Call For Articles : Special Issue “World Mythology and Ecocriticism: Remembering Nature as a Sacred Teacher”-Rachel McCoppin - Humanities Journal

Special Issue “World Mythology and Ecocriticism: Remembering Nature as a Sacred Teacher”

A special issue of Humanities.

This Special Issue focuses specifically on the role that nature plays within world mythology. The environment undoubtedly played a crucial role in developing the mythological narratives of many cultures throughout the globe. Many cultures regarded nature as sacred, envisioning aspects of the environment, being directly related to divine beings, sacred forces, teachers, etc. Often, cultures imagined that the representatives of nature needed to be appeased in order to gain harmony with their environments. Many cultures also used their mythology to connect nature to the lives of human beings—connecting the cycle of the seasons to the life cycle of humans for instance. Identifying humans as inextricably connected with the natural world allowed a myriad of cultures to find meaning in their own lives, as nature in myth was often portrayed as a teacher, guide, source of inspiration, etc., for the characters within the myth, as well as the audiences of the myth. As civilizations grew and developed, often the mythological references to the importance of nature as something sacred diminished, but some mythic texts still imparted messages that strove to maintain reverence for the environment. Given the contemporary environmental crisis, it is important to look back on the texts that were once sacred to a people, in order to remember the great value of finding our own reverence in the natural world.

This Special Issue is particularly interested in receiving articles that discuss global mythological texts from an ecocritical lens. Articles that examine myths that connect natural occurrences to the lives of humans—looking at age from the standpoint of seasonal change, accepting death as a natural occurrence, etc., are especially desirable. Additionally, texts that present nature as a divine being, sacred embodiment, source of inspiration, source of contention, etc., are welcomed. Articles that focus on global creation myths, myths that present nature as divine, myths of humans contending with nature, either through marriage to a natural element, battling with a natural representative, or even becoming a natural element, are all highly desirable. Additionally, myths that mark a time of transition of values in the portrayal of the environment, such as the progression from hunter/gatherer methods to agricultural methods, or the destruction of the environment as technology advanced, are desired. Finally, myths that focus upon the heroic journey, casting the protagonist as a personification of nature, or showing the protagonist as failing or succeeding upon his or her quest because of nature, are especially sought after. This Special Issue is interested in mythic texts from around the world, from any era.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Humanities is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords:

World Mythology

Ecocriticism

Mythic Studies

Environmental Studies

Hero’s Journey/Quest

This special issue is now open for submission.

deadline for submissions: December 10, 2024

contact email: mccoppin@umn.edu

Call for essays for special issue of Journal of Global #Postcolonial Studies on contemporary African novelists in America

 Call for Papers for forthcoming special issue on Contemporary African Novelists in America 

Guest editor Simon Lewis is seeking manuscript submissions for a special issue on contemporary African writers who have come to prominence in the United States over the last two decades. 

When Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie burst onto the North American publishing scene in 2003, the publication of her brilliant debut novel Purple Hibiscus didn’t just signal the start of a single author’s brilliant career. It also forged a path for a whole new generation of African novelists who had come to America as immigrants or students and who have been mining that experience in their writing. Writers born in Africa who studied at American universities – Teju Cole, Taiye Selasie, Yaa Gyasi, Uzodinma Iweala, NoViolet Bulawayo and Akwaeke Emezi, to name just a few – have followed in Adichie’s footsteps. Purple Hibiscus has been to these writers what Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) was to aspiring Latin American writers during the Latin American literary boom of the 1960s and 1970s, and what Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (1981) was to the proliferation of Indian writers in English from the 1980s on. 

In addition to articles analyzing individual authors and/or their work, we warmly invite essays on any of the following themes:

 Immigration;

 Racism;

 Diaspora; 

 Gender; 

 Sexuality; 

 History;

 Regionalism; 

 Education; 

 Publishing.

Submission Instructions: Manuscripts of c. 5,000 words and following MLA guidelines for formatting should be submitted by September 1, 2024 according to the Journal’s guidelines at https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/jgps 

Preliminary ideas and/or complete articles can be submitted to the guest editor at: Simon Lewis, English Department, College of Charleston, LewisS@cofc.edu

Contact Information

Simon Lewis, Department of English, College of Charleston

Contact Email

lewiss@cofc.edu

URL

https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/jgps/cfp

Attachments

Journal of Global Postcolonial Studies

Call for Submissions- International #Gender and #Sexuality Studies #Conference on "Recognition, Resistance, Resilience,"

 The International Gender and Sexuality Studies Conference, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma’s Women’s Research Center and the BGLTQ+ Student Center in collaboration with the UCO chapter of the National Organization for Women, is calling for submissions for its ninth annual conference. Themed "Recognition, Resistance, Resilience," the conference aims to foster diverse perspectives on these themes.

