Call for Papers: Journal of American Studies of Turkey
Gore Vidal Revisited
Extraordinarily prolific and versatile, Gore
Vidal left behind a great deal of literature after he died in July 2012. His
work ranges from novels to short stories, to plays and screenplays, and to
essays and reviews. However, Vidal has not received the attention he deserved;
in his essay “Gore Vidal: The Writer and His Critics,” scholar and writer Jay
Parini claimed in 1992 that “The problem is with the quality, not the quantity,
of this attention. Much of the writing about him takes the form of light
magazine profiles and ephemeral reviews, since Vidal has been a celebrity from
the beginning” (1).
In keeping with its
stated aims, the Journal of American Studies of
Turkey (JAST) is preparing a special Gore Vidal issue devoted to innovative
pieces focusing on how his writing engages with American cultures past and
present as well as with the rest of the world.
Papers may include but are not limited to the following topics:
- Gore Vidal’s
Politics
- Literary
reviews & Literary Criticism
- Historical
Fiction
- Drama
- Gore
Vidal in Hollywood (screenplays, adaptations written by Vidal)
- Filming
Gore Vidal
- Gender
Issues
- Sexuality
- Life
Writing
- Gore
Vidal in Translation
- Attitudes
towards Vidal inside and outside America
- Vidal
criticism past and present
- Gore
Vidal as an outsider as well as an insider writing about America
Contributions can vary in
length, from full-length (5000-6000) word pieces, to shorter ‘think-pieces’
(1500-2000) words, as well as reviews of books and films devoted to Vidal’s
work. We are interested in pieces that
re-evaluate Vidal’s reputation as a major figure in contemporary American
culture, as well as looking at the worldwide impact of his work – for example,
in translation or in terms of his film adaptations.
Proposals for
contributions should be addressed in the first instance to the Editor-in-Chief
of the Journal of American Studies of
Turkey, Laurence Raw ([log in to unmask]),
and Saniye Cancı Calisaneller ([log in to unmask]). The deadline for submissions is January 12, 2013.
.