Calls for Papers/Proposals
CFP: 10th Biennial Slayage Conference
Call for Proposals: 2024 Slayage Conference, 18 - 21 July 2024, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California
Submission Deadline: 15 March 2024
Decisions will be made no later than March 31; however, a rolling response to early submissions will be provided.
BUFFY LIVES!
Slayage: The International Journal of Buffy+ and the Association for the Study of Buffy+ invite proposals for the twentieth anniversary Slayage Conference—the tenth biennial (SC10). Devoted to creative works and workers of the ‘fuzzy set’ surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer, SC10 will be held on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, on 18-21 July 2024. This twentieth anniversary conference will be organized by Local Arrangements Chair Lewis Call.
We welcome proposals of 200-300 words (or an abstract of a completed paper) on any aspect of Buffy+ television, film, comics, and web texts. The name Buffy recalls the significance of scholarly examinations of feminism, but Slayage is much more. The “plus” is meant to be a sign of inclusivity, both for scholars and texts.
The plus-mark is meant to invite analyses of not only Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, etcetera, but also the work of all the various creators—writers, directors, actors, editors, composers, etc.-involved with those texts as well as (primarily visual) media more or less resembling Buffy (where ‘resemblance’ is likewise subject to further discussion). In other words, the plus-mark indicates the “fuzzy set” of which Buffy is the center. Drawing on Brian Attebery's description in Strategies of Fantasy, the fuzzy set is “defined not by boundaries but by a center.” Hence, a scholar applying to Slayage Conference 10 might use Buffy as a yardstick to tell us why we should consider their chosen topic to be part of this fuzzy set, which might include the following,
Moreover, the “plus” specifically alludes to LGBTQIA+, too, one of the important touchstones of the original series. The complexities of queerness are part of the intriguingly nuanced nature of many of these texts. The conference was established to provide a venue for writing about good work, but good works are not perfect, and scholarship should strive to see clearly. LGBTQIA+ texts and scholars have been an important part of this clear-sighted assessment, and SC10 would be strengthened by further contributions in light of contemporary scholarship
Importantly, the “plus” is meant to refer to the need to counteract a “minus”—that is, the scarcity of Latinx and Black, Indigenous, Person of Color representations in Buffy (the Original Sin of the Buffy text) as well as problematic representations in that and related texts. Since Kent Ono’s 2000 essay “To Be a Vampire on Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” scholars have been examining these matters. However, a great deal remains to be done—again, not just on Buffy but also on related texts.
Multidisciplinary approaches (literature, philosophy, political science, history, communications, film and television studies, women’s studies, religion, linguistics, music, cultural studies, art, and others) are all welcome. A proposal/abstract should demonstrate familiarity with already-published scholarship in the field, which includes dozens of books, hundreds of articles, and over twenty years of the peer-reviewed journal Slayage. Proposers may wish to consult the annotated Oxford University Press bibliography on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as the Slayage contents list and the bibliography housed at the ASB+ website.
An individual paper is strictly limited to a maximum reading time of 20 minutes, and we encourage, though do not require, self-organized panels of three presenters. Proposals for workshops, roundtables, or other types of sessions are also welcome. Submissions by graduate and undergraduate students are invited; undergraduates should provide the name, email, and phone number of a faculty member willing to consult with them (the faculty member does not need to attend). A limited number of hybrid slots will be provided. Proposals should be submitted online to [email protected] and will be reviewed by program chairs James Rocha, Jessica Hautsch, and Rhonda V. Wilcox. Submissions must be received by March 15, 2024. Decisions will be made no later than March 31; however, a rolling response to early submissions will be provided. Questions regarding proposals can be directed to the conference email address: [email protected].
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for proposals.
Submission Deadline: 15 March 2024
Decisions will be made no later than March 31; however, a rolling response to early submissions will be provided.
BUFFY LIVES!
