Reading fear

CALL FOR PAPERS

READING FEAR:

REPRESENTATIONS OF FEAR IN ROMANCE LITERATURES

November 8-10, 2007

The 2007 graduate conference organized by the University of Oregon Department of Romance Languages seeks to foster an exploration of the concept of fear and its representations in texts across time periods and genres. Although fear is an instinctual emotion caused by a perceived threat, fear may also be learned or culturally constructed. Further, fear may serve as a motivating impetus for social change or be manipulated as a tool of power. The various uses and abuses of fear, then, can lead to a variety of responses including resignation and nihilism or an energized call for solidarity or action. How is fear negotiated through literature and other art forms? Are fear and power inextricably linked? Finally, how can an analysis of fear help us to more fully understand larger collective institutions, whether that be family, community or country?

Keynote speakers for this event will be Mabel Moraña (Washington University). Her research interests include colonial literature, cultural studies and Latin American cultural criticism; Elisabeth Mudimbe-Boyi (Stanford). Her research focuses on 20th-century French literature and Francophone literature from Africa and the Caribbean, history and memory in literature, and contacts of cultures; Lino Pertile (Harvard). His research interests include Dante and the Latin Middle Ages, Renaissance literature in France and Italy, and the contemporary Italian novel.

Imaginative conceptions of the idea of fear are encouraged as are approaches to this topic from a variety of disciplines. Papers may be in English, French, Italian or Spanish. Papers addressing other romances languages (Catalan, Galician, Portuguese and Romanian) written in the above languages will also be considered. Possible panels may include, but are not limited to:

Fear as a Cultural Construct The(Ab)uses of Fear Histories of Fear

Fear of Power Fear and Urban Violence Xenophobia

Fear and Authoritarianism Resistance to Fear Fearlessness

Fear, Repression and Silence Fear and Religion Fear of Death

Misogyny Power without Fear Fear and Paranoia

Fear and Anxiety Terror and Fear Fear and Neurosis

Fear and Identity: Ideology, Race, Sexuality and Culture

To be considered, proposals must include: a working title; a 200-word abstract; your name; email address and mailing address; and university affiliation. All proposals should be sent to:

Graduate Student Conference

Department of Romance Languages

1233 University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 97403-1233

Email: readfear@uoregon.edu

Please visit our website for more information: http://www.uoregon.edu/~readfear/

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS IS JUNE 15, 2007