New Scholarship: Brandon on Mordred

From the latest number of Arthuriana:


Brandon, Jessika. "Sister's Son: Aspects of Mordred and the Avunculate in La Mort le Roi Artu and the Stanzaic Morte Arthur." Arthuriana, vol. 34 no. 2, 2024, p. 3-15. Project MUSE, https://doi.org/10.1353/art.2024.a932120.

Mordred in La Mort le Roi Artu and the Stanzaic Morte Arthur displays positive and chivalric attributes in a surprising manner. This article proposes that these qualities stem from his genealogical status in the form of 'double kinship' as nephew and son to Arthur. (JB)

New Scholarship - Rushton on Mordred

Just released this month:

Rushton,  Cory James. "The Return of the Return of Mordred." Arthurian Literature, vol. 39, 2024, pp. 156-67. 

Looks like a good overview of medieval and post-medieval texts featuring Mordred.

Order the full issue from the publisher at https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781843847182/arthurian-literature-xxxix/.  

Happy Birthday, Mordred

 A belated birthday greeting for Arthurian villain, Mordred, born the first of May.

CFP Performativity of Villainy and Evil in Anglophone Literature and Media updated (expired 3/31/20)

Sorry to have missed this earlier in the year.

Call for full chapters for an edited collection for Palgrave Macmillan (contract signed) entitled "The Performativity of Villainy and Evil in Anglophone Literature and Media" Only a few days left/Extention is possible only on request

https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2019/11/07/call-for-full-chapters-for-an-edited-collection-for-palgrave-macmillan-contract

deadline for submissions:
March 31, 2020


full name / name of organization:
University of Gafsa, Tunisia


contact email:
villainycollection@gmail.com




Call for Chapters for an edited collection on the performativity of villainy and evil in literature and media

Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile,
And cry 'Content' to that which grieves my heart,
And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,
And frame my face to all occasions.
I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall;
I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk;
I'll play the orator as well as Nestor,
Deceive more slily than Ulysses could,
And, like a Sinon, take another Troy.
I can add colours to the chameleon,
Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,
And set the murderous Machiavel to school.

(Henry VI Part III, 3.2)

The emphasis on “the performativity of texts” (Skinner x) has now become common in literary studies. “The notion of literature as performative” (Culler 96) is now entrenched. It pervades many of the recent studies of the theory of literature. This is why the concept of performance is no longer confined to literary forms that are traditionally written to be performed on the stage, the pulpit or the podium, like drama, songs and sermons. Every form of literature can be considered as performative. Moreover, the works of Judith Butler, Quentin Skinner, Richard Schechner, Jonathan Culler, Jacques Derrida, Richard Rorty, and others have shown that performativity characterizes all the aspects of literature. The writing, marketing, reading and analysis of literature are performative. It is quite common to describe them as acts, esp. the act of reading. This performativity extends the concept of literature irrevocably beyond the boundaries of the written text. It also proves that we need to cope with the looseness of the term literature that can no longer be confined to classical genres. Many traditional and new (non)-discursive practices started to fall into the category of literature, from which they have long been excluded. Probably the most intriguingly appealing characters in traditional and contemporary literature, the representations of evil characters – be they villains in drama, antagonists in fiction and cinema, bosses in video games or corrupt public figures in satirical writings – has always been connected with the notion of performance. Evil characters, real or/and fictional, are – for the most part – defined by their deeds. This is why the notion of performance can be quite helpful in understanding them. To further contribute to the articulation of this interconnection between performativity and the literary representation of evil characters, we are seeking full articles for a collection of academic essays on the performativity of literary villains in literary texts that are conceived in the English language for Palgrave Macmillan. This volume tries to use the emerging interdisciplinary theories of performance to study the literary villain. It attempts to cover a wide range of classical as well as nonclassical and even experimentalist genres. The aim of this collection is to investigate the literary representation of the villain in different literary texts. It tries to emphasize the role of the villains and their performative energy in shaping the texts under scrutiny. The reviewers recommended that we extend the scope of the collection and, therefore, we are seeking full articles on the following topics:

- Beowulf (we need more articles about this classic and its different adaptations)

- Medieval literature (Chaucer, Arthurian Legends, Metaphysical Drama)

- Evil in Everyman

- The figure of Mordred in and Beyond the Arthurian legends

- Celtic and Gaelic (folk)lore and its adaptations

- Witchcraft in Medieval literature

- The Murder of Thomas Beckett in Medieval Literature and Beyond

- Witchcraft and evil

- Fallen angels

- The seven deadly sins

- Evil spirits

- Dark rituals

- Giants

- Monsters

- Evil and body ornaments (Tattoos, branding, piercing, makeup, etc)

