9th Annual Comparative Literature Conference

an international conference

5 - 8 April, 2007

Conference Directors: 
Eugene W. Holland, Ohio State University
Paul Allen Miller, University of South Carolina
John Mucklebauer, University of South Carolina
Daniel W. Smith, Purdue University
Charles J. Stivale, Wayne State University

Over the past two decades, readers of the works of Gilles Deleuze have had several opportunities to participate in international conferences held at Trent University and organized by Constantin V. Boundas. In that tradition, we announce the organization of a conference to take place on the campus of the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC, USA), between April 5 and 8, 2007, sponsored by the Program in Comparative Literature , the English Department, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

The conference theme, “Gilles Deleuze: texts and images,” is meant to be understood inclusively rather than exclusively. That is, while recognizing the conference’s focus on the work of Gilles Deleuze, the organizers encourage broad and comparative interpretations and commentaries from Deleuzian perspectives on subjects such as literature, philosophy, painting and film, as well as exegeses of Deleuze’s body of work that engage with ontological and epistemological concepts and problems. Presentations by the invited plenary speakers - Eric Alliez, Ronald Bogue, Constantin V. Boundas, and Elizabeth Grosz - will be supplemented by speakers in parallel sessions.

The conference will open with a performance by Tobias van Veen, a doctoral candidate in Philosophy and Communication Studies, McGill University. He is contributing editor at FUSE magazine. His written work covers philosophy of technology and AfroFuturism and as a curator he is director of UpgradeMTL.org. Since 1993 he has directed conceptual and sound-art events, online interventions and radio broadcasts, working with festivals and organizations worldwide. [http://quadrantcrossing.org/blog ]

The conference will be held on the historic campus of the University of South Carolina
( http://president.sc.edu/history.html). The weather in April will be mild, and the campus will be in bloom. Columbia is mid-sized city with a major airport and is easily accessible. It is the capital of South Carolina and has many fine restaurants. Conference participants will be lodged on campus at the new Inn at USC rooms have been reserved at a special conference rate of $116.00 for those making their reservations by February 20, 2007. There are also other hotels nearby.

Those interested in speaking at the conference should send a title, a 750-word abstract, and a 250-word bibliographical biography to delcon2k7@yahoo.com as a Word or RTF attachment no later than October 1, 2006.