Slayage: The International Journal of Buffy+ and the Association for the Study of Buffy+ invite proposals for the twentieth anniversary Slayage Conference—the tenth biennial (SC10). Devoted to creative works and workers of the ‘fuzzy set’ surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer, SC10 will be held on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, on 18-21 July 2024. This twentieth anniversary conference will be organized by Local Arrangements Chair Lewis Call.
We welcome proposals of 200-300 words (or an abstract of a completed paper) on any aspect of Buffy+ television, film, comics, and web texts. The name Buffy recalls the significance of scholarly examinations of feminism, but Slayage is much more. The “plus” is meant to be a sign of inclusivity, both for scholars and texts.
The plus-mark is meant to invite analyses of not only Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, etcetera, but also the work of all the various creators—writers, directors, actors, editors, composers, etc.-involved with those texts as well as (primarily visual) media more or less resembling Buffy (where ‘resemblance’ is likewise subject to further discussion). In other words, the plus-mark indicates the “fuzzy set” of which Buffy is the center. Drawing on Brian Attebery's description in Strategies of Fantasy, the fuzzy set is “defined not by boundaries but by a center.” Hence, a scholar applying to Slayage Conference 10 might use Buffy as a yardstick to tell us why we should consider their chosen topic to be part of this fuzzy set, which might include the following,
- “high stakes TV” with a kick-ass young female lead;
- movie or book series concerned with the frequent irruption of the supernatural into the mundane;
- texts that feature snarky humor and linguistic play; strong characterization, an emphasis on relationships, and long story arcs spanning a season or more; moral dilemmas; stylish but affordable boots; starship captains with tight pants; or other stylistic, aesthetic, or thematic issues associated with Buffy, Angel, Firefly, etc.
Moreover, the “plus” specifically alludes to LGBTQIA+, too, one of the important touchstones of the original series. The complexities of queerness are part of the intriguingly nuanced nature of many of these texts. The conference was established to provide a venue for writing about good work, but good works are not perfect, and scholarship should strive to see clearly. LGBTQIA+ texts and scholars have been an important part of this clear-sighted assessment, and SC10 would be strengthened by further contributions in light of contemporary scholarship
Importantly, the “plus” is meant to refer to the need to counteract a “minus”—that is, the scarcity of Latinx and Black, Indigenous, Person of Color representations in Buffy (the Original Sin of the Buffy text) as well as problematic representations in that and related texts. Since Kent Ono’s 2000 essay “To Be a Vampire on Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” scholars have been examining these matters. However, a great deal remains to be done—again, not just on Buffy but also on related texts.
Multidisciplinary approaches (literature, philosophy, political science, history, communications, film and television studies, women’s studies, religion, linguistics, music, cultural studies, art, and others) are all welcome. A proposal/abstract should demonstrate familiarity with already-published scholarship in the field, which includes dozens of books, hundreds of articles, and over twenty years of the peer-reviewed journal Slayage. Proposers may wish to consult the annotated Oxford University Press bibliography on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as the Slayage contents list and the bibliography housed at the ASB+ website.
An individual paper is strictly limited to a maximum reading time of 20 minutes, and we encourage, though do not require, self-organized panels of three presenters. Proposals for workshops, roundtables, or other types of sessions are also welcome. Submissions by graduate and undergraduate students are invited; undergraduates should provide the name, email, and phone number of a faculty member willing to consult with them (the faculty member does not need to attend). A limited number of hybrid slots will be provided. Proposals should be submitted online to [email protected] and will be reviewed by program chairs James Rocha, Jessica Hautsch, and Rhonda V. Wilcox. Submissions must be received by March 15, 2024. Decisions will be made no later than March 31; however, a rolling response to early submissions will be provided. Questions regarding proposals can be directed to the conference email address: [email protected].
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for proposals.
Co-editors Heather M. Porter and Michael Starr invite proposals or completed essays for an edited collection of scholarly works that aims to address issues of toxic masculinity in the Whedonverses.