- Robinhood Legends

- Evil (and) Hierarchies

- Muslim and Jewish characters as Medieval and Renaissance Villains (not in Shakespeare we got that covered)

- Renaissance writers other than William Shakespeare (we do not accept any articles on Shakespeare we have enough. We only welcome articles on other early modern writers)

- The tool villain in Renaissance drama and beyond

- The plays of John Webster

- The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil

-The History of King Richard the Third by Saint/Sir Thomas More

- The Early Modern representations of King John of England (Other than Shakespeare)

- Dr. Faustus and its different versions and adaptations

- Irish drama and fiction

- Native American lore

- Early American texts (may include early English versions/translations of Native American folklore)

- The Salem Witchhunt and trials in Early American literature (and in contemporary media)

- Milton's Paradise Lost

- Milton's Satan long after Stanley Fish's surprised by sin

- 18th century British Literature

- Evil in the historical fiction of Sir Walter Scott

- Romanticism

- Jane Austin

- The figure of Dracula (in and beyond Bram Stoker)

- Dickens' representation of evil

- Detective fiction

- African American Literature

- African literature in English

- Australian literature

- Canadian Literature

- Evil Indigenous Literature in North America and Australia even if it is not in English (the article, however, should be in English)

- Implications of the fact that indigenous villains in Western literature are not individualized like European villains

- Disney films and cartoon

- Comic books

- Representation of Evil and villainy in musical performances

- Music and evil

- Cartoon

- Caricature

- (silent) Films

- TV series

- Al Capone and El Chapo in films and literature

- Espionage in media (while we have articles on this topic, we would be very interested in an article about the TV series Mata Hari Series (esp. 2016) or Movies and/or James Bond Movies)

- Hitler in British and American Literature, film and media

- Evil intellectuals

- Stories of Holocaust survivors in literature and media

- Stalin in British and American Literature and (literary) media

- Free Masonry and secret societies in literature and media (some focus on the representations of the rites of initiation would be appreciated)

- Evil cults and cultists in literature and media

- Conspiracies and conspiracy theories

-Love as/and evil

- The representation of evil in pornography and eroticism

- Evil Fetishism and fetishized evil in literature and (literary) media

- The vilified and eroticized woman/person in charge

- Seduction as/and evil

- (Eroticized) evil step-parents

- The figure of the homewrecker in literature and film

- The (de/sexualized) figure of the evil teacher/mentor

- Evil philosophies/justifying evil in literature and (literary) media

- video games (with focus on their literary aspect)

- articles about telltale games and BioWare games are very welcome

- contemporary Gothic literature and media

- racialized evil

- Evil and age(ing)

- Evil in Netflix historical documentaries

- evil in (auto)biographic literature

- Children literature

- Evil and the Law

- Evil and the state

- Shady organizations in literature and media

- Marvel cinematic universe

- The Lord of the Rings and its different adaptations

- The Joker movie of 2019

- The Witcher (book, game and movie)

- The ethical controversies surrounding Joker (2019)or another film or video game (we have another article about the notion of the evil text but it is about a novel. Seeing a certain text as evil is worth investigation. Other articles written in this vein would be more than welcome)

- Game of Thrones

- Representation of Medieval evil in contemporary literature and media

- Contemporary Historical Fiction

- Vigilantism and/as evil

- Vigilantes in literature and media

- Philippa Kelly's fiction and its adaptations

- The Song of Ice and Fire and its adaptations

- Star wars and its different adaptations

- fan studies

- Celebrity and evil (also "evil"/mean celebrities)

- Evil, clothing, and fashion in media (we have one article about evil and clothing in literature. One on media would be a great addition to this collection)

- Populism and evil

- Science and evil

- Artificial intelligence and evil in literature and media (we already have an article about Mass Effect but its focus is not on the geth or the reapers or ED or SAM such focus would be welcome)

- The evil imagination of villains

- Evil in/and the natural world in media and literature

- Medicine and evil in literature and (literary) media

- Drugs and drug addiction as/and evil

- Biological warfare and engineered diceases in literature and media

- Genetic modification/cloning as/and "evil"

- Vilifying the media in the age of populism

- The represntation of Evil in "applied theatre"

- The axis of evil in political media and creative discourses during and after the Bush era

- Irani regime in British and US literature and media

- Posthuman evil

- Evil AI

- Futuristic evil

- Contemporary witchcraft in literature and media

- The notion of evil in performance theory (esp. in Judith Butler)

