What are Freedoms? Francophone, French, and Italian Discourses on Liberty, Otherness, and Exoticism

2005 Call for Papers
For the 11th Annual FIGSA Conference
Sponsored by the French and Italian Graduate Student Association (FIGSA)
of The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

April 1-2, 2004 at The Faculty Club

What are Freedoms?: Francophone, French, and Italian Discourses on Liberty, Otherness, and Exoticism.

Keynote Speaker: Steve Murphy (Rennes, France)


We welcome proposals that focus on :
· Representation, definition, illustration of Freedom (Text, Film, Theatre, Painting)
· Representations and/or quest of the self and the other
· Otherness in Poetry, Film, Theatre, Texts
· Gender identities: feminism, queer studies
· Exotic/exoticism/orientalism
· Exoticism and sensuality/desire
· Poetics/politics of community and/ or identity
· Diaspora; immigrants and immigration/literature of the exile
· Displacement, territorialization, deterritorialization and reterritorialization
· Colonial and post-colonial literature
· Community and the stranger; Community vs. collectivity
· Fictional spaces: towns/country, suburbs/city centers; fictional geography/community
· Intertextual identities/communities; mythical communities/identities
· Verbal and iconic representations of Liberty, Otherness, and Exoticism in Cinema and in visual arts (cartoons, posters, advertisements, etc).

Topics dealing with Italian and Francophone Literature (including Islamic and other religious issues, racial minorities, and linguistic minorities), and Gender Studies (including sex and sexuality, and women's studies) are particularly welcome. Papers may be presented in English, French or Italian.

Those interested in presenting a paper should submit an abstract to Candice Nicolas, nicolas.2@osu.edu, by February 14, 2005.

Papers should not exceed 20 minutes in length (8-10 pages).