Redefining Britishness in Contemporary British Literature: Call for Essays from Authors

Call for Essays on Redefining “Britishness” in Contemporary British Literature and Culture

Despite the efforts of those who wish to keep Britain “for the British,” the country has become much more ethnically diverse than it was 60 years ago when the Windrush Generation initiated a post-war shift of population from the far reaches of the dwindling British Empire. Even so, discussions about what it means to be British continue today and include renewed calls to curb migration to Britain, as well as nervousness about preserving “British values,” which some feel are being “eroded” by immigrants and their offspring—an anxiety that is as much about Islamophobia as it is about more general racism and xenophobia. Today contemporary British authors and other artists are engaged in a discussion of what it means to be British, not only for those of Asian or African descent, but also with reference to the ways white British identity has changed in the wake of significant historical moments, including World War II, the arrival of the Windrush Generation, the effects of decolonialization and more recent trends such as globalism and terrorism. Many contemporary writers thus reconceptualize Britishness, nationhood and belonging.

Essays are sought that examine the ways that contemporary literature of a range of genres redefines Britishness and questions notions of belonging and exclusion, nationhood and globalism. What does it mean today to be British—or for that matter English, Scottish or Welsh? What is the relation between Britishness and Commonwealth, Irish or other European identities? What constitutes home for Britain’s migrants or their children? Have white Britons with long roots in the British Isles embraced or resisted revised conceptions of national identity? How much has the association of Britishness with whiteness really changed? How do questions of class, gender, sexuality and religion further complicate these issues?

This essay collection seeks to respond to such questions and to understand the experiences of migrant generations and those of contemporary Britons of all ethnicities. The collection will examine the competing discourses around notions of national identity and the ways contemporary literature grapples with these and related ideas. Contributions dealing with other cultural representations of contemporary Britishness, such as film and other media and popular culture, are also welcome. While all proposals about topics after WWII will be considered, a major focus of the collection is on more recent contemporary literature and culture.

Please send proposals of 500—1500 words and a brief biographical note to Dr. Susan Alice Fischer at safischer@mac.com by 1 June 2009. A preliminary review will take place in early June and essays of selected proposals will be due by 1 September 2009. A respected academic press has already expressed keen interest in publishing the collection, though no promise of publication or contract can be issued until final texts have been accepted.

Dr. Susan Alice Fischer
Professor of English
Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York
1650 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718.270.4993
Email: safischer@mac.com

America's Film Vault: Author Phillip Stewart and His Reference Guide to NARA

America's Film Vault: A Reference Guide to the Motion Pictures Held by the U.S. National Archives

Today I'm pleased to host Phillip W. Stewart, author of America's Film Vault: A Reference Guide to the Motion Pictures Held by the U.S. National Archives. America’s Film Vault is designed to assist writers, researchers, historians, film and video makers, content producers, genealogists, and others in locating the historically rich, celluloid-based, moving images preserved in the motion picture film holdings of the National Archives. These historic films are considered official records of the united States Government and are part of one of the world’s largest motion picture archives, with a treasure trove of over 360,000 reels. Approximately 95 percent of the films described in this guide are in the safekeeping of the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch of the Special Media Archives Services Division, located at Archives II in College Park, Maryland. The rest are housed in the National Archive’s Presidential Libraries located around the country.

As Phillip recounts during the Forward of the book, he was amazed to find that the well known Bray and Murphy booklet to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) had never been updated.

“'Computerization you know…everything you need to know is on the website,'” they said. Over a period of several months, I searched around the site but found nothing that dealt with the general motion picture holdings of the Archives as well as that battered old booklet. I resolved to correct that situation and you are now reading the result. America’s Film Vault is a guidebook. It is a starting point, the first step of possibly many, in the motion picture discovery process. Additional research may well be necessary to complete your investigation. Among your options: contact the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch via email at mopix@nara.gov; hire a private film researcher, there’s a list at http://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help/index.html; or better yet, personally visit the National Archives and take advantage of the services of the Research Room staff."

About Phillip

Author Phillip Stewart was born and raised in southern California. He graduated from San Diego State University with a B.S. degree in Radio/TV/Film. His M.A. is from Webster College, MO, in Business Management. Mr. Stewart then joined the U.S. Air Force from which he retired after 21 years. In his spare time, Phil volunteers as a motion picture film researcher for the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.. He is a member of the American Aviation Historical Society, the League of World War I Aviation Historians, and the Military Writers Society of America. Along with his wife, and two cats, he lives quietly on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Phillip Stewart was born and raised in southern California. He graduated from San Diego State University with a B.S. degree in Radio/TV/Film. His M.A. is from Webster College, MO, in Business Management. Mr. Stewart then joined the U.S. Air Force from which he retired after 21 years. In his spare time, Phil volunteers as a motion picture film researcher for the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. He is a member of the American Aviation Historical Society, the League of World War I Aviation Historians, and the Military Writers Society of America. Along with his wife, and two cats, he lives quietly on the Emerald Coast of Florida.

