Call for Papers: Hunter College Grad Conference

"Subversive Texts/Radical Readings"

If every text is a product of an established tradition, written in a preexisting language, how does a text become subversive? Does subversion lie in the speaker's voice and his or her intent? Does it depend directly on that, which it means to undermine? Is subversion created in the interaction between different cultures, and if so, in a globalized society are all texts, by definition, subversive? Is it tied directly to the language that is being used, making literature written in dialect inherently subversive, while rendering texts written “in the language of the oppressor” less likely to undermine the dominant ideology? Or does it take a reading – radical in either its extreme or fundamental perspective – to make a text (any text) subversive? What role does reading play in challenging hegemony? In a world where texts (speeches, slogans, communications) can still be found at the center of every revolution and societal rift, it is important to explore their immeasurable poten
tial to impact those they reach.

To that end, the Hunter College Graduate Student Conference on “Subversive Texts/ Radical Readings” is seeking abstracts of 150-250 words for papers that will examine the ways in which texts can subvert the dominant discourse across the disciplines, as well as what it means for them to do so. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• The role of subversive texts in shifting the balance of power in a globalized community.
• The ability of texts to communicate non-mainstream/subversive/revolutionary ideas.
• The potential of subversive texts to cross cultural, linguistic, and geopolitical boundaries.
• The ways that new interdisciplinary approaches can radicalize texts.
• Subversion that lies in the examination of absences and omissions within texts.
• The ways that we can define “subversive texts” and “radical readings.”


The Graduate Student Conference will be held May 6-7th, 2011, at Hunter College, New York, NY. Details of the conference can be found at the conference website, https://sites.google.com/site/huntercollegegec/

Please send abstracts/inquiries to the conference organizers at HunterGEC@gmail.com by March 13th, 2011.

All proposals should include your name, affiliation, contact information (including email address), and a short bio. Please do not include your name on the attached abstracts/proposals, as they will be selected by blind review. Proposals sent in by graduate students will be given priority, however, we will consider proposals from independent scholars and recent graduates.

Please note that all papers should be delivered in 15-20 minutes.