Deadline: 31 December 2011
Seeking article submissions that discuss the relationship between African American poetry and ecocriticism for a scholarly anthology. Selection of African American poetry may cover any time period, ranging from slavery to the Reconstruction era, early twentieth century/Jim Crow, early twentieth century/modernism, Civil Rights, post-Civil Rights, and current/contemporary works. Ideally, the anthology will demonstrate a range in African American poetry and ecocriticism by hopefully covering each of the above mentioned historical epochs. I am currently in the process of securing an academic publisher and will notify authors selected for publication of all publishing developments. Complete articles should be sent (not abstracts) by December 31, 2011. Articles should be formatted according to the most recent MLA edition, typed/single spaced/Times New Roman Font, submitted as an attached word document to phpoetry@gmail.com.
Articles should be closely proofread before submitting; authors selected for publication in the anthology should be open to editorial suggestions for revisions (if required). Articles should be a minimum of 10 pages single spaced and should not exceed 30 pages single spaced.
It is important articles demonstrate a current scholarly awareness of recent texts on the subject of ecocriticism and literature; though, given that very little research exists that charts the relationship between ecocriticism and African American poetry, it is also anticipated that articles will help break this new ground. While many of the potential themes listed below have been dealt with in numerous other ways in literary theory, insufficient atttention has been given to these themes as related specifically to ecocriticism. Thus, the articles should focus on reading African American poetry through the newly developing critical lens of ecocriticism.
There is no monetary payment as this is for academic publication; however, authors selected for publication in the anthology will be supplied with a free copy of the anthology.
Potential themes related to the relationship of African American poetry and ecocriticism include (but are not limited to):
• The Adamic experience of America as challenged and confronted from an African derived ethos
• The land as healer, magical, potent, powerful, miracle-worker, giver of life and sustenance
• The view of nature in African American poetry as conceived in relationship to American transcendentalism, American pragmatism
• The view of nature in African American poetry as conceived in relationship to religion
• The celebration of land/nature
• The destruction of land/nature
• The mourning of land/nature, of absence and loss (as configured symbolically through nature symbols)
• The land as protector or the need to protect the environment and what nature teaches or instructs us of in terms of moral and ethical lessons, including the responsibility of humanity toward the earth
• The land and nature as ritualistic, as intertwined with the mythical dimensions of human existence
• The land and nature as symbolic of death-burial-resurrection themes
Contact Information:
For inquiries: phpoetry@gmail.com
For submissions: phpoetry@gmail.com