CFP: [Collections] American Literature After the American Century

American Literature After the “American Century”

Co-editors Lance Rubin, Arapahoe Community College and Gioia Woods,
Northern Arizona University

“American Literature after the American Century” begins a critical
discussion of how American literature has responded to the highly charged
social and political climate during the early years of the 21st century.
What characterizes literary preoccupations after the 20th century,
the “American Century?” How has American fiction incorporated or resisted
social, cultural, and political events in the 21st century? How are
American writers responding to nationalism and American identity?

Possible topics for exploration may include:

• Changing notions of American identity
• Political polarization
• 9/11
• The “war on terror”
• Civil rights/the Patriot Act
• America’s international reputation
• Military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Bush administration rhetoric
• Rise of FOX News and Daily Show/Colbert Report
• Increased influence of the “Religious Right”
• Increased influence of “Neo-Conservative” ideology
• Scandals at Enron and other corporations
• Global warming and environmentalism
• Single and comparative author studies
• Gender, power, and ethnicity in 21st century fiction
• Nostalgia and memory in 21st century fiction

Please send abstracts of 250-500 words by April 1st to the offices or
emails below. Inquiries welcome.

Gioia Woods
Associate Professor, Humanities
Box 6031
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Gioia.Woods_at_nau.edu

Lance Rubin
Chair, Department of Humanities
Arapahoe Community College
5900 S. Santa Fe Drive
Littleton, CO 80160
lance.rubin_at_arapahoe.edu

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Received on Tue Oct 09 2007 - 21:48:23 EDT