CFP: Online Winter Seminar -- The Inklings and Horror: Fantasy's Dark Corners

The Mythopoeic Society invites paper submissions for an online conference that focuses on the connections between and among Inkling authors and the literary tropes of the horror sub-genre of speculative fiction, to be held through Zoom and Discord February 4-5, 2022. Aspects of this topic might include any of the following as well as other approaches not mentioned here: the utopian and dystopian dimensions of fantasy worlds, including those of the Inklings, that include horrific elements; the role of fear in idealized world building, including the works of the Inklings; the demonic and the angelic, with reference to the works of one or more of the Inklings; monstrosity, gore, and/or body horror (possibly contrasted with otherness and/or beauty); the redeemable and the unredeemable; the appeal of dread in Inkling fantasy and in horror examples; the horrific within the fantastic and the fantastic within the horrific, including in the works of the Inklings; the horror of otherness within the sameness of the fantastic; horrific race and/or gender elements in fantastic narratives, including those of the Inklings; horror as the despoliation of the fantastic. Papers from a variety of critical perspectives and disciplines are welcome.

Each paper will receive a 50-minute slot to allow time for questions, but individual papers should be timed for oral presentation in 40 minutes maximum. Two or threepresenters who wish to present short, related papers may also share a one-hour slot. Participants are encouraged to submit papers chosen for presentation at the conference to Mythlore, the refereed journal of the Mythopoeic Society (http://www.mythsoc.org/mythlore/). All papers should conform to the MLA Style Manual current edition.

Paper abstracts (250 word maximum), along with contact information, should be sent to the Papers Coordinator, Online Winter Seminar, at the following address by 15 November, 2021: <mythiccircle@mythsoc.org>. Please include your AV requests and the projected time needed for your presentation.

Mythcon51 Preliminary Schedule

We're excited to announce the preliminary schedule of our upcoming virtual conference. It promises to be a very full and inspiring weekend. If you haven't signed up yet, there is still time to join us! Go to www.mythcon.org for more information.

Mythcon51 Presentation Schedule (subject to change)

Saturday:

• Philology and the Lived Imagination: Vico, Collingwood, and Tolkien - Reno Lauro
• Cities and Strongholds of Middle-earth Part 1 - Cami Agan, et al.
• Q&A with Mythopoeic Award Winners
• Her Enchanted Hair’: Rossetti, ‘Lady Lilith,’ and the Victorian Fascination with Hair as Influences on Tolkien - Kathryn Colvin
• (Un)Fair(ly) Unknown: New and Neglected Arthurian Television Programming - Michael Torregrossa, et al.
• The Mythopoeic Fantasy and Scholarly Awards Discussions - David Lenander
• The Keystone or the Cornerstone - Donald Willams
• Adam’s Task: Naming and Sub-creation in Good Omens - Janet Brennan Croft
• Transmedia Mythopoeia: Towards an Interactive Mythology - Brian Thomson
• A Saga Re-Written: The Character of Odin and J.R.R. Tolkien's Addition of Eucatastrophe in "The New Lay of the Volsungs" - Matthew Gidney
• Writing Against the Grain: T. Kingfisher's Feminist Mythopoeic Fantasy - Robin Anne Reid
• Mythopoeic Dungeons & Dragons - Megan Abrahamson
• Finding and Organizing Tolkien’s Invented Languages - Eileen Moore
• The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien - El Hudson
• The Fanastic Short Story - Vicki Ronn
• Back to Camelot: 21st-century Reinterpretations of the Arthurian Mythos - Jennifer Spirko
• Mythopoeia in American Gods - Danica Stojanovic
• Other Than Him: Superman as the Alien That Made Good - Roy Schwartz
• Spoilers & Sequels; Bifurcated Fandoms in the Age of Adaptation - Joe Young, et al.
• Habla Amigo y Entra: Tolkien and the language of wonder - Martha Celis Mendoza, et al.
• Realizing History: Tolkien and the Desire called Marx - Robert Tally

Sunday:

• The Philosophy and Theology of Fairy-Stories:Fantasy, Escape, Recovery, and Consolation - Giovanni Costabile
• Cities and Strongholds of Middle-earth Part 2 - Cami Agan, et al.
• Fairy Tale Retellings for the Modern World - Sarena Ulibarri
• From Malacandra to Mars: Representations of the Red Planet in C. S. Lewis, Robert Sawyer, and Andy Weir - Bill Thompson
• ‘Descensus Ad Inferos’: Dante's Mythic Nekyia Journey in The Inferno - Ron Boyer
• How Mythopoeic Stories Carve Space For Change - Rivera Sun
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• “Long Anguish and Self-Murdering Thought”: Gollum and the Figure of Jealousy in The Faerie Queene - Anne Acker
• The Speculative Worldbuilding of ADÁL’s Blueprints for a Nation - Matt Goodwin
• Eärendil’s Errand and “Errantry” - Janet Brennan Croft, David Emerson, David Bratman, Verlyn Flieger
• Q&A with Unofficial Mythsoc Historian Lee Speth - Lynne Darga
• The Personhood of Nature in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Legendarium - Sophia Parrila
• Those Who See the Unseen West - Scott Hodgman
• My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me - John Rosegrant
• Faerie Reality in The Spiral Dance by Rodrigo Garcia y Robertson - Robert Treday
• Lil Nas X’s Montero: A Visual Mythology - Alicia Fox-Lenz, Jessica Dickinson Goodman
• Sterner Stuff; Sansa Stark and the System of Gothic Fantasy - Joseph Young
• Spray-painting the Sistine Chapel: Aesthetic Problems in Leaf by Niggle - John Holmes
• Tolkien, Race and Racism - Robin Reid, Megan Abrahamson, Helen Young, Craig Franson, Will Sherwood

Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON Progress Report

July 31 - August 1, 2021 

Get ready for Mythcon 51, the first Mythcon where you don’t have to leave your house to go “there and back again.” This year we are scheduling over 50 events, including papers, panels, roundtables, and alternative programming such as games and watch parties, over the course of our two-day conference. 

Times

All conference times will be written in Mountain US Time Zone (UTC −07:00) as the default, but Time Zone calculators will be included wherever possible: look for “What time is that for me?” links.  

Programming of some kind will run Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 9:00pm both days to accommodate people from all corners of the globe, with the more formal programming from 10am to 5pm. We hope you’ll attend what you can! 

What time is the conference for me? 

Important times to get on your calendar now include: 

• Tech Check drop in hours, for those unfamiliar or less familiar with our two major platforms, Zoom and Discord. The Mythcon 51 committee is handling the technology for this event ourselves, not paying for extra tech support. 

• Saturday, July 24th, 2PM-5PM, one week before the conference. What time is that for me? 

• Friday, July 30th, from 4PM-6PM, the day before the conference. What time is that for me? 

• Members Meeting

• Sunday, August 1st, from 4PM-6PM. What time is that for me? 

Zoom: This Year’s Virtual Conference Medium

Many of us got very familiar with Zoom over the past year. Whether we like it or not, it has become the most widely used platform for virtual conferencing, and the Mythopoeic Society has joined the twenty-first century in purchasing a Pro suite for this conference. 

We have organized the conference into several “tracks”—just like you’d have different “rooms” where you would attend programming at an in-person conference. For this conference, this means you will get several Zoom links as stand-ins for the different rooms, and you’ll pop in and out of them depending on the programming you’re interested in. 

Learn more about Zoom here. 

Discord: This Year’s Virtual Conference “Space”

The Mythopoeic Society has had our own server on Discord since 2020. For this conference, we will add Conference-Only areas that only registered members can see. 

So, instead of checking into a physical hotel, check out our Discord server! 

You can do so at any time before the conference, giving yourself plenty of time to get comfortable with the “space.” Follow this link: https://discord.gg/x3QTt6dbxd and sign up for the free application. It can run in a browser or be downloaded as an app for mobile or computer. If you have any trouble with the invite, you can contact any of the Mythsoc Stewards (Alicia Fox-Lenz or Megan Abrahamson will be your best bet). 

You can attend this conference without getting involved in the Discord. Registered members will be sent the same Zoom links and the times when to log in for programming they are interested in. Only a very little alternative/evening programming such as watch parties and games will be Discord-only and inaccessible through Zoom.

However, we think Discord will make Mythcon 51 a much richer experience. Discord users will be able to converse in between panels, either chatting by instant message text or by opening up a video chat with friends, while Zoom-only users will have to “vacate” the space after their panel, paper, or roundtable. Discord users can share links, continue conversations or start new ones, and get reminders in real time about when panels are beginning. In short, you don’t have to join us on Discord, but we hope you will. 

Learn more about Discord here. 

Other changes due to the Virtual Model

We are introducing a new model of Panels this year which we are calling “Roundtables.” These were designed to provide more active programming options mixed in with the passive listening and asking maybe one question at the end model. 

These Roundtables will encourage audience participation, and will be discussion-driven rather than presentation-driven. If you show up to a topic labeled “Roundtable,” you can expect to be asked to weigh in—what a great way to talk with fellow Mythies we haven’t seen in over a year!

Additionally, formal papers and panels will be asked to keep their programming to under an hour, ideally 45 minutes. This is to try to reduce that “Zoom fatigue” we’ve all been battling, and many of us continue to battle! 