Stop by and share your thoughts and comments with Mr. Stewart. He will stop by to say hello and answer your questions.

For more information visit his website: www.pwstewart.com or his blog: http://historicfootageproject.blogspot.com.

Buy America’s Film Vault: A Reference Guide to the Motion Pictures Held by the U.S. National Archives here: http://www.pwstewart.com/AMERICA_S_FILM_VAULT.html

Mindancer Books Seeks Stories Featuring Female Pirates For New Anthology

Mindancer Books, an imprint of Bedazzled Ink Publishing, is creating an anthology of stories featuring female pirates as either the main character or the focus of the story.

The project is called Skulls and Crossbones and recently issued a call for submissions by authors online. However, a majority of the submissions have been created by male authors, rather than a balance of the genders.

Lesbian author Andi Marquette, who has written books such as State of Denial and Land of Entrapment, is an Executive Editor on the project and shared the news, asking us if we knew any women who would be interested in submitting a story. Of course, we know a lot of women.

Andi says that lesbians are more than welcome and encouraged to enter submissions, which are due by September 1, 2009.

The pirate anthology aims to become a collection of short stories that feature women pirates in any setting and any time period. Although the focus of the story “cannot be a romantic hook-up or sex/erotica”, stories featuring adventure, intrigue, antiheroines/heroines, something to be accomplished/overcome, battles, vengeance, trickery, thievery, “and/or assorted banditry” are encouraged.

Original and previously published stories will be taken under consideration and each contributor will receive one print copy as well as one ebook copy of the anthology.

You can find complete details and submission guidelines for Skulls and Crossbones here.

Final selections will be made by October 1, 2009, with publication tentatively slated for January 2010

If you have questions, you can contact the Skulls and Crossbones project team through pirateanthology@gmail.com.

Infinity Journal Offers 5,000 Prize For Best Paper or Article

INFINITY JOURNAL (IJ), a “global affairs journalzine”, is seeking creative and innovative papers from graduates and young professionals, specifically research papers, opinion pieces, and book reviews

Please note that we are looking for articles for the 5th edition, which will launch in October 2009 (submission deadline - 7 September). Please see the website (submission guidelines) for more details.

Awards of up to $5,000 will be given in January 2010, following the 6th edition, for best pieces

Please note: those with a degree of PhD or higher are welcome to join the site and benefit from the articles but are not eligible to submit work (only graduates, e.g. those with or currently obtaining masters level education and young professionals.

For more information, rules, and submission guidelines, please visit http://www.infinityjournal.com or contact Adam at adam@infinityjournal.com
Adam Stahl
Executive Director - Infinity Journal

+44 795 778 5990
Email: adam@infinityjournal.com
Visit the website at http://www.infinityjournal.com

My First Whale: Barbara Weaver Smith Talks About Her New Book

My First Whale

Barbara Weaver Smith

President and CEO, The Whale Hunters

I’ve been whale hunting for most of my career, but I’ve only called myself a whale hunter since 2004. I was deep into my third career as an entrepreneur—after I’d been a university professor and dean and then president of a statewide nonprofit. I started my first company in 1996. We provided grant writing and fundraising services to universities and nonprofit organizations. I coached them on how to target their market, make their business case, and write their proposal. But most often, I coached them on how to develop strategic relationships that would enable them to do bigger deals and acquire bigger resources.

One of my first whales was Indiana University—it was a whale for me in two ways. One, I was a small company doing business with a very large and complex client. Two, the project that I led was a whale-sized project—developing the plans for a new center on rehabilitation that would involve science, engineering, medicine, nursing, and informatics. We recruited hospitals, corporations, federal agencies, foundations, and other universities to join in. The initial outcome was a $2 million state grant followed by a $1 million federal research contract.

Many principles from this project made their way into what became The Whale Hunters® consulting company:

• “Build your boat” – to do a big deal, involve a powerful team of subject matter experts, internal to your company or from among your advisors and customers. Learn to ask others to participate and teach them specifically how they can help you.
• Don’t think small—start with an idea that is big enough to capture big resources and big earnings. Understand that there is always more money available for big, important projects than for small stuff.
• Learn how to work fast—develop collaboration practices that don’t slow you down. You need a reliable process and a team-oriented leader.

I like to watch how deals are happening in public. My home town, Indianapolis, won its bid to host the 2012 Super Bowl earlier this year. Landing this deal involved the city and state, education, professional sports, business, philanthropy, youth services, hospitality, architecture, construction—plus a lot of public input. It was a great example of how a motivated team with a strong process and great leadership can accomplish big things. In fact, they can hunt whales!

