Huracán: Environment, Histories, Literatures, and Cultures of the Caribbean, Gulf Basin, and US South

CALL FOR PAPERS

Huracán: Environment, Histories, Literatures, and Cultures of the Caribbean, Gulf Basin, and US South (November 7-8, 2008)

Symposium Sponsors: University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment

High profile storms have redefined regional weather maps. Should weather maps be used to redraw cultural maps? This symposium suggests the figures of hurricanes and their paths to interpret cultures from Africa and the
Caribbean to the Gulf Basin and US South. Huracán begins with a basic presupposition: regions hit by similar storm systems may share environmental and historical determinants. What patterns emerge when we examine a broader
region across national or linguistic borders?

The topic of the symposium is not necessarily hurricanes. Papers on individual storms will be considered, but these should situate events within broader contexts – looking beyond those storms as solely felt or represented
within the United States. We seek proposals that use storm paths or natural currents to help identify points of connection or difference across time and space. Our goal is to foster dialogue between scholars across historical
periods, academic disciplines, languages, and geographic regions. All perspectives and manners of presentation are welcome. Possible topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:


• Economic, political and environmental histories;

• Migration patterns and flight paths;

• Discourses of the tropical and the exotic;

• Storm systems and oceanic currents;

• Revolution and resistance;

• Creole identity and diaspora;

• Foodways, music, literature;

• Circulation of people and culture.

Please send abstracts with c.v. and a short cover letter by October 1, 2007 to Martine Fernandes(martinef@stpt.usf.edu) or Thomas Hallock(thallock@stpt.usf.edu).