Call for papers
Submit your proposal by January 16, 2018

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Deadline: January 16, 2018



The Fifth Annual David Foster Wallace Conference on Contemporary Literature and Culture will be held at Illinois State University, June 7-9, 2018. The conference invites both critical scholarship and creative writing. Papers and panels should focus on literary works published since the 1950s and/or in the works of David Foster Wallace. Creative writing proposals in all genres are welcome.

Critical papers and panels

Topics for critical papers on Wallace or contemporary literature might include, but are not limited to:

  • Global Influences: Non-American Influences, Readings and/or, Contexts
  • The “Post-Critical” Turn in Literary Studies
  • Location/the Local: Institutions, Environment, the Midwest and/or, Boston
  • The Body and Embodiment
  • Neoliberalism, Freedom, and/or Politics
  • Modes of Difference: Gender, Race, Sexuality, and/or Disability
  • The State of the Field: Where Are We Now?

Special session proposals

In conjunction with the David Foster Wallace Society, we will be conducting special sessions on teaching David Foster Wallace and diversity in DFW Studies. We will also hold special sessions on interdisciplinary approaches to DFW Studies and academic freedom.

More details coming soon.

Creative writing proposals

The DFW Conference invites creative proposals in all genres.

For poetry and prose, please submit the full text of your current draft - if accepted, you are welcome to make reasonable revisions to your text prior to the conference. For multimedia presentations, please provide a thorough description of your planned presentation. If possible, we also encourage you to share a link to either a website, video, or other source that will allow us to preview your work, but the written description of your intent is still required.