CFP: Dreaming of the Silk Road: Narrative Conversations
Introduction:
“The Silk Road was one of the least traveled routes in human history and was possibly not worth studying--if tonnage carried, traffic, or the number of travelers at any time were the sole measures of a route’s significance...this network of routes became the planet’s most famous cultural artery for the exchange between west and east” (Hansen, 2015).
For our fourth panel at the annual meeting of the Society for Classical Studies (SCS) in New Orleans, LA (January 5-8, 2023) the Asian and Asian American Classical Caucus invites abstracts for presentations that draw on the theme of narratives and contact between east and west, in the manner of the Silk Road imaginary across Eurasia. Possible topics include analyses of mythologies, storytelling, narrative methodology, oral tradition, reception, or othering.
As our 2022 panel on Orientalisms showed, studies in our field and comparisons between Classical, “Western” civilizations, and Asian civilizations have primarily been in terms of promoting a difference or othering of the latter. We welcome proposals for diverse forms of interpretation; scholarly papers are always welcome but other proposed formats might include visual or literary art, performance, or discussions of political activism.
Abstracts of no more than 400 words should be submitted as a pdf email attachment to AAACCabstracts@gmail.com by Friday, March 5, 2022. The subject line of your email should be “SCS 2023: Silk Road abstract.” The text of your abstract should follow the guidelines available on the SCS website and should not mention the name of the author. Abstracts will be evaluated anonymously by the panel organizers. The AAACC is committed to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for the sharing of innovative ideas; as such, we welcome submissions from students, educators, artists, and activists of all stages and disciplines.