Preparing for Mythcon 51

• Register for Mythcon by July 17th to ensure you don’t miss an update! 

• Join the Mythopoeic Society Discord at https://discord.gg/x3QTt6dbxd. 

• Make sure you’re running the latest version of Zoom here.  

• If you are presenting or leading a panel, roundtable, or other programming, keep an eye out for an email with tips for running your session. All panels will have at least one Mythcon 51 committee member in attendance to help with technical difficulties. 

• Plan to attend one of the Tech Check drop in sessions if you’re uncomfortable with any of the software. 

• Get excited for this “Halfling” Mythcon!

CFP: Mythcon51 - A Virtual "Halfling" Mythcon

ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to ongoing health concerns and the realization that we cannot now plan something that may violate future New Mexico state health and safety regulations, whatever they are in July-August of this year, the Council of Stewards has decided to postpone the next in-person Mythcon (Mythcon 52) until summer of 2022; the date will be July 29-August 1, 2022. Mythcon 51 will now be hosted virtually.

Call for Papers

Papers of the traditional Mythopoeic variety are still welcome, though we are looking forward to trying out a new panel model that we are calling roundtable discussions (see below).

Time slots will be different for this online conference.

• Individual long papers will still have hour-long time slots but are now encouraged to present for no more than 30 minutes, leaving 15 minutes for discussion with a 15 minute break.
• Individual short papers should be about 15 minutes for the paper presentation and 10 minutes for discussion.
• Panels are now 60 minutes, about 30 minutes for the panel and 20 minutes for discussion.

For traditional paper proposals:

Email papers abstracts of 200-500 words to:

Cami Agan (Papers Coordinator), cami.agan@oc.edu

For panel proposals:

Email panels abstracts of 50-150 words to:

Leslie Donovan (Panels Coordinator), leslie.a.donovan@gmail.com

Presenters who have already submitted have the option of presenting at Mythcon 51 virtually or being automatically accepted into the Mythcon 52 program. All presenters must register for the conference they wish to present for.

Eligible presenters should see details on our Alexei Kondratiev student paper award at http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/alexei.htm.

Roundtable Discussions and Alternative Programming Options

Have a topic in mind you want to discuss, but don’t want to write a whole paper about it? Revive the roots of the Society by proposing to moderate a roundtable discussion for Mythcon 51—virtually! Moderators would only need to come prepared with a mythopoeic discussion topic, some opening remarks, some questions for the attendees, and plan to facilitate and moderate discussion. The audience will handle the rest.

For roundtable discussion panel proposals, or other ideas for alternative Virtual Mythcon programming:

Email 200-500 word proposals to:

Megan Abrahamson, Mythcon 51 Chair at mythprint@mythsoc.org

Roundtable discussion moderators must register for the conference.

The final deadline for all submissions is now May 31, 2021. Please check in on Facebook, Twitter (@mythsoc), or www.mythcon.org for updates about the virtual conference.

Call for Nominations: 2021 Mythopoeic Awards

 

Individual members of the Mythopoeic Society are invited to nominate books for the 2021 Mythopoeic Awards, and/or to volunteer to serve on any of the committees. (You need not join the committee to make nominations.) The deadline for committee volunteers and for nominations (limit of five per person per category, please!) is April 15 2021; please send nominations to the awards administrator (see contact info below) via e-mail (preferred) or U.S. mail. Authors, publishers, and their representatives may not nominate their own books for any of the awards. Books published by the Mythopoeic Press are not eligible for the awards. The Mythopoeic Society does not accept or review unsolicited manuscripts. 

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The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature is given to the fantasy novel, multi-volume novel, or single-author story collection for adults published during 2020 that best exemplifies “the spirit of the Inklings”. Books not selected as finalists in the year after publication are eligible for a second year. Books from a series are eligible if they stand on their own; otherwise, the series becomes eligible the year its final volume appears.

The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature honors books for beginning readers to age thirteen in the tradition of The Hobbit or The Chronicles of Narnia. Rules for eligibility are otherwise the same as for the Adult literature award. The question of which award a borderline book is best suited for will be decided by consensus of the committees. Books for mature “Young Adults” may be moved to the Adult literature category.

The Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies is given to books on J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and/or Charles Williams that make significant contributions to Inklings scholarship. For this award, books first published from 2018 through 2020 are eligible, including finalists for previous years.

The Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth and Fantasy Studies is given to scholarly books on other specific authors in the Inklings tradition, or to more general works on the genres of myth and fantasy. The period of eligibility is three years, as for the Inklings Studies award.