The deadline for abstract submissions is Friday, April 19. To submit an abstract, visit go.uco.edu/igss. The conference is scheduled for Sept. 28–29, and will take place in the UCO Nigh University Center, located on Central’s campus.

The conference invites students, faculty, staff, scholars, activists and artists to propose presentations or performances in creative disciplines such as literature, theater, music, dance and visual art. All interested parties are invited to submit abstracts for papers, panels, roundtable discussions and/or poster presentations that explore issues related to women, gender and sexuality studies. Submissions from various disciplines, including social sciences, humanities, fine arts, activism and STEM fields, are encouraged. The selection committee interprets the theme broadly, embracing intersectional and interdisciplinary thinking.

This year’s keynote speaker is Anna Cox, M.F.A., author of "I Keep My Worries in My Teeth" and director of the Studio School at Oklahoma Contemporary.

Drawing from her background in photography and pedagogy, she will deliver a talk on her fiction writing practices and collaborations with artists.

Contact Information

Lindsey Churchill, Ph.D., director of the Women’s Research Center and the BGLTQ+ Student Center

Contact Email

lchurchill@uco.edu

URL

http://go.uco.edu/igss

Seeking Chapter Submissions: Going to the Movies with CS Lewis-#Cambridge Scholars Publishing

 Going to the Movies with C.S. Lewis, Call for Chapters

An edited collection tentatively titled “Going to the Movies with C.S. Lewis” is seeking chapter submissions. The book is expected to be published through Cambridge Scholars Publishing.  

Having been born many years after C.S. Lewis died I of course never had the opportunity to watch a movie with the man. However, over the years I feel, as many others probably feel as well, like Lewis accompanies me as I watch movies, read books, attend church services, and make other daily pursuits. Lewis’ works shape my thinking on many theological, educational, and cultural matters like few other authors’ works do.

This book is an attempt to take some of those insights from C.S. Lewis and apply them to film studies. It will explore the thought and theology of C.S. Lewis by connecting his work with film theory, specific films, and adaptations of his work. In many ways it is a book meant to explore how Lewis’ thought can help us view films.

The following categories are meant to act as general guidance for sections of the book:

1. Exploring Film Theory with C.S. Lewis
2. Exploring Individual Films with C.S. Lewis
3. Analyzing Lewis’ Life through Films of About Lewis
4. Analyzing Lewis’ Fiction through Adaptations of his works

Some chapter ideas that would fit into the above categories include, but are not limited to:

1. The Four Loves on film
2. Lewis’ approach to literature as a guide to approaching film
3. “On the Reading of Old Books” and On the Watching of Old Movies
4. Lewis’ idea of fantasy in relation to particular films
5. Ideas in his essays or books that relate to film studies, film theory, or individual films
6. The many different Narnia adaptations (comparisons between the versions or examinations of particular films as adaptations of the original stories)
7. Lewis’ thoughts on Christmas and Christmas movies (what would Lewis think of Hallmark Christmas movies?)
8. Lewis portrayed on film – how does this change the way he is viewed?

Again, these are only suggestions. Anything connecting Lewis’ thought with the cinema will be considered.  

Submission Procedure

Please submit a chapter proposal by March 31, 2024 which includes the following: title, abstract, and a short biography of the author(s). Proposals should be a maximum of 500 words written in English, using Microsoft Word format, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font. Please send the Word document as an attachment to the book editor (Bryan Mead, bmead@etbu.edu). Authors of accepted proposals will be notified and sent specific submission guidelines. Chapter contributions should be at least 4,000 words and will follow Chicago style (footnotes and bibliography). Submissions are welcome from early career researchers and established scholars.

If your proposal is accepted, chapter submissions will be due by September 15, 2024. Proposal acceptance does not guarantee chapter’s inclusion in the book.

Editor Information: Bryan Mead, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor of English at East Texas Baptist University where he teaches film studies, literature, and composition. He is the author of Writing in Film Studies, From Professional Practice to Practical Pedagogy (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2024). Bryan has also published many essays in journals such as Journal of Religion & Film, Journal of European Popular Culture, Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture, Intégrité: A Faith and Learning Journal, and Film & History. His essays have also appeared in edited volumes such as J.R.R. Tolkien and the Arts: A Theology of Subcreation (Square Halo Press, 2021), Representations of Sports Coaches in Film: Looking to Win (Routledge, 2017), and The Arts of Memory and the Poetics of Remembering (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016).

