Midwest Women’s Caucus, Modern Language Association (M/MLA)

CALL FOR PAPERS Midwest Women's Caucus, Modern Language Association (M/MLA) November 3-6, 2011 St. Louis, Missouri Proposals are due February 4, 2011; Final Panel Proposals are due March 4, 2011 Topic: Looking for the Humor in Women's Music Format: Presentations Facilitator: Patricia Rudden, New York City College of Technology, CUNY Women in Popular Music: Taking It Light--For all the heavy messages women's popular music has delivered, there has also been much fun along the way. This session will explore the artists who have given us the comic songs, satires, insult songs, telephone songs, game and dance songs, and novelty songs and all other musical fun engaged in by the women of popular music. Send proposals to Patricia S. Rudden, Professor of English by February 4, 2011. New York City College of Technology - CUNY 300 Jay Street N512 Brooklyn NY 11201 718 260 5334 ******************************************************** Topic: Using Humor in the Feminist Classroom. Format: Roundtable Facilitator: Milton Wendland, University of Kansas "God forbid we should have a sense of humor about these things..." Lesbian feminist novelist Rita Mae Brown's words define a challenge for us today in the feminist classroom. Studies show that classroom humor increases student learning, helps creating classroom cohesion, enlivens "dreaded course material," and is a way of countering resistance. How do we use humor in the feminist classroom for these or other purposes? What sorts of humor are (in)appropriate? In what ways does humor help us de-center power? Or not? In what ways do you use hyperbole, exaggeration, jokes, satire, informality, or other forms of humor as a pedagogical tool? This roundtable seeks real-life examples, activities, and quandaries rather than formal presentation papers. Presentations should be approximately 10-15 minutes in length, with time in the facilitated roundtable session devoted to discussion among all attendees. Send title of presentation along with brief description of approximately 300 words to Milton Wendland at milton@ku.edu no later than February 4, 2011. ********************************************************* Topic: No Sense of Humor . . . No, Seriously Format: Presentations Facilitator: Jeannie Ludlow, Eastern Illinois University Humor is a powerful political tool; this session intends to examine how humor has been used to further feminist goals: empowering women, dismantling gender norms, challenging patriarchy, etc. The Women's Caucus of the M/MLA invites proposals for papers on any aspect of feminist humor in literature, new media, film/TV, performance, daily life, etc. All analytical/theoretical approaches are welcome, as are comparative examinations of feminist humor across cultural, historical, or language contexts. Please send a title and 250-word abstract to Jeannie Ludlow at jludlow@eiu.edu no later than February 4, 2011.