Unfortunately, other areas have already been covered and the reviewers recommended no further additions to them. Because the contract requires that we submit the full manuscript before the end of the year, we cannot consider abstracts. We are seeking full articles. Please send your full article (that has never been published before and is not under consideration elsewhere) and a short bio to villainycollection@gmail.com no later than March 31, 2020. For any query please do not hesitate to contact the editor Dr. Nizar Zouidi e-mail: nizarzouidinizar@outlook.com. We look forward to your contributions. The deadlines are final. However, we may consider a 10-day extension after the deadlines (on request) only for Mediaval literature, Renaissance drama (other than Shakespeare), Evil and vilified teacher in media and literature, Evil in pornography, biological warefare, engineered diceases and genetic modification. Those interested may contact Dr. Zouidi. We will not accept any contributions after the deadlines unless they are granted extension by the editor. They still will go through peer review. Extension requests will not be accepted after the deadlines.

The articles should be between 4000 and 8000 words. You can use MLA or Chicago style but please try to provide as much information as possible. (Please note that there are no publication or processing fees or anything of the kind. The quality of your article is what determines whether it will be published in this collection or not. Please do not inquire about fees) We also procured the help of a proofreader. However, he will only help with the formatting of the final manuscript as I cannot pay for the proofreading of individual articles. The authors should make sure there are no errors, typos or any kind of language problems - including wordiness and other stylistic defects. If they need professional help, they may use a proofreader. If they wish to benefit from the services of the same proofreader that is working with the editor, the latter may put them through to the proofreader but will not be a part of any transactions between them. It would be better that you make sure there are no mistakes or errors in your chapter before sending it. (Please forgive these remarks but since I send the articles straight to the peer reviewers after skimming through them (because the number of articles is quite considerable) and received some complaints that some articles need proofreading, I hope all authors polish their articles before they send them)

Last updated March 21, 2020

CFP The Evolution of Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction, Academia Lunare (11/30/2018)

Here's an interesting call:

The Evolution of Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction, Academia Lunare
https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2018/the-evolution-of-evil-in-fantasy-and-science-fiction-academia-lunare/
July 9, 2018

Academia Lunare

Academia Lunare is the Luna Press Publishing academic branch for Fantasy and Science Fiction.

One of the most exciting aspects of fandom is the critical assessment of literature, as a way to show one’s love for a particular author or body of work. Speculative non-fiction is also a mirror for society, with an eye cast into the future.

The Evolution of Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction
​
We are very proud to announce our third Call For Papers. The theme of the 2018 CfPs is: “The Evolution of Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction”.

Our first call for papers, “Gender and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction” received 2 BSFA Awards nomination and one BSFA Awards shortlist. The second call for papers, “The Evolution of African Fantasy and Science Fiction”, will be out this summer.

It is time for a new challenge!

Writers are invited to explore the concept of evil in all its shapes and developments, in literature, games, movies and TV.

Here is some food for thought, though it should not restrict your own ideas:

• ​Focus on a specific character which has embodied the concept of evil
• The development of a specific archetypal character which, over the course of the centuries, has undergone a transformation from neutral/positive figure into an evil one, or vice versa – historical and socio-political influences that brought about this transformation
• Development of a representative type of evil over time (trolls, fairies, mad gods, dark lords, vampires, demons, etc.)
• The impact of religion on folklore
• Latest incarnations of evil mirroring socio-political changes
• Latest incarnations of evil in general
• Evil as an embodiment of modern society
• Evolution of evil through the ages
• Possible representations of minorities as evil
• Creating evil – what makes a successful villain?
• Heroes as villains
• Other representations of evil, e.g. hostile environments. Music as a tool for implying threat and hostility

​
Before you start, get in touch! Send us an email either with your abstract or simply to let us know what topic you intend to explore: it is perfectly fine to have more than one author discussing the same topic, as long as the angle is different.

Word Limit: up to 6,000 words.

Full references for citations must be included using Harvard referencing style. Download the full guide and the quick guide on the Academia Lunare page.

Closing Date: 30th of November 2018.

Publishing contract for all participants, with shared royalties from each sale and a free copy of the book.

Do not fear if this is your first non-fiction work: if you love research, you need a chance to start somewhere. Take a look at the past two Call For Papers blog posts and explore the articles submitted – it may help you decide your course of action.