Toxic masculinity has become an increasingly prevalent term in contemporary popular and political discourse, used to describe a range of behaviours and performances of masculinity that cause harm to society and men themselves. Manifestations of Toxic masculinity can of course be found in all facets of popular culture, and the Whedonverses—in narrative, aesthetic and industrial terms—occupy a particularly contentious space in this regard and hence are ripe for further investigation.
Proposals should demonstrate not only a clear methodology and strong thesis but also a familiarity with prior and current conversations and publications concerning the Whedonverses; but also be prepared to debate and refute prior readings. The anticipated collection seeks to showcase a range of theoretical lenses; we are hence interested in a variety of topics as well as diverse disciplinary approaches. Though not prescriptive, it may be productive to consider the following list of possible topics:
Queries and Submissions:
Please send queries and abstracts (350-500 words) for proposed chapter-length original work to [email protected]. Proposals should be submitted no later than June 1, 2023. Selected contributors will be notified by July 15, 2023. We suggest but do not require that proposals include a working bibliography. Please provide in a separate document or in the body of the email a brief author biography and selected list of prior publications/conference presentations. We are currently discussing the book proposal with a publisher who is very interested in the collection, hence are working on a production timeline which would tentatively allow for a late 2024 publication date.
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for papers.
Toxic masculinity has become an increasingly prevalent term in contemporary popular and political discourse, used to describe a range of behaviours and performances of masculinity that cause harm to society and men themselves. Manifestations of Toxic masculinity can of course be found in all facets of popular culture, and the Whedonverses—in narrative, aesthetic and industrial terms—occupy a particularly contentious space in this regard and hence are ripe for further investigation.
Proposals should demonstrate not only a clear methodology and strong thesis but also a familiarity with prior and current conversations and publications concerning the Whedonverses; but also be prepared to debate and refute prior readings. The anticipated collection seeks to showcase a range of theoretical lenses; we are hence interested in a variety of topics as well as diverse disciplinary approaches. Though not prescriptive, it may be productive to consider the following list of possible topics:
- Toxic masculinity in Whedonverse TV/films/comics etc (Buffy TVS/Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse/The Nevers/Avengers etc).
- Toxic masculinity in the Whedonverse and associated representational/intersectional issues. (e.g., gender/sexuality/race/disability).
- Whedon and toxicity (issues of auteurism/celebrity/cult of personality/brand).
- Toxic fandom.
- Reappraising Whedonverse characters (e.g., Xander Harris/Topher Brink/ Dr. Horrible).
- The responsibilities of academia/fandom in confronting issues of toxicity.
Queries and Submissions:
Please send queries and abstracts (350-500 words) for proposed chapter-length original work to [email protected]. Proposals should be submitted no later than June 1, 2023. Selected contributors will be notified by July 15, 2023. We suggest but do not require that proposals include a working bibliography. Please provide in a separate document or in the body of the email a brief author biography and selected list of prior publications/conference presentations. We are currently discussing the book proposal with a publisher who is very interested in the collection, hence are working on a production timeline which would tentatively allow for a late 2024 publication date.
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for papers.
Ananya Mukherjea, co-editor of Slayage: The International Journal of Buffy+ Studies, invites submissions for a special issue of Slayage on climate catastrophes and disasters of the natural world in the Buffy+ ’verses. Given how often apocalypses of various sorts play a prominent role in the narratives of science fiction and fantasy, the latter half of this topic would include both natural disasters and also artificially caused disasters in natural settings. In addition, this theme could refer to disasters of an artificially produced world (any of the many threatened shipboard outbreaks of a space opera, for example, or of a “terraformed” colony). Of course, in consideration of the state of our real world today, submissions that reckon with human-caused climate change (real or imagined), mass pollution, epidemics, and the attendant causes, effects, prospective fixes, etc. would be particularly welcome, as would analyses of climate fiction that might overlap significantly with Buffy+ worlds. However, all submissions addressing climate catastrophes and disasters of the natural world as premise, setting, backstory, impetus, denouement, or threat in the Buffy+ ’verses will be appreciated and given serious consideration.
Both complete papers and longer abstracts of 300-500 words with brief sample bibliographies and proposed timelines of completion are welcome. Please send submissions or proposals by or before June 30, 2023 by email to Ananya at [email protected] with the words SPECIAL ISSUE in the subject line for clarity.
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for papers.
Slayage (ISSN 1546-9212) is an open access journal and part of the Directory of Open Access Journals. All content is available at no cost, in downloadable, full-text PDFs. There is no submission or publication fee for authors.
Both complete papers and longer abstracts of 300-500 words with brief sample bibliographies and proposed timelines of completion are welcome. Please send submissions or proposals by or before June 30, 2023 by email to Ananya at [email protected] with the words SPECIAL ISSUE in the subject line for clarity.
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for papers.
Slayage (ISSN 1546-9212) is an open access journal and part of the Directory of Open Access Journals. All content is available at no cost, in downloadable, full-text PDFs. There is no submission or publication fee for authors.
CFP:
9th Biennial Slayage Conference
Call for Proposals: 2022 Slayage Virtual Conference, 21 - 24 July 2022
Submission Deadline: 30 April 2022
The newly renamed and refocused Association for the Study of Buffy+ invites proposals for the 9th Slayage Conference, which will convene virtually on 21-24 July, 2022.
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Association for the Study of Buffy+ Mission Statement
The mission of the Association is to promote the scholarship of Buffy+ Studies, focusing on inclusivity, intersectionality, and excellence. We define Buffy+ Studies as the scholarly exploration of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its related texts. This includes the work of the many contributors to the Buffyverse (i.e., the diegetic world of Buffy), transmedial or intertextual engagements with the Buffyverse, and texts influenced by or sharing thematic concerns or representational strategies with the Buffyverse writ large. We seek an inclusive critical engagement with these texts across multiple media, from film and television to comics and graphic novels, video games, paratexts, music, and more.
In a similar dedication to inclusivity, we seek to promote diversity, agency, and empowerment, both within the Association and in the larger academic community. Our goal is to give voice to the voiceless, center the marginalized, make the invisible visible, and lift up the formerly disenfranchised. As such, we work to support and amplify the voices of scholars of color, queer scholars, and disabled scholars, as well as the voices of students, early-career scholars, independent scholars, contingent faculty, and other marginalized groups. We also privilege accessibility and open access, both of which increase the reach and impact of Buffy+ scholarship.
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In line with the ASB+ mission statement, we invite both newcomers to Buffy+ Studies as well as long-standing scholars in the field to propose presentations/ panels/ roundtables that engage critically not only with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its related texts, but also with the work of contributors and creators associated with that corpus as well as later texts that have been influenced and shaped by Buffyverse texts.
We welcome multidisciplinary approaches (literature, philosophy, political science, history, communications, film and television studies, women’s studies, gender and sexuality studies, social sciences, religious studies, linguistics, music, fandom studies, cultural studies, art, costuming, and others) as well as examinations of a variety of media in addition to film and TV such as paratexts, games, comics, novelizations, and more. A proposal/abstract should demonstrate familiarity with the extant scholarship in the field, which includes a plethora of books, articles, and over twenty years of Slayage: The International Journal of Buffy+, an open-access, anonymized peer-reviewed, MLA-indexed publication and a member of the Directory of Open Access Journals.
An individual paper is strictly limited to a maximum reading time of 20 minutes, and self-organized panels of three presenters are encouraged though not required. Proposals for workshops, roundtables, or other types of sessions are also welcome. Submissions by graduate and undergraduate students are invited; undergraduates should provide the name, email, and phone number of a faculty member willing to consult with them (the faculty member is not required to attend). Since this is a virtual conference, presenters will need stable internet access in order to participate, as well as some facility with the Zoom platform with which the conference will be held. Because the ASB+ strives to center inclusivity, if there is an accommodation that would allow for or improve your experience with the conference, please let us know in your proposal so we can make every effort to address your needs.
