CALL FOR PAPERS
 
Doing Renaissance Now is the theme of this two-day mini-conference, to be held at University College, Cork, Ireland on 9-10 December, 2010.  The title is intentionally ambiguous.  We wish to focus on the concept of Renaissance as it applies to a particular time and place still regarded as crucially important for world-wide ways of life and thought.  However, even this outlook is open to our questioning.  What indeed, does it mean to be doing Renaissance Studies Now—not only in terms of the field itself, but in terms of what our field has to say to contemporary society?  In the past, the field of Renaissance Studies has drawn themes and orientations from particular concerns of the moment, without losing the rigorous focus, and has given back crucial insights.  What Now?  To facilitate a many-sided discussion, the conference is articulated in ten parts relating to chief areas of this transdisciplinary and multifaceted field within the humanities and social sciences:  History, Languages and Literatures, History of Science, Cultural Studies, Classical Studies, Gender Studies, Art History, Philosophy, Sociology, Politics.
 
The debate on Renaissance versus Early Modern as periodical concepts has only served to sharpen perceptions of what is at stake in the notion of a Renaissance—not that there is yet substantial agreement on this or on any other aspect of the period’s ontology.  Perhaps in a time of “Renewal” and “Reform” of social, political and economic systems, with all the attendant dangers and benefits, the notion of “Renaissance” and all this has entailed, holds a certain appeal.  The conference will attend to the deepest resonances and draw some conclusions.
 
Participants Include:
James Hankins (History, Harvard), Tom Conley (Romance Languages, Harvard), John Henderson (History, Birbeck UL), Alessio Assonitis (Medici Archive Project, Florence), Lino Pertile (I Tatti); José Montero (Literature, U. Vigo), Jeremy Laurance (Spanish, Nottingham)

Program Organizers (UCC) Brendan Dooley, Flavio Boggi,; James Knowles,; Melanie L. Marshall, David Edwards,; Grace Neville,; Stephen Boyd,; Arpad Szakolczai, Daragh O'Connell; Jason Harris 

Please send proposal abstracts to Prof. Brendan Dooley - [log in to unmask] – by 29 October. 

-- 
Dr Melanie L. Marshall
University College Cork
School of Music and Theatre
Cork, Co. Cork
Ireland

Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: +353 (0)21 490 4629
Fax: +353 (0)21 421 2507