For more information, please see https://www.lunapresspublishing.com/academialunare. FacebookTwitterGoogle+

CFP To Prove a Villain: On the Performativity of “Evil” Characters in Anglophone Literature Collection (7/30/2018)

An interesting idea:

To Prove a Villain: On the Performativity of “Evil” Characters in Anglophone Literature
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/05/25/to-prove-a-villain-on-the-performativity-of-%E2%80%9Cevil%E2%80%9D-characters-in-anglophone

deadline for submissions: July 30, 2018

full name / name of organization: University of Gafsa, Tunisia

contact email: villainycollection@gmail.com


Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile,
And cry 'Content' to that which grieves my heart,
And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,
And frame my face to all occasions.
I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall;
I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk;
I'll play the orator as well as Nestor,
Deceive more slily than Ulysses could,
And, like a Sinon, take another Troy.
I can add colours to the chameleon,
Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,
And set the murderous Machiavel to school.

(Henry VI Part III, 3.2)

The emphasis on “the performativity of texts” (Skinner x) has now become common in literary studies. “The notion of literature as performative” (Culler 96) is now entrenched. It pervades many of the recent studies of the theory of literature. This is why the concept of performance is no longer confined to literary forms that are traditionally written to be performed on the stage, the pulpit or the podium, like drama, songs and sermons. Every form of literature can be considered as performative. Moreover, the works of Judith Butler, Quentin Skinner, Richard Schechner, Jonathan Culler, Jacques Derrida, Richard Rorty and others have shown that performativity characterizes all the aspects of literature. The writing, marketing, reading and analysis of literature are performative. It is quite common to describe them as acts, esp. the act of reading. This performativity extends the concept of literature irrevocably beyond the boundaries of the written text. It also proves that we need to cope with the looseness of the term literature that can no longer be confined to the classical genres. Many traditional and new (non)-discursive practices started to fall into the category of literature, from which they have long been excluded. Probably the most intriguingly appealing characters in traditional and contemporary literature, the representations of evil characters – be they villains in drama, antagonists in fiction and cinema, bosses in video games or corrupt public figures in satirical writings – has always been connected with the notion of performance. Evil characters, real or/and fictional, are – for the most part – defined by their deeds. This is why the notion of performance can be quite helpful in understanding them. To further contribute to the articulation of this interconnection between performativity and the literary representation of evil characters, we are seeking detailed proposals for a collection of academic essays entitled:

To Prove a Villain: On the Performativity of “Evil” Characters in Anglophone Literature

The proposals may address one or more of the following topics or other relevant topics within the scope of the literature written (conceived, developed, created, etc.) in English:

- Villains and villainy in literature

- Characterization of the evil characters

- Representations of crimes and evil deeds in literary discourses

- The role of evil characters in shaping the plot

- Villains and evil doers in mythology and religious literature

- The secular villain

- Magic, sorcery and devilish arts

- Technology and evil

- Evil characters in science fiction

- Evil in performance studies

- Visibility and invisibility in evil characters

- Temptation, seduction and the “virality” of evil

- Evil characters in children literature

- Ethnicity, gender, sexuality, difference and the evil character

- The (post)colonial villain

- Eroticizing evil (characters)

- Evil characters in Gothic literature

- Vampires, undead and other creatures as evil characters

- Dystopia, tyranny, ideology and “evil” leadership

- Satire

- Spectacular evil

- Graphic depiction of evil characters in visual literature

- The cult of literary villains (e.g. Dracula)

- Rehabilitation of literary and historical villains

- Physical portrayal of evil characters

- Evil characters in their own words (soliloquies, autobiographies, dialogues, etc.)

- Adaptations of literary works


Please send your proposals along with a short bio as Word attachments to the following email: villainycollection@gmail.com by July 30th, 2018

This email only accepts formal proposals

For queries and for further information please contact Dr. Nizar Zouidi (University of Gafsa, Tunisia): nizarzouidinizar@outlook.com


The chapters should be from 5000 to 8000 words in length and should be formatted according to the guidelines that will be provided after the abstracts are accepted by the peer reviewers. Upon completion, the chapters will be peer reviewed again and proofread by the committee in order to ensure their compliance with the publisher’s requirements. However, no change shall be made without the explicit consent of the authors.

CFP Villains In Medieval And Early Modern Life And Lit (7/2/2018)

Finally, a call of relevance to post:

Villains In Medieval And Early Modern Life And Lit
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/03/26/villains-in-medieval-and-early-modern-life-and-lit

deadline for submissions: 

July 2, 2018

full name / name of organization: 

Center for Medieval-Renaissance Studies, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise

contact email: 

sa2je@virginia.edu

 

This panel of the 32nd Medieval-Renaissance Conference (UVA-Wise, Sept. 13-15, 2018) invites papers on medieval and early modern villains and the dynamic ethical codes assigned them by authors, audiences, and critics. By villains we mean criminals, tricksters (such as professional beggers), political careerists, or poets and their characters, charismatic or not. Some viable threads: villains as likable (anti-)heroes; villains as reflections of med-ren political and social audiences; the vices, virtues, and skills of villains; the ethical implications their very existence conjures. Submit abstracts to Sherif Abdelkarim at sa2je@virginia.edu. Deadline July 2, 2018.

