Call for Papers

MLA in Philadelphia, January 2017

Indefinable Boundaries: Session Co-Sponsored by Old English and Celtic Studies

The conference theme for 2017 encourages us to define boundaries. We should like to explore those phenomena within which, or between which, boundaries are indefinable. For instance, dialects are clearest at their geographical and cultural centers, but dissipate as they meld into neighboring dialects. Genres become indistinct as they approach each other, as do fictional and non-fictional narratives. Transitional periods, genders, genres, influences, literacies, and more—all exhibit boundary-defying characteristics. In that spirit, we invite papers that explore the permeability of boundaries and the ways in which borders resist definition.

Submit 300-word abstracts to etreharne@mac.com by March 15th, please.