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Winners of the 2021 Mythopoeic Awards will be announced at the 51^th Annual Mythopoeic Conference (Mythcon 51). Please contact Vicki Ronn, the Awards Administrator, to nominate books, volunteer for committees, or ask questions about the Mythopoeic Awards process.

Dr. Vicki Ronn
Friends University

2100 W. University Ave.
Wichita KS 67213
awards@mythsoc.org

2020 Mythopoeic Awards Winners Announced

On Sunday, we announced the winners of the 2020 Mythopoeic Awards on our new YouTube channel.

Congratulations to our 2020 winners!

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature

• Theodora Goss, Snow White Learns Witchcraft (Mythic Delirium Books, 2019)

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature

• Yoon Ha Lee, Dragon Pearl (Rick Riordan Presents, 2019)

Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies

• Amy Amendt-Raduege, “The Sweet and the Bitter”: Death and Dying in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (The Kent State University Press, 2018)

Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Myth and Fantasy Studies

• James Gifford, A Modernist Fantasy: Modernism, Anarchism, and the Radical Fantastic (ELS Editions, 2018)

The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature is given to the fantasy novel, multi-volume, or single-author story collection for adults published during 2018 or 2019 that best exemplifies the spirit of the Inklings. Books are eligible for two years after publication if selected as a finalist during the first year of eligibility. Books from a series are eligible if they stand on their own; otherwise, the series becomes eligible the year its final volume appears.

The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature honors books for beginning readers to age thirteen, in the tradition of The Hobbit or The Chronicles of Narnia. Rules for eligibility are otherwise the same as for the Adult literature award. The question of which award a borderline book is best suited for will be decided by consensus of the committees. Books for mature “Young Adults” may be moved to the Adult literature category.

The Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies is given to books on Tolkien, Lewis, and/or Williams that make significant contributions to Inklings scholarship. For this award, books first published during the last three years (2017–2019) are eligible, including finalists for previous years.

The Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth and Fantasy Studies is given to scholarly books on other specific authors in the Inklings tradition, or to more general works on the genres of myth and fantasy. The period of eligibility is three years, as for the Inklings Studies award.

A complete list of Mythopoeic Award winners, acceptance speeches, and selected book reviews are available in the Awards section the Society web site. For more information about the Mythopoeic Awards, please contact the Awards Administrator: Dr. Vicki Ronn, awards@mythsoc.org

An Interview with Erin Entrada Kelly 2020 Mythopoeic Award for Children's Fantasy Finalist

  

Erin Entrada Kelly is a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature for her book Lalani of the Distant Sea. She was raised in Lake Charles, La., but now lives in suburban Philadelphia. Her mother was the first in her family to emigrate from the Philippines. Erin's books have won several awards, including the APALA Award for Children's Literature, the Golden Kite Honor Award, and the Gold Award for Fiction from the Parents Choice Foundation.

An Interview with Anne Ursu 2020 Mythopoeic Award for Children's Fantasy Finalist

 

Anne Ursu is a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature for her book 
The Lost Girl. She is the author of several books for young readers and is the 2013 recipient of the McKnight Fellowship in Children’s Literature. Anne’s latest book, The Real Boy, is an Indie Next pick and on the 2013 longlist for the National Book Award. She is also the author of Breadcrumbs, which was acclaimed as one of the best books of 2011 by the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Amazon.com, and the Chicago Public Library. It was also on the IndieBound Next List and was featured on NPR’s Backseat Book Club. Anne is also the author of the three books that comprise The Cronus Chronicles: The Shadow Thieves, The Siren Song, and The Immortal Fire.

Anne teaches at Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and lives in Minneapolis with her son and three cats.

An Interview with Alix Harrow, 2020 Mythopoeic Award in Adult Fantasy Literature Finalist

 

Alix Harrow is a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Fantasy Literature for her book 
The Ten Thousand Doors of January. She is an ex-historian with lots of opinions and excessive library fines, currently living in Kentucky with her husband and their semi-feral children. She won a Hugo for her short fiction, and has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy awards.

An interview with Suzanne Nelson, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature 2020 finalist

Suzanne Nelson is a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature for her book
A Tale Magnolious. She is also the author of Serendipity's Footsteps, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and CCBC Choice for Young Adult Fiction, and also known for her foodie romance middle grade novels, including Cake Pop Crush, Macarons at Midnight, and Hot Cocoa Hearts. She is a shameless fan of The Sound of Music, Hershey's kisses, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen, and can often be caught daydreaming of romping about gothic castles in lovely Victorian gowns. She was born in New Jersey, grew up in Southern California, attended college in Texas, and spent eight years as a children's book editor in New York City. She now lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut.