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italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies For those interested, a gentle reminder of an approaching deadline (9/30/12): Call for Papers: Special Session on Pre-Cinema & Silent Film "Loco/Motion" 34th ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY STUDIES ASSOCIATION Fresno, California, March 7-9, 2013 As part of the 2013 NCSA conference, I’m seeking papers or presentations for one or more panels about pre-cinema and early film technology, as well as on silent film creators (producers, actors, directors) and images (representations of class, culture, gender, or race) produced anywhere before 1914. Film – i.e. “moving pictures” -- fits neatly into the conference theme of Locomotion, which I interpret very broadly. Presentations about Italian pre-cinema, early Italian films and/or silent representations of Italian-Americans (e.g. Reginald Barker's "The Italian") very welcome. If they like, scholars might address the theme literally (treating images of travel and physical movement) or metaphorically (e.g. technical evolution; camera movement; narrative or character development; cultural, historical, or psychological change). Feel free to email me if you have questions about the appropriateness of a topic for presentation. To submit, please e-mail 250-word abstracts of 20-minute papers and one-page vitae to Arnold Anthony Schmidt at [log in to unmask] by 30 September 2012. It may be possible to arrange screenings to accompany the panels, so include information about any material available. Graduate students may, upon acceptance of their abstracts, submit complete papers in competition for a travel grant to help cover transportation and lodging expenses. For more information, please see the general conference CFP below. ================= The long nineteenth century set the world on the move. Travel became increasingly important for business and pleasure, for war and peace. At the same time, new forms of moving people arose: the balloon, ships, undergrounds, funiculars, the railroads. Each carried riders to great distances, different locales, and novel pursuits. But motion wasn’t purely spatial; new movements arose as well, sweeping the inhabitants of the period into fresh vistas of thought and endeavor. We seek papers and panels that capture the sense of movement at work and at play during the long nineteenth century (1789-1914). Papers may address the intersections of movement/s, focus on technologies of motion in isolation, or reveal the desires—for gain, glory, greed—that set the world on its feet. Some suggested topics: Gold Rushes (Mineral Manias and Speculative Destinations) Literature of the Sea Maps and Cartography The Science of Exploration (Darwin’s Voyages) Narratives of Time Travel, Travel into Space (Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle) The West as Destination and Concept Celebrity Performance Tours Movement of Goods and Ideas Migration and Relocation Expeditions Concepts of Motion and Stasis New Forms of Creative Motion and Locomotion (Moving Pictures, Photography, Dance, Music) We also welcome other interpretations of the conference theme. The campus of California State University, Fresno, will host us in 2013. Its setting makes it the perfect place to explore the conference theme, since Fresno is ringed by the original Gold Rush towns and three superb national parks (Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon), two of which are nineteenth-century creations. As a result, Fresno still bears evidence of the vast changes caused by the movements of the nineteenth century. The library of CSU Fresno houses the Donald G. Larson Collection on International Expositions and Fairs; material from this archive will be featured in a special exhibition for the conference. Please note: submission of a proposal indicates intent to present. -- Arnold Anthony Schmidt, Ph.D. Professor of English California State University http://www.csustan.edu/english/schmidt/index.html http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0772830/ http://us.macmillan.com/byronandtherhetoricofitaliannationalism ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join italian-studies YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave italian-studies to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/italian-studies.html