Footnotes: The Department Newsletter

Volume 52 | December 3, 2007 | Number 14

FROM THE GRADUATE STUDIES OFFICE

The next Footnotes will be distributed on January 14, 2008 (the first day of instruction for spring 2008).

Fellowship Payment
Graduate students on fellowship for the Fall semester (8/16/07-12/15/07), will receive their last fellowship payment on 12/16/07.

Congratulations!
Daniel Wong successfully passed his Special Field exam with distinction on Victorian Literature 1830-1900 (Goodlad, Ch; Rosenstock, Saville, Nazar) on 11/29/07.

FALL 2007 - Dates to Remember
December 7: Instruction ends
December 7: Last day to deposit Dec. master's theses December 8: Last day to add or drop a second half-session course with approval (a W is recorded)
December 8: Last day to add or drop a semester course with approval (a W is recorded)
December 8: Reading Day
Dec 10 – 15: Final examination period
December 10: Last day to change an I grade from spring or summer to prevent F by rule
December 14: Last day to deposit Dec. doctoral dissertations
December 17: Dec. degree conferral (no commencement)

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

SEX, LIES, AND LITERATURE
March 6-8, 2008
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Submission Deadline: January 5, 2008

The fourth annual University of Wisconsin-Madison Literature Conference (MadLit) invites paper proposals for this year’s topic, “Sex, Lies and Literature.”

In the opening chapter to his recent book After Theory, Terry Eagleton claims that, “What is sexy…is sex.” Eagleton reminds us that even the most cutting-edge look to the future of theory can, and should, involve a return to the essentials of the human condition. We wish to take a comprehensive view of our field that encompasses both our past and future, and interrogate the concepts: sex, truth, and the text.

This three-day graduate student conference is designed to investigate how literature engages with notions of sexuality, gender, persuasion, rhetoric, fiction, and truth-value.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Eric Rothstein, Edgar W. Lacy Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

We seek proposals for 15-20 min. presentations and three-person panels on any aspect of “Sex, Lies, and Literature.” Possible topics include:

Truth and subjectivity, Rhetoric, Gender, Sexuality and sexual identity, Sexualized bodies, Gendering texts, Authorial presence, Fictionality, Ethics of literary studies, Conceptions of “truth”, and The practice of lying.

Please submit a 250-word abstract to Kevin Boettcher at kboettcher@wisc.edu by January 5, 2008. We will announce accepted papers by January 31. See file in 213 EB (Journals Room) for more information.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS FROM CENTER ON DEMOCRACY IN A MULTIRACIAL SOCIETY
I. THEME: RACE, DIVERSITY, AND CAMPUS CLIMATE
Race, Diversity, and Campus Climate is the focus of a major conference to be held April 10, 2008 at the Illini Union on the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus. This conference builds on and extends the theme of the inaugural conference held in 2006 which focused on “Documenting the Differences Racial and Ethnic Diversity Makes: Uncovering, Discussing, and Transforming the University”. The goal of the Race, Diversity, and Campus Climate conference is to present information the University of Illinois and other similar universities can use to make the campus more diverse and more inclusive. This year’s theme can be interpreted in a number of ways, but must focus on forms of inquiry that impact educational research and practice, while advancing the commitment to the practice of democracy and equality within a changing multiracial U.S. society.

II. CONTENT/FOCUS AREAS
The conference will have two (2) foci areas that highlight the racial aspects of diversity. These areas are broad and substantive and include a broad application for research extensive universities similar to UIUC.

Assessment & Evaluation of Campus Climate for Students, Staff, and Faculty
Research that creates an environment of respect in which members of the campus community can thrive personally, professionally, and intellectually. Proposals in this area could lead to a campus consensus on the best practices to assess and improve the racial climate where all members of the university community feel welcomed. Research in this area includes empirical findings focusing on the impact of campus activities and formal and informal programs.

Diversity Issues at the University of Illinois
Research documenting the enhancement of diversity scholarship, particularly in terms of innovative, interdisciplinary research on critical campus needs related to diversity that impact and transform campus climate. Inquiry in this area captures the scope of racial incidents utilizing new and old technologies.

 TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS:
CDMS will accept two types of proposals: (a) an individual proposal, which involves a single presentation with one or more authors (individual proposals that are accepted are grouped into panels; and (b) a panel proposal, which is for a symposium/roundtable or other fully planned session, typically involving multiple presentations for participants. Presentation proposals are sought that highlight campus diversity programs and initiatives that reflect the outlined content areas.

