New Criticism and Pedagogical Directions for Black Women Writers

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Tyechia Thompson

08/07/2019

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New Criticism and Pedagogical Directions for Black Women Writers

Editor: LaToya Jefferson-James, Ph.D.

Publisher: Lexington Books, a wholly owned subsidiary of Littlefield & Rowan Publishers

Deadline for submissions:  August 25, 2019

Decision Date: August 30, 2019

Email: [email protected]

This is the second call for papers.  African American Literature has evolved rapidly since 1970.  One of the very first widely-adopted anthologies was Black Fire: An Anthology of Afro American Literature (1970), edited by Amiri Baraka and Larry Neal.  It was an outgrowth of the Black Arts Movement, and was earth-moving for its time, with 657 pages and all genres covered within its 178 entries.  As African American Studies/Literature classes became more complex, the anthologies grew larger.  Today’s anthologies include selections from the 1700s to the 2000s, and most are well over 2,000 pages.  The last edition of the Norton Anthology for African American Literature is a two-volume work, with 2, 800 pages, and a separate compact disc for media presentations.  One would think that literary writers would be covered with so many anthologies and so many pages.  Yet, on the one hand, many Black women writers, particularly contemporary ones, are under-represented in anthologies.  On the other hand, the works of included Black women writers have been carefully selected in order to fit particular theoretical/pedagogical paradigms.    In order to more fully represent Black women, their works, and the teaching of their works – whether they are included in contemporary anthologies or not – and to introduce students to the fullness of Black women’s literary productions, New Criticism and Pedagogical Directions for Contemporary Black Women is seeking theoretical and/or pedagogical essays from people who are currently teaching Black women writers in the academy.  The collection is centered around geography and time: The Past, The Gift of the Caribbean, The Present, and The AfroFuture.

It seeks papers on women writers of the 19^th century, the Caribbean, contemporary Black women writers, and Black women writers of science fiction.  Please send a 200-300 word abstract and a brief bio to: [email protected] by August 25, 2019.  You will be notified of the acceptance/rejection by no later than August 30, 2019.   Final essays are to be 20-25 pages long, including the works cited/bibliography page. To learn more about the project, please visit: https://blackwomenwriting.home.blog/

This is the second CFP for this project, and the response has been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! However, there are quite a few authors who MUST BE COVERED.  If you are interested, please submit an abstract.

Authors/Texts List:

1. Jarena Lee/Sojourner Truth/Maria Stewart
2. Gwendolyn Brooks, especially Maud Martha
3. Una Marson
4. Louise Bennett
5. Merle Hodge
6. Marina Maxwell
7. Velma Pollard
8. Jean Binta Breeze
9. Elizabeth Nunez
10. Wanda Coleman
11. Suzi Lori-Parks
12. Bernice McFadden
13. Nikky Finney
14. Andrea Hairston
15. Nisi Shawl
16. Jennifer Marie Brisset