Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network

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Speculative Humanities: Steampunk to Afrofuturism The 2015 Conference of the Humanities Division of Essex County College

[The submission deadline for panel and individual presentation abstracts for the 2015 Humanities Conference is Sunday, January 16, 2015. Please email abstracts (250-300 words) to both of the conference co-chairs: Prof. Jennifer Wager ([email protected]) and Prof. Rebecca Williams ([email protected]) by Sunday, January 16, 2015.

Call For Papers  On March 11-12, 2015, the Humanities Division at Essex County College will host its Spring 2015 Conference, “Speculative Humanities: Steampunk to Afrofuturism.” This two-day conference offers space for writers, musicians, artists, and academicians to explore, expand upon, and rethink the implications of speculative humanities. This year’s conference will feature a special emphasis on the life, work, and influence of Octavia E. Butler.

Speculative humanities encompasses a diverse array of works, from the  18th century mysticism of Swedenborg to the 20th century spiritual teachings of Gurdjieff, along with the 19th century texts of authors such as Mary Shelley, Samuel Butler, and Jules Verne to the 20th and 21st century works of H.G. Wells, Octavia E. Butler, Margaret Atwood, Samuel Delany, Cormac McCarthy, and L.A. Banks. The revolutionary wave sweeping across Europe during the 19th century along with the publication of texts such as The Communist Manifesto influenced generations of writers to produce works featuring both urban utopias and dystopian metropolises. Historical and fictional texts include post-apocalyptic narratives, invasion literature, steampunk, Afrofuturism, fantasy, fan fiction, fabulist, anime, horror, and what was once categorized as science fiction. 

Von Holst illustration from 1831 edition of Frankenstein.Open to all humanities disciplines—literature, music, history, religion, philosophy, art, architecture, theater, dance, and media—we invite papers, panel presentations, screenings, and performances of works that can be included in the admittedly broad category of “speculative humanities.” We welcome interactive, unorthodox panels, screenings, exhibits, musical performances, and other presentations related to our central theme. Papers on the works of Octavia E. Butler are especially encouraged for submission.

Please email (abstracts of 250-300 words) for panels and individual presentations to both of the conference co-chairs: Prof. Jennifer Wager ([email protected]) and Prof. Rebecca Williams ([email protected]) by Sunday, January 16, 2015.]

Enjoy these two videos that I recently saw that include themes about earth and nature from a speculative fiction angle. Also, take a look at Outdoor Afro, a social community encouraging the exploration of nature.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfE…

Join me in Pasadena/Los Angeles for a series of book club chats about the work of Octavia Butler. We will be meeting in person and/or via Google hangout.