Last updated March 27, 2018
 

Arthurian Villains at Arthurian Congress 2014

Of interest if you're in Romania this summer:

XXIV Triennial Congress of the International Arthurian Society - University of Bucharest
(full program at http://arthuriancongress.unibuc.ro/programme/)


Monday, 21 July

Panel 2 : 15.20-17.00
Women and Magic
Paper 4 (of 4): Carlos SANZ MINGO (Cardiff University), Other Worlds, other Cultures : Morgan in Spanish Arthurian Literature


Tuesday, 22 July

Panel 3: 11.50-13.00
Lectures des sources arthuriennes
Paper 1 (of 3): Yuri FUWA (Keio University), Sir Mordred the Malebranche — a possible source for the Alliterative Morte Arthure and its thematic significance


Friday, 25 July

Panel 1: 15.20-17.20
Thematic Pannel : Children of the (K)night: Arthurian Bad Boys and Mean Girls
Organizer : Kevin J. HARTY (La Salle University, Philadelphia)
Participants:
Christine NEUFELD (Eastern Michigan University), Bloodlines: The Sanguine Semiotics of Dracula vs. King Arthur
Susan ARONSTEIN (University of Wyoming), Thoroughly Modern Morgan?: Starz’ Camelot’s Arthurian Bad Girl
Martin B. SHICHTMAN (Eastern Michigan University), Subversive Sorority: The Naughty Nuns of Starz’ Camelot
Elizabeth S. SKLAR (Wayne State University), Queering Mordred
Donald L. HOFFMAN (Northeastern Illinois University), The Queering of Mordred Revisited
Kevin J. HARTY (La Salle University), Using the Arthurian Legend to Turn Bad Boys into Good Boys: The Boy Scouts and Thomas Edison Make an Arthurian Film, The Knights of the Square Table
Laurie A. FINKE (Kenyon College), Ghosts of Chivalry: King Arthur and the Ku Klux Klan

CFP Neo-Victorian Villain collecttion (9/15/13)

Proposals on villains are generally rare, so I thought I'd share this to readers (though, I confess, I would be a stretch to connect in directly to Arthurian villains).

[UPDATE] Deadline extended for 'Neo-Victorian Villains' edited volume

full name / name of organization: 

Benjamin Poore, University of York, UK

contact email: 

benjamin.poore@york.ac.uk

The deadline for chapter proposals for this edited collection has been extended to September 15th. There has been a very strong response so far, but there are still some areas mentioned in the CFP (reproduced below) that I would very much like to see proposals on, to help address the full range of the subject and different approaches to neo-Victorianism.

As before, potential contributors are invited to submit a 250-word abstract for consideration, along with a biographical note of 50 to 100 words, to:

Dr Benjamin Poore (Department of Theatre, Film and Television, University of York) at benjamin.poore@york.ac.uk

Neo-Victorian Villains: Neo-Victorian Fiction, Adaptation and Performance

The collection will provide an innovative and wide-ranging exploration of the afterlives of the Victorian villain, in fiction, and stage and screen performance.

Subjects covered may include, but are not limited to:

• Direct transmedia adaptations - from nineteenth-century classic fiction and neo-Victorian novels, to stage, screen, console and graphic novel. 

•  Intertextuality – including allusion, pastiche and crossover fiction and film.

• Genealogies of villainy from the nineteenth century to the present day – investigating the development of such figures and types as the supervillain, the master of disguise, the adventuress, the mesmerist, the femme fatale, and the split-personality. 

• The afterlives of specific Victorian villains in modern culture, for example: Augustus Melmotte, Michael Henchard, Count Fosco, Sweeney Todd, Svengali, Dracula, Edward Hyde, Hawley Griffin, Dorian Gray, Professor Moriarty, Jack the Ripper, Lucy Graham, Helen Vaughan, Lydia Gwilt.

• Processes of production, from the commissioning, filming and design of Victorian and neo-Victorian screen adaptations, to actors’ processes and approaches to their roles, as well as those of playwrights and screenwriters.