Call For Papers on Verge: Studies in Global Asias Issue 11.2 Special Issue: The Asian Century: Idea, Method, and Media

 

What is the Asian Century? Are we living in it? Do its recent invocations—by writers and readers, politicians and pundits, journalists and academics—mark a return to earlier eras of relative Asian centrality on the world stage or announce a future we have yet to inhabit? Is it a paranoid, U.S.-centered discourse of Western decline or a triumphant announcement of Asian economic-semiotic arrival? Is the Asian Century an aspiration or a threat—and to whom?

The term “Asian Century” has more than one origin story. Narrators are multiple, located in both Asia and the West. In a 1988 summit, China’s Deng Xiaoping, alongside Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, may have coined the phrase by calling it into question: “In recent years, people have been saying that the next century will be the century of Asia and the Pacific, as if that were sure to be the case. I disagree with this view.” For Deng, skepticism about the inevitability of Asia’s rise was going to be crucial to the India-China partnership against the “developed” world; his skepticism hasn’t aged well. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared a “pivot to Asia” in “America’s Pacific Century.” Clinton’s emphatic recapitulation of the “Asian Century” revived Western tropes of Asian ascendancy that predated Asia’s contemporary economic rise by more than a hundred years, while betraying American anxieties about the decline of US hegemony. In fact, both Deng and Clinton were responding to a process that had been underway since at least the early-1970s: the “long downturn” or tendential decline in profitability of Western economies that ran alongside the “economic miracles” of many Asian economies, including Japan’s Cold War-era boom and India’s and China’s eventual liberalization. For some, the Asian Century was, or is, a solution. Now, in an era of mounting deglobalization, its contradictions are just as sharply felt as its curious staying power.

What distinguishes the current round of Asian Century discourse is perhaps its mutual construction by “Asians” and “Westerners” alike. When the Asian Century came into wide currency in the 1990s, replacing a then-regnant “Pacific Rim” and “Pacific Century” rhetoric, it remediated a long history of similarly totalizing visions that issued not least from the “Asians” themselves: from Japan’s monstrous pursuit of the Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere and Ferdinand Marcos’s dictatorial imposition of neoliberal programs in the Philippines, to the advertisement of the “Singapore model” and even China’s “century of humiliation,” which continues to vouchsafe its nationalist ressentiment. As Wang Hui’s analysis of the politics of imagining Asia has shown, visions of the Asian Century betray contradictory regionalist and nationalist ambitions that are held in focus by the apparatuses of the state and the culture industries. Thus Asian Century discourse is typically inflected by a nation or speaker’s position vis-a-vis key market and state brokers. Given that the meaning of “Asia” looks different depending on the vantage of Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, or for that matter Saudi Arabia, what is the role of pan-Asian alliances and inter-Asian competition in constituting the Asian Century? Is Asia “one”—or only in the eyes of the West?

This special issue invites critical perspectives from scholars working in and across multiple languages and disciplines. We seek submissions that explore the Asian Century as idea, method, and media, and that examine its genealogies and itineraries from a range of contexts and histories, including of labor, empire, capital, war, technology, pandemics, dispossession, modernization, culture, and aesthetics. With “idea, method, and media,” we intend to inspire, but not circumscribe, the possible range of disciplinary approaches and primary sources that might be enlisted in responding to this call. Indeed, the idea of the Asian Century may very well be predicated on counter-articulations of its impossibility. While the Asian Century may appear at first as periodizing marker or geopolitical diagnostic, we propose that it can also be read across media and cultural forms, as an affective relation to the past, present, and future, as a structure of feeling, and as a visual and sensorial regime. Finally, in proposing the Asian Century as method, we seek to revisit and reimagine the interdisciplinary stakes of the longstanding conversation on “Asia as method.”

For example, what humanistic and social scientific methods can best track the concept’s intellectual and institutional emergence, circulation, and mediation, including well before the 21st century? How might regional Asian rivalries shape the supply chains and the capital flows of emerging trade blocs like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)? How have cultural production and intellectual exchange furnished the cognitive and affective frameworks for these blocs, and for Asian visions of global expansion like China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, South Korea’s cultural exports, and Taiwan’s advanced semiconductor industry? Given the increasing salience of the Asian Century as a concept for periodizing the contradictions of neoliberal capitalism, how might we trace its effects and iterations in and beyond political economy? What was the Asian Century, understood as visions and projections of Asia’s rise promoted by those who stood to benefit from such characterizations? What of the legacy and future of Third World decolonization and Indigenous struggles when Asian peripheries become, or have threatened to become, global powers? Rather than take for granted the rise of Asia as such, we seek to understand how and why Asia’s ostensible ascendance has seen not a lessening but rather a retrenchment of the conditions of planetary inequality.

