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Hi all,<br><br>
I'm passing on a cfp from a friend. Plain text version enclosed
below. MSWord document version attached.<br><br>
Cheers, --- Kathy.<br><br>
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THE ANIMALS IN THIS COUNTRY:<br>
A CANADIAN LITERATURE SYMPOSIUM<br><br>
University of Ottawa, May 6-8, 2005<br><br>
<br>
From Charles G.D. Roberts to Yann Martel, from Grey Owl through Marian
Engel, Timothy Findley, and Eden Robinson, animals have figured
prominently in Canadian writing. This symposium invites consideration of
the diverse range of meanings associated with them and of the many
connections that Canadian writers have imagined between animals and
ourselves. Proposals are invited that explore how and what animals have
meant in all genres and periods of Canadian writing; they may focus on an
individual text, on a genre of animal writing, or on a broad theoretical
or representational issue.<br><br>
<br>
Questions to be considered might include but are not limited to the
following:<br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>What do
representations of animals-living or dead, wild or domesticated,
idealized, ironized, or "realistically" portrayed-tell us about
contemporary and historical understandings of nature, of Canadian
society, of personal, communal, regional, or national identity?
<br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>How do animals
function in stories of self or nation? <br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>What
representational possibilities and limitations are associated with the
various genres writers have used to depict animals? <br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>How have
feminist, anti-racist, eco-critical, and Aboriginal writers depicted
animal figures? <br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>What role do
animals play in literature concerned with the spiritual? <br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>Are comparisons
with other national literatures fruitful to highlight the distinctiveness
of Canadian traditions? <br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>To what extent
does authenticity remain an issue, or is it possible to write anything
but allegory when it comes to animals? <br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>To what extent
have writers at various times succeeded in crossing the species divide;
can we talk about "giving voice" to animals without
sentimentality or anthropomorphism?<br><br>
*<x-tab> </x-tab>How can
contemporary theory be used to investigate animal
representation?<br><br>
"<x-tab> </x-tab>Is now the
time to speak of the postmodern or the cyborg animal, and what are the
implications of such terms?<br><br>
<br>
Please send a 300-500 word proposal (hard copies in triplicate) and a
50-word bio-blurb by <b>31 AUGUST 2004</b> to:<br><br>
Professor Janice Fiamengo, Symposium Chair<br>
Department of English, University of Ottawa<br>
70 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, ON<br>
Canada K1N 6N5<br>
Fax: (613) 562-5990 Email: fiamengo@uottawa.ca</html>