CFP Evil Incarnate Conference (1/1/14)

Cross-posted from Popular Preternaturaliana:

Evil Incarnate: Manifestations of Villains and Villainy

full name / name of organization: 

Case Western Reserve University and Crime Studies Network

contact email: 

evilincarnate@case.edu

Evil Incarnate: Manifestations of Villains and Villainy
11-13 July 2014
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Prof. David Frankfurter (Religious Studies, Boston University); Prof. Ronald Holmes (Justice Administration, University of Louisville); Prof. William Paul (Film Studies, Washington University in St. Louis)

The concept of villainy is a universal: the dichotomy of good versus evil has been a central conflict underlying ideologies and praxis across cultures and time. What, after all, is a hero without the villain as a foil? This conference asks: what defines villainy? Is it moral? Cultural? Inherent or the product of circumstance? How are villains represented textually, culturally, and politically? What does the presence of the villain do to the issues in which they are embedded? How would the issues change in their absence? By exploring the concept of villainy as it manifests itself, we want to explore the various permutations of villainy and their consequences.

Ultimately, we seek definition for villains in an attempt to overturn the characterizing of this pursuit as “[T]he motive-hunting of a motiveless malignity,” because, unfortunately, the designation of evil incarnate is also that of villainy beyond understanding (S. T. Coleridge). Instead, this conference asks whether W.H. Auden provided a more accurate depiction in his assertion that “evil is unspectacular and always human.” We hope that by coming to terms with villains and villainy, we can better understand the meaning of a hero’s victory.
We are interested in papers from a variety of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Villains and crime in literature and /or fiction

• Villains and monsters in the media/ media constructions of villainy

• Moral transgression, evil, and villainy

• The making of national enemies

• Evil and history

• Evil as a necessity

• Monsters Across Cultures

• What Causes Evil

• Aliens and alienation

• Supernatural Evil and the Occult

• Political villains such as Dictators,Tyrants, Fascists, and/or Nazis

• Terrorists

• Criminality in Society

• Holocausts

Please send 300-word abstracts words for papers of 20 minutes to evilincarnate_at_case.edu by January 1, 2014. The abstract should also include a 50-word biographical note and AV requests. Please indicate if you wish the abstract to be considered for inclusion in the post-conference publications. We will send acceptances by February 28, 2014.

Conference Organizers: Drs. Malcah Effron and Brian Johnson (English, Case Western Reserve University)
Conference Sponsors: CWRU Department of English and the Crime Studies Network
Contact Details: evilincarnate_at_case.edu
Abstract Deadline: 1 January 2014

Alliance/Blog Update August 2013

Effective August 2013, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain has been absorbed by the revived Society for Arthurian Popular Culture Studies (founded 2000) and the resulting organization named The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Matter of Britain. The new group will function for the remainder of 2013 as an affiliate of The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and be based at the King Arthur Forever website at KingArthurForever.org. This site will be maintained as time permits.

Further details can be found on King Arthur Forever at http://kingarthurforever.blogspot.com/2013/08/king-arhur-forever-reborn.html.

Michael A. Torregrossa
Co-Founder, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Founder, The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Matter of Britain

Our Kalamazoo Sessions 2013

Time and technology continue to conspire against me, but here (at last) are the details of our sessions. The complete program can be accessed at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/sessions.html.

Saturday, 11 May 2013 at 12:00 PM
Valley III 303
Business Meeting and Reception: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain; Institute for the Advancement of Scholarship on the Magic-Wielding Figures of Visual Electronic Multimedia; Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

All are welcome to attend to discuss and plan sessions for 2014 and 2015.


Saturday, 11 May 2013 at 1:30 PM
Session 422, Fetzer 1005
Arthurian Monster Quest: Investigating the Monsters of the Arthurian Tradition (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain

Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Presider: Charlotte A. T. Wulf, Stevenson Univ.

Ysbaddaden Pencawr: A Gentler Giant?
Lisa LeBlanc, Anna Maria College

The Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel: Grendelkin?
Kris Kobold, York Univ.

Monstrous Felines in Old French Arthuriana, or, There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Chapalu
Brandy N. Brown, Pennsylvania State Univ.

Lycanthropy and Absence in Arthur and Gorlagon
Angela Tenga, Florida Institute of Technology

“An Unsemely Sighte”: Medieval Arthurian Women as Monstrosities
S. Elizabeth Passmore, Univ. of Southern Indiana


=============================
Michael A. Torregrossa, MA
Founder, The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
http://ArthurianVillainyResearch.blogspot.com/

Other Links:

The Monstrous Matter of Britain

http://monstrous-matter-of-britain.blogspot.com/

Arthurian Monster Quest Update

I am pleased to announce the details of our sponsored session for next year's Medieval Congress:


Arthurian Monster Quest: Investigating the Monsters of the Arthurian Tradition (Roundtable)
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain

Presider: Charlotte A. T. Wulf, Stevenson University

Paper 1: Ysbaddaden Pencawr: A Gentler Giant?
Lisa LeBlanc, Anna Maria College

Paper 2: The Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel: Grendelkin?
Kris Kobold, York University

Paper 3: Monstrous Felines in Old French Arthuriana, or There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Chapalu
Brandy N. Brown, The Pennsylvania State University


Paper 4: Lycanthropy and Absence in Arthur and Gorlagon
Angela Tenga, Florida Institute of Technology

Paper 5: “An Unsemely Sighte”: Medieval Arthurian Women as Monstrosities
S. Elizabeth Passmore, University of Southern Indiana

Kalamazoo Update

My apologies for the delaying in updating the site(s) and focusing on the Kalamazoo session on monsters. I have been thinking and reading much on monsters but (unfortunately) not doing much thinking about Kalamazoo these past few months.

Expect an update on the session by Monday and email responses to all proposals submitted to the Alliance address by tonight.

Michael Torregrossa

CFP Arthurian Monster Quest

CALL FOR PAPERS
ARTHURIAN MONSTER QUEST
INVESTIGATING THE MONSTERS OF THE ARTHURIAN TRADITION, MEDIEVAL THROUGH MODERN
A SESSION FOR THE 48TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MEDIEVAL STUDIES (WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, KALAMAZOO, MI) FROM 9-12 MAY 2013
SPONSORED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN
PROPOSALS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2012 (EARLY SUBMISSION RECOMMENDED)


Inspired by the pioneering work of Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, teratology, the study of monsters, is experiencing a renaissance of late in Medieval Studies. Much of this new work has been conducted under the auspices of MEARCSTAPA (Monsters: the Experimental Association for the Research of Cryptozoology through Scholarly Theory and Practical Application), but there remain other avenues to explore, especially with regards to fields of interest, like Arthurian Studies, that stretch outside the medieval and into the various eras of post-medieval history. In sponsoring this session, The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain hopes to offer some much needed illumination into the darker parts of Arthur’s realm and provide some sense of the history of the monsters that dwell in these shadows.

In existence for nearly fifteen hundred years, the Matter of Britain, the body of myths and legends associated with King Arthur and his court, has long been linked with the supernatural, chiefly in Arthur’s own nebulous fate as the Once and Future King and in the wonder-workings of the incubus-spawned Merlin, the fairy women variously called the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur’s sibling Morgan le Fay, who is of human origin despite her otherworldly title. These characters have all received much attention from scholars, but the larger mass of Arthurian preternature has not. Besides these examples, the denizens of Camelot presented in medieval texts encounter many further mystical creatures, all of which we might consider as unnatural, or monstrous, today, including demons, dragons, the Fair Folk, figures we would now label as witches, giants, griffins, hellhounds, the restless dead, unicorns, werewolves, and, who can forget, the enigmatic Questing Beast. These monsters, although important features of their respective narratives, have all received little attention in modern scholarship. Their successors have received even less attention, despite the continuance of all of these preternatural beings in post-medieval Arthurian texts, including such extremes as the Blazing Dragons franchise, which recasts Arthurian figures as anthropomorphic dragons. In addition, as the corpus of Arthuriana has expanded exponentially following the close of the Middle Ages, this new Matter of Britain has also introduced additional creatures of the night (such as ogres, vampires, zombies, and a plethora of new creations featured in the Merlin television series) not found in medieval tales of Arthur’s court. Modern Arthurian texts, moreover, have expanded the provenance of the monstrous and transformed ordinary figures from the legend into monsters. It is this world of Arthurian monsters that we seek to explore in these sessions with the intent of opening up their realm for further discussion and appreciation.

Please note, all submissions will also be considered for a special issue of Arthuriana on the topic. Completed essays will be due in June 2013.


PLEASE SUBMIT PROPOSALS OF 500 WORDS OR LESS, PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM (AVAILABLE AT http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html), AND A COPY OF YOUR CV TO THE ORGANIZERS AT ArthurianVillainyResearch@gmail.com PLEASE INCLUDE “KALAMAZOO 2013 PROPOSAL” IN THE SUBJECT LINE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN, PLEASE ACCESS OUR BLOG AT http://ArthurianVillainyResearch.blogspot.com/

A Go for Kalamazoo 2013

I am very pleased to report that the organizing committee of the International Congress on Medieval Studies has looked favorably on our proposal for sessions on the topic of "Arthurian Monster Quest: Investigating the Monsters of the Arthurian Tradition, Medieval through Modern" (details in previous post), though they have approved only one of our two requested sessions. That does severely limit our energies and time/space for the project, but I do welcome your ideas and proposals via email. All proposals submitted, regardless of their acceptance for the panel, will be considered for a special issue of Arthuriana on the topic. Michael Torregrossa Founder and Blog Editor

