Interiority and the Outer World: the Middle Ages as Meeting Ground
07-09 June 2024
Pepperdine University, Calabasas CA
EXTENDED DEADLINE
Call for Papers
The Medieval Association of the Pacific welcomes paper and session proposals from all areas of medieval studies for our 2024 conference, including overlapping areas of early modern and late antique studies. MAP encourages paper submissions from graduate students, emerging professionals, and independent scholars.
This year’s conference events will take place at the Calabasas Campus of Pepperdine University, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in Southern California, just five minutes by car from the entrance to Malibu Creek State Park, 8,000 acres of natural woodland and chaparral, and just twenty minutes from the majestic Pacific Ocean. All conference registrants are also invited to a private sneak peek of the Getty Center’s new exhibit, “Marvels of the World: Wonder and Fear in the Middle Ages.”
MAP 2024 seeks paper and session proposals focused on the affective experience of the foreign during the Middle Ages. Contrary to popular belief in the intensely local nature of the Middle Ages, medieval peoples traveled far and wide for a variety of reasons, including pleasure, business, and religion. As with all human experience, these encounters elicited a wide range of emotional responses—from delight to disgust, from fear to curiosity. This thematic focus explores the emotional response that people had to others who were culturally different from themselves in speech, manner, appearance, governance, or faith, as well as to objects, environments, and experiences that are alien to them. Papers should consider the medieval world from multiple perspectives, including those who did the traveling and those who encountered new people in their home communities.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Love - falling in love abroad (or falling in love at home with a foreigner)
- Wonder - the strange, mysterious, fearful, miraculous
- Frustration - lost in translation
- Curiosity and Confusion - tourism, getting lost, maps and mapping
- Comfort - hospitality, food, accommodation
- Loneliness - the wanderer (the trader, the pilgrim, the knight, the adventurer)
- Envy - not in my backyard, conflict
- Embarrassment - polite conduct
- Surprise - varieties of faith, guides
- Delight - the spread of ideas, artistic expression, souvenirs
Non-Thematic Pathways
As is the MAP tradition, papers do not need to relate to this theme to gain acceptance. Scholars from the larger Pacific Rim, especially outside of the continental United States are encouraged to apply.
In addition to proposals that speak to this year’s conference theme, ones that take into account the interests and needs of early career scholars on how to win fellowships and grants, access local resources, manage large corpora, prepare for the job market (including how to apply successfully for positions at community colleges and regional public universities), earn tenure, publish in journals or other academic presses, work effectively in foreign archives and special collections, and/or balance personal and professional demands are also welcome.
Early career scholars who have recently published a monograph are also invited to submit proposals for a review panel of their scholarship. Advisors, editors, etc. may nominate books for consideration. All nominations (both self and other) should include a list of recommended reviewers.
Proposal Requirements
All proposals, whether individual, session, round-table, or workshop should include as two separate documents (1) a cover page with the speaker(s)’ name(s), discipline(s), and contact information, including any institutional affiliation, and e-mail address(es) and (2) title(s) and abstract(s) of approximately 500 words.
Individual proposals should be for 20-minute presentations with approximately 10 minutes of Q&A. Session proposals may be for three or four presentations in the same general proportion (90-minute or 120-minute sessions). Session organizers should strive for a balance of gender and career stage among their participants. All session proposals should include any specific space or technology/resource needs.
Please submit all proposals attached as .doc or .pdf files with “MAP 2024” and the name of your paper or session title in the title to this link, e.g. MAP 2024 - Grants and Fellowships in SoCal. Questions should be directed to Jennifer.Smith@pepperdine.edu with the subject line, 2024 MAP Conference.
Deadline
Proposals are due 05 January 05 February 2024.
Please click here for more information on MAP’s program vetting policy.
MAP is also pleased to offer prizes for papers associated with this conference. Please see our website for more information.