Poster Presentations:
Poster Session. Poster sessions combine the graphic display of materials with the opportunity for individualized, informal discussion of the research at a 90-minute session. Individual presenters set up displays representing their papers in a large area with other presenters. Due to the physical configuration of this type of session, no additional audio-visual equipment, such as a screen or overhead projector, is provided. Presenters wishing to use a PowerPoint-type presentation may plan on displaying the presentation from their own laptop computer screens.

Structured or Themed Poster Session. This format blends the presentation and discussion of a paper session or symposium with the individual focus of a poster fair. Part of the session is set aside for an introduction and brief oral presentations to the audience gathered as a group; time for a discussant, and for general discussion may also be included.

Panels:
Panels. An interactive panel encourages engagement with its topic, enriches the experience of attendees through active discussion, and promotes deeper understanding by all (including presenters). A portion of the session is devoted to activities such discussions, questions and answers at the end of the session, or small-group interaction.

Workshop. A workshop provides an opportunity to exchange information or work on a common problem, project, or shared interest. Presentations are brief, allowing adequate time for reflective discussion and interaction.

Provide a description of 500 words or fewer for use in judging the merits of the proposed presentation. The summary should deal explicitly with as many of the following as are applicable, preferably in this order:

1. Title: The presentation title should be entered using proper capitalization. Make sure that the first letter of each appropriate word is capitalized.
2. List of names and addresses for presenters
3. Indicate content/focus area of interest
4. Descriptors or keywords: Provide keywords for the proposal that will be used to describe the paper.
5. Objectives or purposes
6. Summary: Submit a single-spaced summary of not more than 500 words; and

Any of the following if relevant:

7. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
8. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
9. Data sources or evidence
10. Results and/or conclusions/point of view; and
11. Educational or scientific importance of the study.

All proposals are sent to at least two reviewers. Depending on the format and type of work being proposed, the appropriate criteria from among the following will be used to evaluate proposals: (a) topic (importance of issues, relevance to program theme); and (b) relevance of topic to one or more of the specified content areas.

III. GENERAL INFORMATION
The 2008 CDMS conference will be held on Thursday, April 10, 2008 in Champaign, Illinois. The conference will consist of academic presentations, invited guest speakers, panel sessions, workshops, and poster sessions.

General inquiries regarding this bi-annual conference may be addressed to the Conference Program Coordinator (e-mail: cdms@uiuc.edu; phone: (217) 244-0188). Guidelines for submitting proposals are set forth below. Each submission must be directed to a single content area. Additional information about the content for submitting to these entities is set forth in the “Call Details” section.

IV. DETAILS
Deadline. Priority consideration given to proposals submitted by January 18, 2008.

Process. All presentation proposals must be submitted electronically to cdms@uiuc.edu. Proposals submitted by fax or mail will NOT be accepted. Each presentation proposal may be submitted only once, to specific content area. If this rule is violated, all submissions of the proposal will be removed from further consideration.

File format for proposal summary. Submitters may prepare a proposal summary using a word processing application such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. Files in rich text format (RTF) or PDF format are also acceptable.

Timeline.

January 18, 2008	-	Proposal Submission Deadline
February 18, 2008	-	Notification of acceptance/rejection emailed to primary contact submitter/author
April 10, 2008	-	Conference Attendance

Purdue University Calumet Call for Papers
The Graduate School of Purdue University Calumet is pleased to announce a call for papers to be presented at our conference of graduate student scholarship to be held on Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29, 2008. Papers are being sought in the following areas:

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Technology, Mathematics, History (American, European, Eastern, and African), Literature (American, European, and world), Modern languages, Psychology, Sociology, Urban studies, and Women’s studies.

Papers should be of such a length that they can be presented in a maximum of 20 minutes. All of the papers that are accepted will be included in the printed proceedings of the conference. Thus, it will provide the participating students with a publication. The registration fee for this year’s conference will be $50.00, which includes scheduled meals and breaks, and a copy of the published proceedings (to be mailed to all paid registrants in late Summer 2008).

Graduate students should respond by emailing an abstract no later than January 18, 2008 to gradconf@calumet.purdue.edu. Further information can be found at our website at www.calumet.purdue.edu/gradschool. The abstract should be approximately 500 words long and contain the submitter’s name, school affiliation, local address, telephone number, and local e-mail address. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be made by February 11, 2008. See file in 213 EB (Journals Room) for more information.

“Things Matter”
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Department of English
March 13-14, 2008
Keynote Speaker: Bill Brown, University of Chicago

iPhones and Ikea, megastores and Manolo Blahniks, falling buildings and rising temperatures – with the quickening pace of globalization, neo-imperialism, and digitalization, and the rise of neo-liberal approaches to politics, economics, and social-engineering, scholars throughout the academy have become increasingly concerned with the decline of the natural and the human, and the concomitant rise of commodities and material culture, the ascension of things. Yet things have always been with us, and in order to understand their unique role in contemporary global society and unique significance to contemporary literary and cultural studies, we must also understand their past, as sacred objects, crude commodities, and cherished bearers of cultural memory. What role do things play in our daily lives? What roles have they played in our past? Is there any room for humanity in a world of things?

