Northeast Victorian Studies Association  2002 Conference CALL  FOR PAPERS VICTORIAN ORIGINS AND EXCAVATIONS 28th Annual Meeting:  April 19-21, 2002 at Queens University, Kingston, Ontario

This year, we are interested in papers on excavations, both figural and literal.  Victorians sought knowledge through the study of origins; contemporary thinkers seek self-understanding through the search for our origins in Victorian culture.  We are looking for papers that explore the study of origins, and speculate on the attempt to explain by seeking origins.  We also welcome papers examining more literal Victorian diggings. We are generally interested in rethinking origins and ends, and this may include explanations of where our scholarship has been and ought to be going.

Topics include (but are not limited to):

• Natural Origins and Excavations: Darwin’s Origin of Species. New geological theories. Geology vs. Genesis. Origins of the Universe. Deep Sea Exploration. Paleontology. Fossils. Physiological excavations: surgery, germ theory and the origins of disease, anatomy, grave digging and grave robbing, the development of mortuary science.
• Cultural Origins: Origin of ethics. Archaeology. Theories of the origin of Race. Darwin’s Descent of Man. Ideas and fantasies of National Origin. Lost Civilizations and imperial explorations; King Solomon’s Mines. Excavations of the mind: psychology, hypnotism, new theories of epistemology.
• Big Digs: The development of mining. The excavation of the Underground in London. The Suez Canal. Sewers.
• Scholarly Excavations: The origins of academic disciplines. The development of philology and theories of the origin of language: Whewell’s Origins of Language vs. account in Chambers’ Vestiges. The Higher Criticism and theories of the history of the Bible. Genealogy. Ruins, art fragments and antiquarianism. The Rosetta Stone. The phenomenon of studying origins: the number of books whose titles start with The Origin of¼
• Literary Origins and Excavations: The origins of genres: the detective novel, science fiction, etc. Fables, Etiological Tales, Just So Stories. Excavation as a mode of textual study: the search for literary sources, texts as historical evidence. Interpretation as excavation.

Paper Proposals (no more than two double-spaced pages) by Oct. 15, to :

Professor Suzy Anger
Dept. of English
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD  21250

Fax (attn: Suzy Anger): (410) 455-1030

Email: anger@umbc.edu

Please do not send complete papers. Please do not include your name on your proposal: we review proposals anonymously. Please do include your name, institutional and email addresses, and proposal title in the cover letter that accompanies the proposal.

Finished papers  should take 15 minutes (20 minutes maximum) so as to provide ample time for discussion following each panel.

Roundtable

In an attempt to allow more participation in the program, and to continue the conference’s interest in teaching, we are continuing the popular roundtable discussions on pedagogy that we initiated four years ago. This year, in connection with our topic, we are interested in presentations on teaching The Origin of Species or, under the rubric of textual excavations, on teaching Research Methods in the field. If you would like to make a presentation, please send a note to Professor Paula Krebs, Department of English, Wheaton College, Norton, Mass. 02766 (fax: (508)286-8263; email: pkrebs@wheatonma.edu) describing briefly (no more than one double-spaced page) the aspects of pedagogy that you would like to share. Keep in mind that being a presenter means creating an atmosphere for stimulating discussion rather than presenting a paper.

The Coral Lansbury Travel Grant ($100.00)  and the George Ford Travel Grant ($100.00), given in memory of key founding members of NVSA, are awarded annually to the graduate student, adjunct instructor, or independent scholar who must travel the greatest distance too give a paper at our conference. Apply by indicating in the cover letter of your proposal that you wish to be considered. Mention also if you have other sources of funding.

All who wish to join NVSA, and all members who have not yet paid their dues for the 2001-2002 membership year should return the attached tear-off. And Dr. Hartley Spatt (24 Center Street, Woodmere, NY, 111598) urges all members to send him a note subscribing to the Victorian Studies Bulletin ($5.00 a year).

To: Professor Joan Dagle, Secretary/Treasurer. NVSA
Dept. of English, Rhode Island College
Providence, RI 02908

I wish to renew my dues or become a member of the Northeast Victorian Studies Association. I have enclosed a check to NVSA for ---$15 in U.S. dollars (regular membership) or ---$10 (student).

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Finally, as many of you know, our Vice-President for Information Services, Professor Glenn Everett, has established a NVSA list (NVSA-L) on email and the NVSA  Home Page on the World Wide Web (http://www.nvsa.org/ ). The Web site offers items of interest to NVSA members. NVSA-L is a place to summarize and share conference activities and logistics, and to conduct NVSA business. It’s used mainly around conference time, so don’t worry that it will clutter up your mailboxes. To subscribe, send a message to ListProc@utm.edu. Leave the subject line blank; on the message line  write SUB-NVSA-L, your first  and last name.

Professor Jonathan Loesberg, President, NVSA
Dept. of Literature
American University
Washington, DC 20016
phone: (202)885-2971 
email: jloesbe@american.edu 
fax: (202)885-2938

Questions, Comments? Email: geverett@stonehill.edu
Page created on August 9, 2001 by G. Everett
Last updated on Thursday, February 09, 2006 by G. Everett