Kalamazoo Proposal 2013

Here is the text of our proposal to the Medieval Institute for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies:

Arthurian Monster Quest: Investigating the Monsters of the Arthurian Tradition, Medieval through Modern (2)

Inspired by the pioneering work of Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, teratology, the study of monsters, is experiencing a renaissance of late in Medieval Studies. Much of this new work has been conducted under the auspices of MEARCSTAPA (Monsters: the Experimental Association for the Research of Cryptozoology through Scholarly Theory and Practical Application), but there remain other avenues to explore, especially with regards to fields of interest, like Arthurian Studies, that stretch outside the medieval and into the various eras of post-medieval history. In sponsoring these sessions, The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain hopes to offer some much needed illumination into the darker parts of Arthur’s realm and provide some sense of the history of the monsters that dwell in these shadows.

In existence for nearly fifteen hundred years, the Matter of Britain, the body of myths and legends associated with King Arthur and his court, has long been linked with the supernatural, chiefly in Arthur’s own nebulous fate as the Once and Future King and in the wonder-workings of the incubus-spawned Merlin, the fairy women variously called the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur’s sibling Morgan le Fay, who is of human origin despite her otherworldly title. These characters have all received much attention from scholars, but the larger mass of Arthurian preternature has not. Besides these examples, the denizens of Camelot presented in medieval texts encounter many further mystical creatures, all of which we might consider as unnatural, or monstrous, today, including demons, dragons, the Fair Folk, figures we would now label as witches, giants, griffins, hellhounds, the restless dead, unicorns, werewolves, and, who can forget, the enigmatic Questing Beast. These monsters, although important features of their respective narratives, have all received little attention in modern scholarship. Their successors have received even less attention, despite the continuance of all of these preternatural beings in post-medieval Arthurian texts, including such extremes as the Blazing Dragons franchise, which recasts Arthurian figures as anthropomorphic dragons. In addition, as the corpus of Arthuriana has expanded exponentially following the close of the Middle Ages, this new Matter of Britain has also introduced additional creatures of the night (such as ogres, vampires, zombies, and a plethora of new creations featured in the Merlin television series) not found in medieval tales of Arthur’s court. Modern Arthurian texts, moreover, have expanded the provenance of the monstrous and transformed ordinary figures from the legend into monsters. It is this world of Arthurian monsters that we seek to explore in these sessions with the intent of opening up their realm for further discussion and appreciation. 

Kalamazoo 2013 Ideas

The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain seeks your input regarding our sponsored sessions for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. We are interested in submitting proposals for sessions on the monstrous and the Arthurian and on Mordred. If you're interested in presenting or helping to organize/preside, please email us (at ArthurianVillainyResearch@gmail.com) ASAP by 5/25 with details. Please use "Kalamazoo 2013" as your subject line.

Michael

Kalamazoo 2012

A much delayed posting of our sponsored sessions for 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies (10-13 May 2012). The full program is online at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/sessions.html.

Thursday, 10 May: 7:30 PM
Session 170 (Bernhard 204)

Are You From Camelot? Recent Arthurian Film and Television as Innovators of the Arthurian Tradition and Their Impact (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain; Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Presider: Charlotte A. T. Wulf, Stevenson Univ.
Merlin: Magician, Man, and Manipulator in Starz’s Camelot (2011)
Caroline Womack, Univ. of Leeds
Morgan, Uther’s Other Child, in BBC1’s Merlin (2008–) and Starz’s Camelot (2011)
Cindy Mediavilla, Univ. of California–Los Angeles
Galahad and Indiana Jones: The Commodification of the Holy Grail in Modern Grail Quests
Schuyler Eastin, San Diego Christian College
Arthurizing the Wife of Bath: The Wife of Bath’s Tale in S4C’s The Canterbury Tales (1999) and BBC’s Canterbury Tales (2003)
Paul Hardwick, Leeds Trinity Univ. College
Respondent: Karolyn Kinane, Plymouth State Univ.

Saturday, 12 May: 12:00 PM
Valley II (Garneau Lounge)
Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain; Institute for the Advancement of Scholarship on the Magic-Wielding Figures of Visual Electronic Multimedia; Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Business Meeting and Reception

Blog Update

Wow! I'm really behind on this blog and apologize to my 3 (!) followers. We've missed season 4 of BBC1's Merlin (featuring Morgana, Morgause, and Agravaine) and the specifics of our Kalamazoo sessions. I'll do my best to catch up over the summer on things.

Michael