Slayage: The Journal of Whedon Studies, the
Whedon Studies Association, and conveners Stacey Abbott and Cynthia Burkhead invite proposals for the eighth biennial
Slayage Conference
on the Whedonverses (SCW8). Devoted to Joss Whedon’s creative works,
SCW8 will be held on the campus of the University of North Alabama,
Florence, Alabama, June 21-24, 2018. The conference will be organized by
Local Arrangements Chair Cynthia Burkhead, along with Slayage alumns
Anissa Graham, Stephanie Graves, Jennifer Butler Keeton, and Brenna
Wardell
We welcome proposals of 200-300 words (or an abstract of a completed
paper) on any aspect of Whedon’s television and web texts (
Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
Angel,
Firefly,
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,
Dollhouse,
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.); his films (
Serenity,
The Cabin in the Woods,
Marvel’s The Avengers,
Much Ado About Nothing, T
he Avengers: Age of Ultron, In Your Eyes); his comics (e.g.
Fray;
Astonishing X-Men;
Runaways;
Sugarshock!;
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight,
Nine, and
Ten;
Angel: After the Fall;
Angel & Faith Season Nine and
Ten);
or any element of the work of Whedon and his collaborators.
Additionally, a proposal may address paratexts, fandoms, or Whedon’s
extracurricular—political and activist—activities, such as his
involvement with Equality Now or the 2016 US elections. Since Florence,
Alabama is one of the four cities making up the Shoals, and the area is
rich in music history (the Muscle Shoals Sound, W.C. Handy) as well as
Native American History, we look forward to papers addressing these
subjects as they relate to the Whedonverses. Multidisciplinary
approaches (literature, philosophy, political science, history,
communications, film and television studies, women’s studies, religion,
linguistics, music, cultural studies, art, and others) are all welcome. A
proposal/abstract should demonstrate familiarity with already-published
scholarship in the field, which includes dozens of books, hundreds of
articles, and over a fifteen years of the blind peer-reviewed journal
Slayage. Proposers may wish to consult Whedonology: An Academic Whedon Studies Bibliography, housed with
Slayage at
www.whedonstudies.tv.
An individual paper is strictly limited to a maximum reading time of
20 minutes, and we encourage, though do not require, self-organized
panels of three presenters. Proposals for workshops, roundtables, or
other types of sessions are also welcome. Submissions by graduate and
undergraduate students are invited; undergraduates should provide the
name, email, and phone number of a faculty member willing to consult
with them (the faculty member does not need to attend). Proposals should
be submitted online through the SCW8 webpage at
http://www.whedonstudies.tv/scw8--2018.html and will be reviewed by program chairs Stacey Abbott, Cynthia Burkhead, and Rhonda V. Wilcox.
Submissions must be received by Monday, 8 January 2018. Decisions will be made by 5 March 2018. Questions regarding proposals can be directed to Rhonda V. Wilcox at the conference email address:
slayage.conference@gmail.com.
