CFP: American Comparative Literature Association

Giorgio Agamben and Literature (ACLA 2020)

Giorgio Agamben is one of the most compelling contemporary theorists of literature. Yet despite ever intensifying interest in Agamben’s work, his studies of literature and poetics remain a less explored dimension of his corpus. This seminar seeks spirited contributions that engage with Agamben’s reflections on literary texts, as well as those mobilising the concepts and interests of his aesthetics into new readings. Papers addressing the connections between literature and other aspects of Agamben’s thought (such as sovereignty and biopolitics) are welcome, as are explorations of his writing’s intellectual and historical contexts – including its affinities with the work of thinkers such as Benjamin, Blanchot, Foucault, Derrida, de Man and Hamacher. In providing an opportunity to reflect on the wide resonance of the literary across Agamben’s writing, the seminar aims to enliven the discussion between literature and philosophy. The participants will be encouraged to submit their papers for inclusion in a prospective edited collection appraising Agamben’s contribution to literary studies. 

The ACLA’s annual meeting will be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Chicago, March 19th-22nd, 2020. Please submit abstracts of 250 words through the ACLA website by September 23rd, 2019. If you have any questions, please contact the seminar organizer at [email protected]