Essay Submissions

Essays (between 6,000–10,000 words) and abstracts (125 words) should be submitted electronically through this submission form by May 1, 2024 and prepared according to the author-date + bibliography format of the Chicago Manual of Style. See section 2.38 of the University of Minnesota Press style guide or chapter 15 of the Chicago Manual of Style Online for additional formatting information.

Authors’ names should not appear on manuscripts; instead, please include a separate document with the author’s name, address, institutional affiliations, and the title of the article with your electronic submission. Authors should not refer to themselves in the first person in the submitted text or notes if such references would identify them; any necessary references to the author’s previous work, for example, should be in the third person.

Please direct all inquiries to verge@psu.edu.

Contact Email

verge@psu.edu

URL

https://sites.psu.edu/vergeglobalasias/

Attachments

verge-112-cfp-asian-century-idea-method-and-media.pdf

CFP: Two days seminar on Tales of Timelessness: Understanding the Heritage of Bengal-March 21- 22, 2024, Kazi Nazrul University

 Call For Papers

Panchakot Mahavidyalaya, Purulia, is organizing a two-day seminar on 'Tales of Timelessness: Understanding the Heritage of West Bengal' from 21st and 22nd March 2024. On this occasion, we are pleased to announce a call for papers, inviting research students and independent scholars to submit their original research (300-400 words abstract) along with their bio-note to suvajit.halder@panchakotmv.ac.in.

Last Date of Abstract Submission: 1st March 2024.

Concept Note

Understanding/conserving heritage is more than creating museums or collecting artifacts, stories, and songs. Heritage is a living experience that weaves together the threads of our past, present, and future. It goes beyond the surface, delving into the stories, values, and legacies that shape our identities as individuals and communities.

At its core, heritage encapsulates tangible and intangible expressions of human creativity and achievement. It encompasses historical sites, cultural practices, languages, folklore, and collective memories that bind a society. Heritage is a repository of knowledge, a bridge between generations, and a testament to the diversity of human experiences.

Heritage is dynamic, evolving with time while retaining its intrinsic essence. It reflects the continuous interplay between tradition and modernity, adaptation, and preservation. Recognizing and safeguarding heritage becomes a collective responsibility as it contributes to a sense of belonging and shared identity within communities.

Moreover, understanding heritage fosters an appreciation and respect for cultural diversity. It encourages cross-cultural dialogue, allowing individuals to embrace the richness of traditions different from their own. Heritage becomes a source of inspiration, a reservoir of creativity that sparks innovation while grounding societies in their roots.

In essence, understanding heritage is an invitation to explore the roots of our existence, to appreciate the cultural mosaic that defines us. It prompts us to preserve, celebrate, and transmit our heritage to future generations, ensuring that the stories of our past continue to resonate in the present and echo into the future. Heritage is not merely a static snapshot of history; it is a vibrant, ever-unfolding narrative that invites us to connect, learn, and carry forward the legacy of our shared human experience.

Nestled in the eastern part of India, Bengal is a state that exudes cultural richness and historical significance. Many of its treasures are still unexplored but significant in understanding the richness of Bengali culture. For instance, Garh Panchakot of Purulia district, which holds immense significance in the history of this region, remains historically unexplored. Another example is Telkupi village, containing the finest and largest number of temples in one place in the Chota Nagpur circle of Bengal, unknown to many Bengalis. Moreover, the opulent tradition of handicrafts, paintings, dance, and plays in these regions remains unheard of by many scholars and the common masses. Therefore, to explore and understand the heritage of Bengal more thoroughly, we invite scholars and professionals to present their research in the seminar entitled 'Tales of Timelessness: Understanding the Heritage of West Bengal.'

Objective: 

The primary objective of this seminar is to provide a comprehensive exploration of West Bengal's heritage, shedding light on its historical, cultural, and architectural significance. Participants will gain insights into the evolution of the state's heritage and its impact on contemporary society.

 

Themes

Historical Narratives:

• Historical events, chronology of lesser-known dynasties, epigraphic, and numismatic studies.

