This is an urgent call for manuscripts for a collection of essays that
address playwright August Wilson's vision for a "ground together"--that
is, a global arts community where forms of cultural expression produced
by peoples across the globe are equally esteemed and celebrated.
Inspired by the national dialogue on the state of black arts instigated
by Wilson's proactive and controversial speech, "The Ground On Which I
Stand" (see American Theater, September 1996, pp. 14-17, 71-74), this
interdisciplinary collection of original essays identifies as its core
issues involving cultural property, cultural ownership and cultural
affirmation in the 21st Century. This proposed collection of essays
promises to earn a place alongside a growing body of cutting edge
criticism on August Wilson in its interdisciplinary perspective on key
issues inspired by the following touchstones from the playwright's June
1996 address to the annual conference of the Theater Communications
Group:
"There are some people who will say that black Americans do not have a
culture-that cultures are reserved for other people, most notably
Europeans of various ethnic groupings, and that black Americans make up
a sub-group of American culture that is derived from the European
origins of its majority population. But black Americans are Africans,
and there are many histories and many cultures on the African
continent."
"There are and have always been two distinct and parallel traditions in
black art: that is, art that is conceived and designed to entertain
white society, and art that feeds the spirit and celebrates the life of
black America by designing its strategies for survival and prosperity."
"Our manners, our style, our approach to language, our gestures, and our
bodies are not for rent. The history of our bodies-the maimings . . .the
lashings . . .the lynchings . . . the body that is capable of inspiring
profound rage and pungent cruelty-is not for rent."
"As playwrights grow and develop, as the theatre changes, the critic has
an important responsibility to guide and encourage that growth. However,
in the discharge of their duties, it may be necessary for them to also
grow and develop."
"We need to develop guidelines for theprotection of our cultural
property, our contributions and the influence they accrue. It is time we
took the responsibility for our own talents in our own hands."
Essays whose premises are clearly informed by some aspect of Wilson's
arts related argument--no matter what position the author may
advance--are especially welcome. Contributors are urged to consider
"art" in broad terms including but not limited to disciplines such as
visual and performing arts, journalism, religion, archaeology, arts
education, technology, language, and literary criticism. The editor
welcomes especially submissions that take bold positions on topics
certainly not limited to the following avenues of investigation:
Issues of cultural property and cultural ownership/ the new Black Arts
Movement/ overcoming the digital divide in black arts/ black arts and
race matters/ making black art functional/ African American performance
aesthetics/ the cutting edge in black arts criticism/ tensions between
black arts and capitalist exploitation/ strategies for teaching black
arts/ redefining black arts/ economics of black arts
Please be reminded that the above list is merely to establish some
general parameters for essays. The editor welcomes brief inquiries for
proposals as well as completed manuscripts of approximately twenty pages
in MLA format should be sent to
Dr. Sandra G. Shannon
Professor, Department of English
Howard University
Washington, DC 20059
FAX: 202-806-6708
Phone: 202-806-6730, ext. 5443
Email: sshannon@fac.howard.edu
The deadline for completed manuscripts (hard copy and disk copy in
Microsoft format) is Saturday, December 15, 2001.
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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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