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"As I Imagine: Fantasy, Identity, Politics"
7th Annual English Graduate Organization Conference University of Florida - October 18-19, 2007 Keynote Speakers: Dr. Beverly Lyon Clark and Dr. Carl Freedman The Oxford English Dictionary uses the phrase "as I imagine" to help readers understand the widely varying implications and uses of the term "fantasy," a word which tends to elude easy definition. Fantasies are psychological, political, public, private, genre, myth, and otherwise enigmatic. Whether or not we always acknowledge them, they exist in every art form and facet of life. In the course of this conference, we would like to revisit and perhaps unsettle current discourses on the fantastic. What are the roles of individuals, groups, nations, and artists in imagining and articulating the fantastic? The term "fantasy" encompasses psychological phenomena such as dreams, escapism, and politics, such as examined in Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth"; it describes genres of art, film, literature, and video/computer games; it can refer to various human endeavors; it be used to describe ancient myths or fairy tales. Psychologically, the term "phantasy" has been used to describe repressed, imagined responses to unfulfilled wishes. Politically, fantasy can even offer such benefits as helping a nation deal with a national tragedy, such as Nancy Yi Fan's Swordbird; a nation is, after all, is a type of fantasy in and of itself, an "imagined community" as Benedict Anderson coined the term, of people all living out their own fantasies. Conversely, fantasy can offer the alternative: the literary or popular vision of national tragedy or dystopia as seen in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale or George Orwell's 1984. Whether fantasy -- broadly conceived -- is useful or delusional, entertaining or escapist, subversive or didactic, "high" or "common," inclusive or exclusive of "sci-fi" or "gothic" texts/(sub)genres, this conference seeks to explore the uses of fantasy/phantasy in today's society in literature, film, video games, and other facets of pop culture. Possible paper topics include (but are not limited to): Fantasizing the Perfect World Dystopia/Utopia The fantastic in other (sub)genres The history of fantasy/phantasies Gothic, horror, and/or sci-fi texts Bangsian/afterlife fantasy Fantasy as a form of escape Fantasy and anthropology Fantasies of Race and Power Colonialism in nationalistic fantasy Playing "Cowboy and Indian" ([mis]appropriations of racial identity and harmful racial fantasies) Consumer fantasies, advertising Fantasies within the Ivory Tower The Fantasy of/for the Child The child/young adult as an imagined construction Appropriation of children's fantasy texts into mainstream or adult cultures and sub-cultures Disney's fantasies Violence in fantasy for children Nationalistic fantasies/Politics
Historical Fiction "Imagined Communities" 9/11, Columbine, and/or Virginia Tech Fantasies of violence New Media RPGs Slash fiction and fandom Manga and graphic novels' visual representations of fantasy/phantasy Censored cartoons, "adult" cartoon series Submissions: Abstracts should be emailed to keebaugh@english.ufl.edu by September 1, 2007. Please email abstracts as Word (.doc) attachments. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Travel Information: The conference will be held in Emerson Alumni Hall on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. The nearest airports are Gainesville Regional Airport, Jacksonville International Airport, and Orlando International Airport, respectively. The official hotel of this year's EGO conference is the Paramount Hotel (http://www.paramountplaza.com/ or 1-877-992-9229), but there are many other hotels in the Gainesville area. Please email any of the EGO officers if you have questions about the call for papers or travel inquires.
EGO Officers and Conference Coordinators:
Cari Keebaugh keebaugh@english.ufl.edu Amy Amorelli girasole@ufl.edu
Aaron Cerny acerny@english.ufl.edu
Emily McCann esmccann@ufl.edu
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