Cultural Narrative:

• Exploring the vibrant festivals and traditions that define the cultural ethos of West Bengal.
• Analyzing the role of literature, music, and performing arts in preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

Architectural Marvels:

• Investigating the architectural heritage of West Bengal, including iconic structures, temples, and palaces.
• Discussing the fusion of indigenous and foreign architectural styles that characterize the region.

Food/Dress/Residence:

• Delving into the unique culinary traditions of West Bengal, including the world-famous Bengali cuisine.
• Understanding the historical and cultural significance of traditional dishes and culinary practices.
• Exploring diverse traditions of dresses of Bengal.
• Different styles of houses and their ornamentation.

Craftsmanship and Handicrafts:

• Showcasing the intricate craftsmanship and traditional handicrafts passed down through generations.
• Discussing the role of artisans in preserving and promoting West Bengal's artistic heritage.

Socio-economic study of different heritage sites.

Exploring the possibility and making a plan to make lesser-known Heritage sites a tourist attraction.

 

Exploring the Heritage sites of Purulia with special reference to Garh Panchakot and its surrounding areas.

 

Expected Outcomes

• Increased awareness and appreciation of West Bengal's rich heritage.
• Creation of a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.
• Generation of research and documentation to contribute to the preservation of West Bengal's cultural legacy.

Free accommodation may be offered at the college hostel, subject to availability. The seminar committee can also arrange accommodation at resorts (Panchet Hill) for participants on payment. No TA will be provided to the participants. 

 

Registration fees: 

For offline presentation: INR 1500/- 

For online Presentation: INR 500/-

Selected papers will be published in a special issue of PANCHAKOTesSAYS: Multidisciplinary, Refereed, International Journal, ISSN: 0976-4968.

https://journal.panchakotmv.ac.in

For any queries, please feel free to write to us at suvajit.halder@panchakotmv.ac.in.

N.B.: A guided tour of Garh Panchakot will be organised for the Participants after the Seminar.

Contact Information

For any queries, please feel free to write to us at suvajit.halder@panchakotmv.ac.in.

Contact Email

suvajit.halder@panchakotmv.ac.in

Attachments

tales-timelessness.pdf

CFP: Intersecting Ecologies: Navigating Crises, Traumas, and Movements in Asian Comparative Literature and Film _ October 10- 12, 2024,

CFP: Intersecting Ecologies: Navigating Crises, Traumas, and Movements in Asian Comparative Literature and Film

Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association 77th Annual Convention

Conference Date: October 10-12, 2024

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

The “Intersecting Ecologies and Narratives: Navigating Crises, Traumas, and Movements in Asian Comparative Literature and Film” panel welcomes scholars to an interdisciplinary exploration at the intersection of ecological themes, migration and refugee experiences, medical humanities, and the post-COVID era within the context of Asian literature and film.

Our panel aims to engage in comparative analyses across various regions and genres within Asian literature and film, focusing on their navigation of crises and traumas, particularly those related to ecological themes. We invite contributions that dissect not only ecological crises and traumas from diverse perspectives but also complex relationships between humans and nature, cultural identities and environmental narratives, ecofeminism, and ecology's implications in the age of globalization.

We seek to foster a dialogue that connects Asian comparative literature and film with the broader fields of environmental humanities, migration and refugee studies, medical humanities, and reflections on the post-COVID world. We encourage submissions that explore the intersections of ecological crises with human health, displacement, environmental activism, and migration narratives, offering new insights into the challenges and opportunities these intersections present.

Highlighted topics for exploration include but are not limited to:

• Reflections on nature and the human condition within Asian literary traditions.
• Analyses of nature, technology, and modernity, and their implications for health and displacement in Asian contexts.
• Intersections between environmental and medical humanities focus on Asian narratives that address the health implications of degradation.
• Explorations of gender and nature within the framework of feminist ecologies in Asian contexts.
• Investigations into the portrayal of animals and anthropomorphism in Asian literature and cinema.
• Cross-cultural and interregional narratives of ecology, crisis, and movement, including Forrester (forest-based) fiction that envision alternative ecological futures.
• Discussions on the dynamics between ecology, globalization, and their impacts on health, migration, and the environment in Asian comparative literature and film.
• Insights into the post-COVID landscape through world literature and cinema, with a lens on ecological activism.

Contact Information

Submissions should consist of a 250-word abstract and a brief biography (2-3 sentences), formatted as a DOC document, to be sent to Yueming Li at yul282@ucsd.edu by March 15, 2024. The convention’s presentations will be conducted in English.

Contact Email: yul282@ucsd.edu