The Program in Gender And Sexuality Studies Present
The Popular Romance Author
A symposium on authorship in the popular romance genre
Keynote Speaker: Professor Kay Mussell (American University)
Location: Princeton University
Date: October 24-25 2013
Abstract Submission Deadline: September 1 2013
One of the most important developments in the popular romance genre in the last thirty years is the emergence of the individual author as a figure of note in the genre and its community. Over the past three decades both the production and consumption of popular romance novels has increasingly been organized around individual authors. The author-oriented single title romance novel has edged out the category romance as the predominant format in the genre, author names increasingly dominate romance novel covers, faces and names of star authors like Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux, JR Ward and many others are recognized instantly across the genre’s community and readers increasingly often indicate they select and organize their romance reading on the basis of authorship. Yet despite her prominence in the romance genre’s matrix, the romance author remains a largely marginalized figure in both “mainstream” culture and romance scholarship. Romance authors do not qualify as prominent authorial figures in our culture, even though many of their novels dominate bestseller lists. Studies of individual romance authors are scarce as romance scholars have yet to engage fully with the question of authorship in relation to the popular romance genre.
This symposium invites scholars to think about the figure of the romance author (in general or in particular instances) and address some of the questions that surround her remarkable position in our culture. Possible topics include:
• Romance authorship and gender
• Romance authorship and the constraints of genre writing
• The author in the romance genre’s publishing history
• Particular authors / careers / oeuvres
• Iconography of the romance author in pop culture (including romance novels)
• Romance authorship and translation
• The romance author as romance reader/critic
• Romance authors and their readers
• Romance authorship and digital media
Kay Mussell, Professor Emerita at American University will deliver a keynote address. The symposium will feature ten to fifteen presentations of original scholarship (to be presented on Friday October 25). Submission and acceptance to the symposium will be based on blind peer review of 250-300 word abstract. Please send your abstract and CV to An Goris (agoris@princeton.edu) by September 1 2013. All inquiries can be directed to Dr. Goris as well.
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