SLLC Graduate Conference-April 8-9, 2010
8th Annual SLLC Graduate Student Forum
Space and Transculturality; April 8-9, 2010
Each time I undertake to paint a picture, I have the sensation of leaping into space. I never know whether I shall fall on my feet.” Picasso may have simply been trying to paint a picture, but his statement exemplifies the metaphysical connection between space and the endeavor of expression. Space, as evidenced by its charm over architects, artists, writers, and scientists alike, is a concept that profoundly intrigues us, the examination of which is fundamental to an understanding of ourselves.
Space can be an emptiness, or it can be room to grow. “The space between” can be a communal place where ideas meld, but it can also be a gap, a breach in understanding. This conference seeks to explore the question of space and its representations within the context of transculturality in language and literature. How does space, from its geographical to metaphorical manifestations, affect the flow and transfer of ideas between cultures? What are the differences between physical and mental spaces among cultures? What consequences arise from the imposition of one culture on the space of another? We think of barriers as marking a boundary within a space, but in what ways does space itself create boundaries? How is space compartmentalized by different cultures? Do certain gaps between cultures defy exchange?
The graduate students of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Maryland cordially invite students from all disciplines to submit papers that analyze possible reflection on and interpretation of “Space and Transculturality.” Topics include but are not limited to:
- The relationship between space and borders (both physical and metaphorical)
- Representations of space in literature
- The conceptualization of space from a linguistic perspective
- Socio-cultural approaches to the question of space
- Colonialism and post-colonialism
- Terrorism in today’s world literature
- Geographical space
- Emptiness
- Visual representations of space
- Borders, boundaries, and walls
- Definitions of space
Abstracts are encouraged from all fields and papers should be in English. Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words by January 15, 2010 to umdsllcconf2010@gmail.com.