To submit a proposal, please send your 250–300 word abstract, contact information and institutional affiliation (if any), and a brief bio to [email protected] by 30 April 2022. Decisions may be expected by 15 May 2022. Questions about the conference may also be directed to the same email address.
Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for papers.
The editors of Slayage: The Journal of Whedon Studies invite submissions of papers for a special double issue to be published in 2021, celebrating the journal’s twentieth year. The focus will be the School of Whedon. Articles may consider comparisons and influences of Whedon and company’s work in other creations, e.g. elements of Supernatural, Eureka, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, or others; articles may also separately consider the work of what might be called the diaspora of artists who have collaborated with Whedon, such as series creators, e.g. Marti Noxon (Sharp Objects), David Greenwalt (Grimm), Tim Minear (American Horror Story), Jane Espenson (Husbands); actors, e.g. Nathan Fillion (Castle), Amy Acker (Person of Interest); composers, e.g. Christophe Beck (Frozen); production designers, e.g. Carey Meyer (C.S.I. Miami); editors, e.g. Lisa Lassek (The Circle); and more. The goal of the issue's “School of Whedon” theme is to encourage analyses that push past a singular focus on Whedon's work to consider texts influenced by Whedon, or produced by Whedon's present and/or former collaborators. These considerations may be comparative, but should feature significant engagement with other creators associated with Whedon.
The submission deadline is 31 January 2021. Submissions should be approximately 4500 to 10,000 words; accepted essays may be lengthened in revision. All submissions should exhibit strong familiarity with already-published Whedon scholarship (see the Whedonology bibliography and the Oxford University Press online bibliographies on Whedon and on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Since the journal is MLA-indexed, MLA documentation is preferred; however, the editors will accept a different documentation style should it be justified by the academic discipline framing the paper. The submission should be sent electronically as an email attachment in Word (.doc / .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) with the author’s surname in the file label. (Authors’ names will be removed for anonymized peer review.) Accepted essayists will be provided with a House Style Sheet; authors may also request to be sent the sheet before submission. Send the submission to editor Rhonda V. Wilcox at [email protected]. Click HERE for a downloadable PDF of this call for papers. Slayage (ISSN 1546-9212) is an open access journal and part of the Directory of Open Access Journals. All content is available at no cost, in downloadable, full-text PDFs. There is no submission or publication fee for authors. |
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Slayage General Call for Papers
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The Slayage editorial team invites submissions of proposals and complete essays for upcoming issues of the journal.
In addition to Whedon staples such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, the Avengers films, and the upcoming series The Nevers, Slayage hopes to generate increased discussion around the wider oeuvre of Joss Whedon and those who have collaborated with him. That is, we encourage investigation into the ways the Whedon influence, themes, and aesthetic have formed and informed the TV, film, and pop-cultural landscape. Such topics might include work on current or past projects developed by Whedon collaborators such as Jane Espenson (Husbands), Tim Minear (American Horror Story, Feud), David Greenwalt (Grimm), Marti Noxon (Sharp Objects), and others. These explorations need not in every case be structured upon explicit connections to Whedon; in short, these essays need not be comparisons, though essays drawing such comparisons are of course welcome. Essays arguing for Whedon’s influence on projects such as Supernatural, Veronica Mars, Teen Wolf, and Jessica Jones, to name a few, are also welcome. We welcome a variety of approaches and critical frameworks, including but not limited to: historical, cultural, commercial, production-related, aesthetic, generic, and thematic. We invite explorations from various theoretical perspectives. Proposals should be conversant with previously published work in Whedon Studies in Slayage and elsewhere. Proposals should not exceed 250 words, and should include the following:
Rolling submissions accepted. Send submissions of proposals and completed essays to [email protected]. Please see the journal’s Submission Guidelines for more information: http://www.whedonstudies.tv/submission-guidelines1.htm |
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