FUNNY (AND UNFUNNY) IN FANDOM, FLORIDA 2011 - CALL FOR PAPERS

CFP: The Funny (and Unfunny) in Fandom (10/31/10; ICFA, 3/16/11 3/20/11). Location: Florida. Deadline: 2010-10-31.

Description: Participants are being sought for paper sessions or discussion panels on The Funny (and Unfunny) in Fandom for the 32nd annual International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts. The focus of ICFA 32 is on the humorous and ridiculous in the fantastic, and while papers relating to this theme are welcome, proposals on any topics related to this call will be equally welcome. The conference will be held in Orlando, Florida, from March 16 - 20, 2011 at the Orlando Marriott Airport Hotel. Guests of Honor are Connie Willis and Terry Bisson, and the Guest Scholar is Andrea Hairston. For more information and updates about the conference, please visit http://www.iafa.org/

Possible topics include (but are not limited to) the following topics: Parody fics and communities, “Wank” communities, MiSTing, Crack fic / Bad fic, Humor as criticism/humor as attack, The ritualization of humor, mockery, and sarcasm in fandom. In order to be considered for the 2011 program, your proposal to (1) read a paper, (2) recruit and chair a paper session, or (3) organize and chair a panel discussion should be date-stamped no later than October 31, 2010; electronic correspondence is preferred. You may not submit proposals to more than one Division. Proposals must include a 500-word abstract and appropriate bibliography indicating the project's scholarly or theoretical context. Be sure to include current/working contact information (snail mail AND email addresses).

Presenters must be members of IAFA at the time of the conference. Be sure to indicate all audio-visual equipment needs in this initial proposal; later A/V requests cannot be guaranteed. Contact information: Barbara Lucas, Division Head. Participatory and Convergence Studies in the Fantastic DFS, 5925 Cabot Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30022, barbedwriting@yahoo.com. We encourage work from institutionally-affiliated scholars, independent scholars, international scholars who work in languages other than English, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Please feel free to forward this call to other listservs, organizations, and individuals who might be interested.

The IAFA is a scholarly organization devoted to the study of the fantastic (broadly defined) as it appears in literature, film, and the other arts. The purpose of the organization is to promote and recognize achievement in the study of the fantastic, mainly through the organization and management of an annual academic conference, the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA). There are two publications connected to the IAFA: the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, which is a peer-reviewed journal for scholarship within the field of the fantastic, and the newsletter, which publishes information relevant to the IAFA membership.