"Exploring Community and Culture in African American Poetry"
Second biennial poetry conference focusing on African American poetry
sponsored by The George Moses Horton Society at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Horton Society, an affiliate organization of
the American Literature Association, was conceived by Dr. Trudier Harris in
the Spring of 1996 as a way to encourage sustained scholarly focus on the
works of African American poets and to foster presentation and publishing
opportunities for that scholarship.
CONFERENCE DATES:
March 31 and April 1, 2000
CONFERENCE LOCATION:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
SUBMISSION DEADLINES
U.S. mail: Postmarked December 1, 1999
Email: December 5, 1999
Notification: Authors of accepted submissions will be notified by January
15, 2000.
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept submissions by fax.
SUBMISSIONS:
The idea of community is one that assumes both literal and figurative
expressions within the construction of African American poetry. Community
can stand at once for a place, a group of people, and/or a set of values; it
can range from a small town or a few city blocks to the wide sweep of the
"African American community." There are a variety of communal types that
can be seen in the poem and the worlds outside of the poem which reflect and
gaze upon the poetry within. In focusing this year's conference around
community and culture in African American poetry, we would like to think
through these issues, to interrogate the sometimes fraught relationship
poets (and critics) have with communities/cultures (both their own and
others), and to work towards an understanding of how African American poetry
functions/moves/breathes within various cultures and communities.
Issues surrounding a sense of one's place and culture have been integral to
African American literature and scholarship. The "Community, Culture and
Poetry" conference aims to combine critical analyses of African American
poetry with the act of creating and performing poetry. In addition to
scholarly sessions, this conference will also include workshop sessions with
working poets as well as performance sessions.
Suggested topics for submissions could include, but are not limited to:
Examinations of the place/position of poetry within African American
communities
The blending of "other" communities and cultures within African American
poetry (for example, Chicana/o, lesbian/gay, Asian American, African,
Caribbean, etc.)
Issues of "border" within African American poetry
The community of poets: Harlem Renaissance, Black Arts Movement
The community of readers in African American poetry
Political implications of poetry for African American communities
Teaching/writing poetry in African American communities
The role of poetry in culture: poem as cultural critique/poet as cultural
worker
The poet as exile: problems with community
White culture, Black poet: poetry as cultural negotiation
Gender and the idea of community in African American poetry
Postcolonial or colonial communities in African American poetry (for
instance, Carribean/diaspora writers)
Modernist/Postmodernist communities in African American poetry
Communal ties through family in African American Poetry
Communities of performance in African American Poetry
Religion and community in African American Poetry
SUBMISSION FORMAT:
1). A cover page that includes: paper title, speaker's name, academic
affiliation, mail address(es), e-mail address, phone number, and a 300 - 500
word description of presentation.
2). Four copies of a one-page proposal IDENTIFIED BY PAPER TITLE ONLY!
LENGTH OF PRESENTATIONS: 20 minutes for each paper (individual or within a
panel).
Single Submission per Person Only, Please:
We encourage submissions from advanced graduate students as well as
professional scholars.
CONTACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more conference information, please write to:
The George Moses Horton Society
C/O English Department
Greenlaw Hall CB#3520
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3520
Attn: Ms. Fiona Mills
or direct your questions to: Ms. Fiona Mills at horton@unc.edu
For information on the George Moses Horton Society, please see our website:
http://www.unc.edu/campus/sigs/horton/
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From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
CFP@english.upenn.edu
Full Information at
http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/
or write Erika Lin: elin@english.upenn.edu
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