I am seeking chapter abstracts for a proposed volume on Shakespeare in popular culture. The tentative title for this project is Shakespearean Echoes: Shakespeare in Contemporary Culture.
Why another volume on Shakespeare and popular culture? Understandably, the vast majority of work on Shakespeare’s contemporary life has focused on direct adaptations of the playwright’s work. What I propose with this volume, however, is to exclusively study “echoes” of Shakespeare rather than adaptations, the less tangible and precise ways in which Shakespeare has appeared within contemporary culture. Authors might address echoes of Shakespeare in contemporary music, film, literature, television, advertising, new media or any other worthwhile venue.
I am particularly interested in essays exploring relatively untouched interconnections between Shakespeare and contemporary culture. I’m eager, also, to have a global perspective, and hope to present a selection of chapters reflecting Shakespeare’s current international afterlife. Work on British and American subjects is welcome (and needed), of course, but projects reflecting a multicultural perspective will be particularly appreciated. Essays should address texts no older than 1980.
What I hope to show is the pervasiveness and variety of Shakespeare’s current afterlife. With this in mind, I’m trying to get the right blend of breadth and depth. I’m hoping to accomplish this through a mix of short and long essays (a first section featuring ten to fifteen short essays and a second section of fewer, longer essays). Short essays will be around 2,000 words while fuller essays will come in at about 5,000 words. Please indicate which type of essay you would like to write.
Finally, all essays, short and long, should present an interpretive position and develop an argument. This work is not intended to simply catalogue Shakespearean “echoes.” Many existing publications on Shakespeare and popular culture tend to take the survey or introductory approach, while this volume hopes to offer readers a different format. Importantly, authors should say something rewarding about both Shakespeare and the contemporary text/context being studied.
After the deadline for submissions, I will contact authors to let them know if their work has been selected. The next step will be to approach publishers with a full, detailed proposal. I anticipate, of course, that this will be a lengthy process, but will keep authors informed and updated as the project moves forward.
The Deadline for abstracts is July 20th, 2011. Please send abstract and C.V. to:gleedp@dickinson.edu
Paul Gleed
Assistant Professor of English and Film
Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013
