Gloria Anzaldúa Alert!

Ever since Gloria Anzaldúa screamed at a shivering Laredense boy next to me at UT Austin something along the lines of: "don't you know, can't you imagine niño how you have a long mystical/psychological root running from your soul out your ass that goes down and ties you to the bowels of the earth" (Dios Mio, where's Siggy Freud [channeling Don Juan from Carlos Castaneda] when you need him?)... ever since then I have been a huge fan of Texas's unique mistress of belles-lettres and more; go here for a brief unpublished take on Gloria and more I penned back in the day; in any event, my cool comadre Norma Cantú, author of Canícula, has asked that I spread the word on an upcoming Anzaldúa conference in San Antonio at UTSA; here's the lowdown:

El Mundo Zurdo: An International Conference on the Work and Life of Gloria E. Anzaldúa

Sponsored by
The Society for the Study of Gloria E. Anzaldúa (SSGA) and the Women's Studies Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio
May 16-17, 2009

Call for Proposals

The Society for the Study of Gloria E. Anzaldúa seeks submission of proposals for papers, panels of 3-4 papers, roundtables, workshops, or performances for its First International Conference on the work and life of Gloria E. Anzaldúa on the fifth anniversary of her passing. We welcome proposals involving all facets of Anzaldúa's life and work. The following tracks are merely suggested conceptual groupings for panel and performance presentations:

· BORDERS—explorations of border theory, borderlands ethos and other concepts of Anzaldúan thought focused on this key concept of her work

· GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES—el mundo zurdo and the atravesados, key to Anzaldúa's thinking and application of her philosophical work

· EDUCATION—pedagogical concerns surrounding her literary and philosophical works. Some questions that may arise: what are some challenges of teaching Anzaldúa? How does Anzaldúa's thought apply to teaching?

· INTERNATIONAL AND TRANFRONTERA—The effects of globalization and market economies on culture. What is the status of Anzaldúa studies at the international level?

· SPIRITUALITY—Explorations of Anzaldúa's spiritual teachings. How can we heal the earth and ourselves?

Guidelines

Proposals must include the following:

· 250-word proposal narrative
· 100-word abstract suitable for publication in the conference program book
· Submissions for Panels must include proposals and abstracts for each paper and the name, address, phone number(s), e-mail address, and institutional affiliation of each participant
· Audio/visual needs
· Contact person's name, address, phone number(s), e-mail address, and institutional affiliation

All materials must be electronically date-stamped by February 15, 2009. Proposers will be notified of acceptance by March 15, 2009.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to:
gloria.anzaldua.society@gmail.com

Click this image for even more info! Órale!