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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Call for Papers: Appalachian Visions of China

(This courtesy of Cat Pleska)

Call for Papers

SAMLA Convention
November 9-11, 2012
Durham, North Carolina 27709
http://samla.gsu.edu/index.html

Session: Appalachian Visions of China

Appalachian literature is known for its strong sense of place, emphasizing the local. However, the influence of Chinese poetry and philosophy on contemporary Appalachian writing is surprisingly strong. Chinese images, ideas, and styles appear in numerous poems and stories by contemporary Appalachian authors, for example, in the works of George Scarbrough, Jeff Daniel Marion, and Charles Wright. This session will explore how twentieth- and twenty-first century Appalachian poetry and prose uses images, ideas, and styles associated with ancient and modern China. Also welcome are presentations on how American authors—such as the Nobel-Prize winning author, Pearl Buck, and Beat-generation poets Gary Snyder and Kenneth Rexroth—have influenced Appalachian writers' concepts of China and its culture. In brief, this session seeks papers that discuss and illustrate the "China" of Appalachian imagination, both in terms of theme and technique.

(Session Chair, Rob Merritt; Session Secretary, Eddy Pendarvis)

Please submit a 250-word abstract no later than May 15, 2012 to Rob at the email address below.

Rob Merritt, PhD
Professor of English
Chair, Division of Language, Literature and Communications
Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA 24605
276-326-4270 (office)
304-920-1860 (cell)

robmerritt202@gmail.com