Upcoming Conferences

Call for Papers for Nimbus - 2003, A Harry Potter Symposium, to be held in Orlando, Florida in July 2003.

Nimbus - 2003
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel
Orlando, Florida
July 17-20, 2003

Nimbus is expected to be a recurring periodic symposium for the purpose of
allowing adult fans of the Harry Potter books
and universe to: gather; discuss the books and the fandom with other fans,
scholars of literature and cultural studies, and
professionals in related fields; and gain a new understanding of the Harry
Potter phenomenon.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Proposals are sought in both the academic and fandom culture tracks
(described below) for presentations, papers, moderated panels, and workshops
on any topic relating to the Harry Potter novels and/or their fan community.

ACADEMIC TRACK:

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

= Gender roles in the series
= The role of authority in the series: rule-breaking and its consequences
= Themes in the series (particularly Harry as Allegory: Good versus Evil)
= Race, class, and other social issues in the series
= Religion in the series (as well as reactions of various religious
communities to HP)
= Rowling's usage of myths, folk tales and legends
= Harry Potter: Classics for our Time?
= Comparative analysis of the series with other fantasy or childrens'
literature authors (Tolkien, Lewis, Cooper, etc.)
= Harry Potter as Transcultural Phenomenon
= Translations
= Character analyses

Legal (application will be made for MCLE credit hours) ( ½ day)
= Justice in the Wizarding World
= Fanfic and Intellectual Property
= Book-banning and the First Amendment: moderated panel discussion

Educators and Librarians (application will be made for CE credit)
= Hogwarts Professors' Lounge (lesson plans and workshop proposals sought
across the curriculum)
= Ask Madam Pince: A Workshop for Librarians and Media Specialists

FANDOM CULTURE TRACK:

Fanfiction
= Fantastic Characters and Where to Find Them (Canon & Originals)
= It's All a Matter of Interpretation: Balancing Canon and Fanon
= Writing in the Dark: Fanficcing an Incomplete Canon
= Women Writers, Male Characters: Gender and Fan Writing
= Crossovers

Fan Art
= The Mirror of Erised: Drawing Recognizable Canon Characters
= External Influences (anime, Disney, other)

Website Administration
= The Masters of All: Webmasters Share Their Secrets
= The Common Rooms: Message Boards and the Fandom
= Essential E-Mail Lists for the HP Fan; Yahoo! and its Role in Developing
Online Fandom

General Fandom
= The Perilous Seas: Shipping the Series (het,slash, and smarm)
= Where Generations Meet: Children, Teens, and Adults in Harry Potter Fandom
= All Things Being Equal: What makes Harry Potter different from or similar
to other fan phenomena?
= What is Harry Potter Canon?: The Novels vs. Other Sources (Schoolbooks,
Interviews, Film)

Additional proposals are welcome, and we encourage members of the
professional, academic, and fandom communities to participate.

INFORMAL PROGRAMMING:

The symposium will include varied informal programming for attendees,
primarily scheduled in the evening hours (although it is
expected that an exhibition hall and a game room will be open for browsing
during the daytime programming hours).

TIME BLOCKS:

There will be 2 days of programming. Proposals should specify the estimated
amount of time needed for presentation and discussion: 60-, 90- and
120-minute time blocks are available. We also expect to be able to
accommodate 3-hour time blocks for special workshops and panel discussions.

ATTENDEES:

Registrants must be at least 18 years old or accompanied by a parent or
guardian if ages 14-17. The Symposium programming is intended for adults;
however, mature teenagers may find the discussions engaging and valuable. It
is currently expected that
childcare will be provided on-site (at additional cost) for the children of
adult attendees.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS:

Proposal Submission Deadline: January 15, 2003

Proposals may take the form of a 500-word abstract or a completed conference
paper (approximately 10 pages).

