Call For Papers—Biography Session
Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association 58th Annual Convention, Boulder,
Colorado.
September 30-October 2, 2004
Biography: Authorized/Unauthorized: The Representation of Celebrities
What does it mean to represent the life of a celebrity? Why do so many biographies today set out to correct the faulty representations of others? When even autobiography is notoriously inaccurate, why does our culture remain fascinated with biographies that purport to move closer and closer to an intangible truth? As early as the nineteenth century, writers, actors, and even royalty became the subjects of popular biographies, their lives offered up for public consumption. Often these works were characterized by a sense of awe and glossed over less flattering aspects of the subject’s life. Today, contemporary biographers of historical subjects have set out to correct earlier works, often producing biographies that seem to emphasize what had been hidden. This pattern of assertion and reversal occurs today at a rapid pace. Authorized and unauthorized works often follow each other closely and are advertised as presenting the "true life" of celebrities. This panel seeks to examine the act
of celebrity biography, to study historic and/or contemporary life writing and re-writing, and to explore our culture’s fascination with such representations. Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words with 2-page cvs by Feb. 29th. Email submissions are encouraged <rwerner@uno.edu>. Submissions may also be mailed to: Dr. Robin A. Werner,Department of English, University of New Orleans, Lakefront Campus, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148
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