The Graduate English Students Association at the University of Virginia seeks to explore these and other thing-ly matters at our annual conference, to be held on March 13 and 14, 2008. Creative, trans-, inter-, and cross-disciplinary approaches to the matter at hand are encouraged. These include, but are not limited to: literary and cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, physical and life sciences, design, history, economics, philosophy, and religious studies.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

--Literature and material culture
--New materialisms
--Objects and object relations in psychoanalysis
--Book and manuscript transmission and culture
--Fetishism
--Literary phenomenology and the phenomenology of literature
--Consumerism, digital media, and globalization
--Sacred objects
--Monuments and national identity

We are also pleased to announce our distinguished keynote speaker, who will be addressing these and other questions, as part of the Balch Lecture Series: Bill Brown(Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago).

Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words (or panel proposals of no more than 700 words, including descriptions of individual papers), making note of planned A/V needs, to conference.gesa@gmail.com no later than February 15, 2008. (No attachments, please.) Please address any other inquiries to the same address.

 

FELLOWSHIPS

Academic Fellowships at the American Antiquarian Society 2008-2009
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) is the source for pre-twentieth century American history and culture. With over three million books, pamphlets, broadsides newspapers, periodicals, engravings, lithographs, maps, sheet music, manuscripts, and a variety of other specialized materials covering the period from the nation’s first European settlement through the year 1876, the Society’s collections of primary source documentation is unsure-passed. The AAS library also holds selected modern secondary works and a full array of bibliographical tools, learned journals, and other aids to research. These rich holdings combined with a knowledgeable and generous staff have made the Society a collegial, inviting, and essential resource for research, reflection, and conversation. AAS is frequently the place researchers discover a seminal document or image that recasts their thinking and transforms their work. We invite you to discover this source as a visiting academic research fellow.

The American Antiquarian Society is accepting applications for visiting academic research fellowship tenable for one to twelve months during the period June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009.

Several categories of awards are offered for short- and long-term scholarly research at AAS. Funding is available from the National Endowment for the Humanities for four to twelve months’ residence at the Society, while other categories provide one to three months’ support. At least three AAS-NEH fellowships will be awarded, together with some thirty short-term awards.

To learn more about the Society and these fellowships please go online to: www.americanantiquarian.org.

A directory of past fellows and their projects, information about stipends and housing, and complete instructions and application materials are also available at this website. See file in 213 EB (Journals Room) for more information .

 

CONFERENCES

UIUC/KULFaculty Exchange Program
The UIUC/KUL Faculty Exchange Program provides support for faculty to conduct collaborative research and/or teaching activities with colleagues at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. Founded in

1425, KUL is a distinguished, comprehensive research university. It offers programs in Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, Applied Biological Sciences, Law, Business, Economics, Social Sciences, Arts, Basic Sciences, and various research programs on biotechnology, environmental and health sciences. Graduate instruction and research are conducted in English. Leuven, a beautifully preserved medieval city of about 90,000 inhabitants, is located only 20 minutes by train from Brussels and the international airport, and thus within very easy reach of other European capitals.

Participants in this exchange are awarded funding for roundtrip travel, accommodations, and a modest per diem for stays in Leuven ranging from three weeks to three months. This exchange program is also now open to PhD candidates who wish to conduct research at KUL. Guidelines and applications can be downloaded at http://www.ips.uiuc.edu/ific/kul.htm. Applications for exchanges proposed for the summer and/or fall of 2008 are due by March 15, 2008.

Please feel free to contact the office of Institutional and Faculty International Collaboration (IFIC) with any questions about this program.

Thank you and best wishes,

-- Tim Barnes, Assistant Director
Institutional and Faculty International Collaboration (IFIC)
328 International Studies Building
910 S. Fifth St. , Champaign, IL 61820
Tel: (217) 333-1990
Fax: (217) 333-6270

 

Academic Chairpersons Conference
Defining Departmental Leadership: Engaging Academic Communities for Success
February 6-8, 2008
The Florida Hotel and Conference Center
Orlando , Florida
Hosted by: K-State Division of Continuing Education and The IDEA Center
See file in 213 EB (Journals Room) for more information.

 

FACULTY ACTIVITIES AND PUBLICATIONS

Bruce Michelson , Teaching With the Norton Anthology of American Literature, Seventh Edition. xv + 366 pp.  New York: W. W. Norton, 2007.