Proposals should be sent via email (preferred), fax, or regular mail in
advance of the submission deadline to one of the following addresses:

Regular mail: Harry Potter Symposium - 2003
Programming Committee
P.O. Box 18769
Rochester, NY 14618-0769

Email submission: cfp@hp2003.org.
Please use Nimbus - 2003 Proposal Submission in the subject line.

Fax Number: 407-540-9583

All submissions, whether by email, regular mail or fax, must be accompanied
by a Submission Form, which can be obtained from the website
(www.hp2003.org/cfp.html) or can be mailed to you if requested.

DISCLAIMER:

Nimbus - 2003 is an unofficial event, and is not endorsed by Warner Bros.,
the Harry Potter book publishers or J.K. Rowling and her representatives.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Children's Literature Discussion Circle, South Atlantic
Modern Language Association, Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, GA, November
14-16, 2003

TOPIC: "Embedded Texts"

Many books for children and adolescents refer, directly or indirectly, to
previous texts--some primarily intended for young readers, some not.
Examples range from the post-modern playfulness of picture books like
Scieszka and Smith's STINKY CHEESE MAN and Weisner's THE THREE PIGS to
Philip Pullman's use of Milton and Blake in the HIS DARK MATERIALS
trilogy. Some texts can serve as an introduction or bridge to earlier
works; others require prior knowledge for full appreciation; still others
are enriched by prior knowledge but can stand alone.

Send full papers or 1-2 page abstracts by March 1, 2003, to Dr. Pamela
Rooks, Department of English, P. O. Box 100547, Francis Marion University,
Florence, SC 29501-0547 (e-mail: prooks@fmarion.edu)

Priscilla A. Ord
paord@hovac.com

December 27 - 30
Children's Literature Division session

Elements of Design: The Role of Book Design in Children's Literature

Children's literature, with its collaboration of visual and verbal elements, has been a significant testing ground for innovative graphic design. Design becomes the framework for the text and illustration; it provides the visual shape of a text. In recent years, graphic designers have had an increasingly important role in the creation of children's books by contributing to the overall look, tone, and reception of the text. Many graphic designers - including Walter Crane, William Nicholson, C.B. Fall, Seymour Chwast, Leo Lionni, Eric Carle, Donald Crews, Molly Bang, Maira Kalman, J. Otto Seibold, Lois Ehlert, Molly Leach, and Lane Smith - have created influential children's texts which challenge the assumptions of what constitutes children's book design. This session invites papers which critically examine the often-overlooked role of designers and the influence of design and typographical elements in children's books. Papers should theorize how the designer and design elements contribute to the meaning of the book.

Fine print dept.:
1. Two-page abstracts or finished eight- to ten-page papers are due by 15 March 2003 to: Jan Susina English Department 4240 Illinois State University Normal, IL 61790-4240 jcsusina@ilstu.edu

2. In order to be a panel member, you must be a member of MLA by 1 April 2003 and as this session is arranged by the Children's Literature Association participants need to be members of ChLA.

3. Please provide a phone number, e-mail, and contact information where you can be reached in March 2003.

An Anthology Concerning Film and Television
Depictions of Children on the American Frontier
Deadline: June 1, 2003

This collection of essays will address issues related to images of children on the American frontier and the role of television and film in creating, chronicling, and sustaining those images. Potential paper topics include, but are not limited to, child labor on farms, children in mining communities, education, family travel in the west (the Oregon trail, etc.), Little House on the Prairie, and orphans on the frontier. Because the American frontier was and is diverse in its values, lifestyles, and people groups, works addressing this diversity are encouraged. Additionally, essays may focus on a variety of genres and time periods. Send completed papers (25 pages maximum, double spaced) to Lynnea Chapman King, Front Range Community College, Larimer Campus, 4616 South Shields, Fort Collins, CO 80526. Inquiries may be directed to Lynnea Chapman King, lchapman@larimer.cccoes.edu or Dawn Marano, dmarano@upress.utah.edu.