About Barbara Weaver Smith

Barbara Weaver Smith, president and CEO of The Whale Hunters, is an author, consultant, speaker, and coach. Barbara held positions as an English professor, a college dean, and a nonprofit organization president before founding her first company in 1996. Informed by her leadership experiences in all economic sectors, Barbara’s mission is to support women to achieve exceptional growth in their companies and organizations by doing bigger deals with bigger customers and partners.

About Whale Hunting Women

Whale Hunting Women—how women do big deals in business and community. For inspiration, motivation, and direction, this book celebrates women as deal-makers and includes how to “break the minnow mindset” and how to create a fast-growth culture. It documents three cultural transformations that favor women’s leadership styles: the trend to replace competition with collaboration; the need to transform bureaucracy to entrepreneurship; and the value of perceiving a world of abundance rather than a culture of scarcity. The book offers advice on how small companies or organizations can manage their public presence to generate the whales’ confidence that they have the capabilities and professionalism to complete big deals with big customers and partners. The book incorporates a deal-maker’s journal; each chapter includes worksheets to prompt reflections and action plans.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you for visiting this post about Barbara Weaver Smith and Whale Hunting Women. We are offering a free giveaway to two people who comment during the tour and to the hosts where they posted. It is simple to be entered in the giveaway – just post a comment on any post about the tour and you will be entered. But, an interesting post is more likely to get our attention. The host on the site where the winning comments are posted will also win a three-volume set of Whale Hunters Wisdom in audio format. Volumes include I: Mind of a Hunter, II: The Hunt, and III: The Whale Hunting Culture. This is a $90 value.

To see the tour schedule visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/04/whale-hunting-with-barbara-weaver-smith.html

Barbara Weaver Smith’s website
Barbara Weaver Smith’s blog
Order your copy of Whale Hunting Women

Seeking Critical Essays On American Women Poets: Need Authors and Writers

My colleague Dr. Deborah Poe and I are seeking articles for an edited collection tentatively titled “Between Worlds.” The project is most invested in work which offers social and material opposition to binary ways of thinking about identity and difference. The collection will blend creative prose and criticism like Claudia Rankine’s and Juliana Spahr’s American Women Poets in the 21st Century: Where Lyric Meets Language did with the genre of poetry.

We are seeking critical essays on the above issues and themes in the short fiction or novels of the following authors:

• Chris Abani
• Chimanda Ngozi Adichi
• Sherman Alexie
• Rebecca Brown
• Ana Castillo
• Michelle Cliff
• Jaimee Wriston Colbert
• Edwidge Danticat
• Junot Díaz
• Anthony Doerr
• Rikki Ducornet
• Louise Erdrich
• Brian Evenson
• Ha Jin
• Jamaica Kincaid
• Maxine Hong Kingston
• Jumpha Lahiri
• Judith Ortiz Cofer
• Amy Tan
• Helena María Viramontes

250 word abstracts and 1- page CVs due: May 15, 2009
Completed papers due: July 15, 2009
Length of Papers: 2000-2500 words

Abstracts, cvs and completed papers can be sent electronically as a .doc file to: awattley@pace.edu

Ama Wattley, PhD
Pace University
861 Bedford Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570

Ama Wattley, PhD
Assistant Professor of English
Pace University
861 Bedford Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570
Email: awattley@pace.edu

Call for Chapter Proposals: The African Hip-Hop Reader

Title: Native Tongues: The African Hip-Hop Reader
Publisher: African World Press

We invite proposals from scholars and advanced graduate students to be contributors for a book project of compiled critical and new writings on rap and hip-hop in Africa. Much scholarship has been produced on hip-hop, but little attention has been paid to this burgeoning and vibrant culture on the African continent– this will be the focus of this volume.

Chapter proposals from scholars of any discipline focusing on any region and/or country of Africa will be considered. Proposals can also take a transnational approach but must focus on Africans in diaspora (e.g. Senegalese in France). Proposals on the North Africa, Francophone, and Lusophone Africa are particularly sought. Interviews, creative writing, and photographs, are also welcome.

Scholars interested in being a contributor are invited to submit a proposal including a CV and a 400-500 word abstract detailing the intended subject by May 20, 2009. Previously published material will be considered for this project, but priority will be given to unpublished essays. Editors will inform applicants whether their proposal has been accepted by June 10, 2009. Authors of accepted proposals should submit their final essays, of between 5,000-10,000 (words including notes), by September 1, 2009.

Please submit your abstracts electronically in MS Word compatible format to Khalil Saucier at psaucier@ric.edu.

• Paul Khalil Saucier, PhD
• Rhode Island College
• Department of Sociology
• Providence, RI 02908
• Email: psaucier@ric.edu