Call for Papers

Protest on the Page:
Print Culture History in Opposition to Almost Anything*
(*you can think of)

Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture
Madison, Wisconsin
September 28-29, 2012

Protest has a long and varied tradition in America. The conference will feature papers focusing on authors, publishers and readers of oppositional materials, in all arenas from politics to literature, from science to religion. Whether the dissent takes the form of a banned book by Henry Miller or documents from Wikileaks, conference presentations will help us to understand how dissent functions within print and digital cultures.

The keynote speaker will be Victor Navasky, Publisher Emeritus of The Nation and George T. Delacorte Professor in Magazine Journalism, Director of the Delecorte Center for Magazine Journalism, and Chair of the Columbia Journalism Review. In addition, he is the author of such noted books as Kennedy Justice (1971), Naming Names (National Book Award, 1982), and A Matter of Opinion (George Polk Book Award, 2005). Perhaps best known for his long career as editor and then publisher of The Nation, Navasky has an understanding of dissent and its publications that has few peers. His lecture, and the subsequent reception, will be open to the general public.

Proposals for individual twenty-minute papers or complete sessions (up to three papers) should include a 250-word abstract and a one-page c.v. for each presenter. Submissions should be made via email to printculture@slis.wisc.edu. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2012. Notifications of acceptance will be made in early March 2012.

As with previous conferences, we anticipate producing a volume of papers from the conference for publication in the Center’s series, “Print Culture History in Modern America,” published by the University of Wisconsin Press. A list of books the Center has produced is available at the Center’s website (http://slisweb.lis.wisc.edu/~printcul/). The best proposals will mirror these earlier works, as they speak to their own authors, publishers, and readers.

For information, contact:

Christine Pawley, Director,
Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture
4234 Helen C. White Hall, 600 N. Park St.
Madison, WI 53706 phone: 608 263-2945/608 263-2900
fax: (608) 263-4849
email: cpawley@wisc.edu

The Library History Seminar XII: “Libraries in the History of Print Culture” Conference of the Center for the History of Print Culture was truly one of the most enjoyable conferences that I have ever attended. I may be a bit biased because presenting at this conference was a dream of mine, and perhaps also because I utterly adore the field of print culture. I think it also helped that the event was held at my alma mater, and I got the chance to chat with many library colleagues and heroes who I just don't get to see often enough (and just how often do you get met with a great big hug directly after your presentation?!--thanks Tracy!).

Excited and nervous for next week's Center for the History of Print Culture in Modern America's Library History Seminar XII: Libraries in the History of Print Culture conference in Madison!

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