CFP: "Iris Murdoch's Scenes: An Anthology of Moral Imaginations"

Call For Papers

Iris Murdoch's Scenes: An Anthology of Moral Imaginations

In this age of the Ethical Turn, considerations of Iris Murdoch's work as philosopher and novelist may be more important than ever. Her philosophical influences and encounters, her vast literary production, her flashing insights in interviews, all kept close faith with the value and mystery of the limited, often eccentric, individual other and the difficult work of responsibly encountering reality. As the Humanities engage with questions from the geopolitical to the personal regarding the other, Iris Murdoch's work presents one model worthy of emulation, question, and adaptation to the concerns we face in our present contexts.

This anthology, inspired by the Moral Imagination panel at the 2005 MLA, seeks to collect essays from both established and emerging scholars in the Humanities. Both discipline specific and interdisciplinary works that employ any approach or method are encouraged and may address any of or any combination of the following topics.

Aesthetics: literary influences on the novels, philosophical influences on the novels, contemporary critical approaches to the novels, Murdoch's influence on others' novels, and the relevance of Murdoch's style to contemporary fiction

Philosophy: influences on Murdoch's moral and aesthetic theories, the influence of same on other philosophers, connections between Murdoch's philosophy and that of other major philosophers or theorists of aesthetics, subjectivity, gender, ethics, and productive relations for contemporary contexts between Murdoch's thought and that of non-western traditions

History and Imagination: relations between Murdoch's novels and/or philosophy and the history of the twentieth century, Murdoch's contributions in the contexts of present concerns of the various disciplines and fields in the Humanities, implications of her work for future humanist ventures

The call is deliberately open. Murdoch adored a lively conversation on matters of urgency, and we hope to publish a volume of works that honors this most valuable of Humanist traditions. The editors of this volume believe that continued and fresh engagement with Murdoch's thought and writing can only be of benefit as intellectuals and scholars seek a deeper and more effective engagement not only with the problems we critique, but with speculation concerning how our cultures can address those problems in new ways. Essays on topics not explicit in this call are also welcome.

Deadline for Submissions is 3/15/07. The editors hope of have the anthology ready for publication by late 2007 or early 2008.

Requirements: Essays should run between 7-9,000 words, and follow the most recent MLA documentation format. Electronic submissions should arrive as attachments in Microsoft Word. All submissions require cover letter including an author bio, title of essay, and a brief abstract. Blind submissions, please. The author's name should not appear on the essay.


Send Submissions or Queries to:

Me, the other co-editor -- just comment on this post and I'll get in touch with you ASAP!!
Independent Scholar

Co-editors:
Dr. Alison Scott-Baumann, University of Gloucestershire, GB
Dr. David Garrett Izzo, Fayetteville State University, NC