[Melek Ortabasi]

Call for Papers
Anthropocene is a neologism that refers to humans’ massive “built” habitats that have disturbingly altered the earthly topography, and over time have infused its presence in the human subconscious as “natural” landscape.  In this panel we focus intensely on such erosion of human perception of the nonhuman material world by revealing how it has wrought illusion, displacement and alteration on what has hitherto fused and bonded humanity with water, land and other forms of materiality for a sustained livelihood. With equal intensity, we also explore how life forces other than the human have evolved alongside human evolution to such a point that they are now “getting back at us” in more than human ways, exposing the loopholes and pitfalls of our knowledge and mastery of the earth; ironically, they also underscore the interdependence between humans and the non-human world through surprising “agential” modes—assemblages and fields of non-human forces—which rally to frustrate, sidestep and forestall the hubris and domineering design of the humans.  By studying recent East Asian literary, dramatic and filmic works, panelists explore the ambiguity in humans’ approach to the notion of “interdependence” and examine the complex and ingenious ways in which eco-conscious humans try to address the agential non-human forces while nullifying their anthropo-centric impulses.

Interested panelists are invited to send 250-word abstract by March 10 2014 to xinmin.liu@wsu.edu

Note: this is a guaranteed panel sponsored by the Division.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Melek Ortabasi.
• This topic was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Xinmin Liu.

[Xinmin Liu]

I’d like to expand the original intent of the panel by broadening its thematic range and invite more participants to attend the panel at MLA 2015.  One way to make that happen is to change the title to “Human/Nature Interface: Agential Landscapes and Human Conduits.” Another is to suggest this new theme as a topic area for MLA 2016.
Xinmin Liu

[Xinmin Liu]

In answer to a few inquiries about the panel, I have posted the official abstracts of our four panelists. To access it, please open the file located on left-hand column of this site. We are also happy to state that this panel is included in the President’s Convention Theme for the current convention in Vancouver in January, 2015

Xinmin Liu

[Author]

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