May 5th, 2025. Please include your name, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, and paper title in your abstract.