CFP: “Sense and the Senses”
Midwest Victorian Studies Association
University of Iowa, Iowa City
May 1-3, 2015
Seminar Proposals: October 1, 2014
General Pool: October 31, 2014
Plenary Speaker: Linda M. Shires (Yeshiva University) "Coming to Our Senses: Colors in the Nineteenth Century"
The Midwest Victorian Studies Association is an interdisciplinary organization welcoming scholars from all disciplines who share an interest in nineteenth-century British history, literature, and culture.
Possible topics include (but are not limited to): senses and the invisible; sounds and soundscapes; listening/depictions of listening; the relationship between the body and mind; the five senses; the representation of sense or reason; rationality and embodiment; the relationship(s) among sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste; the conflict or accord between reason and the senses; the scientific, psychological, philosophical, or empirical study of the senses; the role of the senses in the creation of ideas or knowledge; the relationship between sense and emotion; empiricism and the imaginary; the disarray or unreliability of the senses; synaesthesia; mesmerism, hypnotism, and extrasensory perception; sensory textures of spaces and lived experiences; sensory extensions/ alterations catalyzed by technologies.
For the second year, MVSA will feature three seminars open to graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars led by senior scholars on topics related to the conference theme. Seminar participants pre-circulate 5-to-7 page papers. This year’s topics are:
- Victorian Science and Spiritualism
- Food, Taste, and the Body
- Mind-Body Matters: Picturing the Victorian Frame of Mind
Descriptions of these seminars are available at http://www.midwestvictorian.org/
Special events include a dramatic performance and a demonstration of Highland dancing in the Iowa Old Capital Senate Chamber. A volume publishing selected essays from the conference is planned.
All seminar proposals are due October 1, 2014. Seminar proposals that are not accepted may be submitted to the general pool of MVSA conference submissions, due October 31.
For individual papers, please send a 300-word abstract and 1-page CV (as MSword documents) to conferencesubmissions@midwestvictorian.org. Panel submissions are welcomed, and in addition to the abstracts and CVs of the individual participants, should also include a brief explanation from the panel organizer. Even if you do not submit a paper, please plan to attend.
For more information, please visit www.midwestvictorian.org