“BY THE DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT”: AMERICAN BEGINNINGS
Irish Association for American Studies
Annual Conference
Waterford Institute of Technology
5-6 June 2009
Call for Papers
“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America,” said US President Obama at his inauguration.
The Irish Association of American Studies invites papers on the theme of American beginnings for its annual conference to be held at the Waterford Institute of Technology, 5-6 June 2009.
Scholars, academics, post-graduate students and others may make proposals on the above theme from any theoretical or practical perspective. Proposals on Obama and the remade America he speaks of will be welcome. Also welcome will be proposals on the beginnings (and endings) of literary movements, moments in history that might be considered “the start of something”, reflections on change and the process of change. Proposals that challenge the usefulness of notions like beginning and end (“We stand amid time beginningless and endless,” said Whitman) will also be welcome.
Proposals are sought in the areas of literary studies, history, politics, economics, science, philosophy, media studies, film studies, and others. Also welcome will be proposals on the theme from creative artists for presentations in a form other than that of a scholarly paper. The conference will aim to generate diverse perspectives on America.
Please send brief proposals (c.500 words) or expressions of interest to Dr Richard Hayes, Waterford Institute of Technology by e-mail at rhayes@wit.ie before 15 March 2009. It is envisaged that the programme for the conference will be agreed by mid-April 2009.