NATCHITOCHES – The 10th Annual Louisiana Studies Conference will be held September 21-22 at Northwestern State University. The conference committee is now accepting presentation proposals for the upcoming conference. The 2018 conference theme, “Once Upon a Time in Louisiana,” is dedicated to exploring Louisiana’s long and continued relationship with narrative. Presentation proposals on any aspect of Louisiana narratives, as well as creative texts and performances by, about, and/or for Louisiana and Louisianans, are sought for this year’s conference. The deadline for submission is June 1.
“Although we are especially interested in proposals that deal with the theme of Once Upon a Time in Louisiana, all papers, creative writing and short performances in dance, music or theatre that address any aspect of Louisiana studies are welcome,” said Dr. Shane Rasmussen, director of the Louisiana Folklife Center.
Proposals are being solicited for 15 minute presentations from scholars at all career stages as well as graduate students. Creative work (film, creative non-fiction, short fiction, and poetry) is welcome. Undergraduates are invited to submit, provided they are working with the guidance of a trained scholar, Rasmussen said.
Conference registration is free for all faculty, staff and students affiliated with Bossier Parish Community College, Northwestern State University, the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and State and National Park Service personnel situated in Natchitoches Parish.
Abstracts with a maximum of 300 words for scholarly proposals, creative writing, films and short performances should be sent as e-mail attachments to Rasmussen at rasmussens@nsula.edu. Presentations should run no longer than 15 minutes. Applicants should briefly detail the audio /visual tools such as laptop, projection screen, data projector, DVD player, etc.. or space required, if any. Performances will take place in Magale Recital Hall.
Applicants should include a separate cover page with name, affiliation, mailing and e-mail address and the presentation title. E-mails should be entitled: Louisiana Studies Conference Submission. Acknowledgement of receipt will be sent within one week. If an applicant does not receive an acknowledgement, they should resubmit their entry. Accepted presenters will be notified via e-mail by June 15 or before.
This interdisciplinary conference will be accepting proposals from the following disciplines: American studies, anthropology, architecture, archival studies, communications, craft, creative writing, criminal justice, cultural studies, cultural tourism, dance, design, education, English and literary studies, environmental studies, ethnic studies, fashion design, film studies, fine arts, folklore, gender studies, geography, heritage resources, history, interior design, journalism, linguistics, media studies, museum studies, musicology, music performance, philosophy, photography, political science, preservation studies, psychology, queer studies, religious studies, Romance languages, social work, sociology, theatre, and vernacular architecture.
Read broadly, consider the following possibilities for presentation topics relating to the theme Once Upon a Time in Louisiana. The following list of suggestions is not meant to be comprehensive.
NOTE: Louisiana, its narratives, peoples, cultures, history, literature, places, etc. should be an intrinsic aspect of the proposed presentation. For example, “urban legends” in itself would not be an appropriate presentation topic proposal for the Louisiana Studies Conference, while “urban legends and Louisiana traiteurs” or “contemporary legends in Evangeline Parish” would both be highly appropriate.
A selection of scholarly and creative work presented at the conference will be solicited for publication in the Louisiana Folklife Journal, a peer reviewed academic journal produced by the Louisiana Folklife Center. Additional information is available on the website for the Louisiana Folklife Center: https://louisianafolklife.nsula.edu/.
