EVENT Nov 06
ABSTRACT May 01
Abstract days left 2
Viewed 410 times

The Power or Powerlessness of Knowledge (South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) annual conference.)

Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Organization: South Atlantic Modern Language Association
Event: South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) annual conference.
Categories: Postcolonial, Digital Humanities, Graduate Conference, American, Hispanic & Latino, Comparative, Interdisciplinary, French, British, Lingustics, Pedagogy, German, Genre & Form, Popular Culture, Gender & Sexuality, Literary Theory, Rhetoric & Composition, Women's Studies, World Literatures, African-American, Colonial, Revolution & Early National, Transcendentalists, 1865-1914, 20th & 21st Century, Medieval, Early Modern & Renaissance, Long 18th Century, Romantics, Victorian, 20th & 21st Century, Adventure & Travel Writing, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Drama, Narratology, Poetry, Aesthetics, Anthropology/Sociology, Classical Studies, Cultural Studies, Environmental Studies, Film, TV, & Media, Food Studies, History, Philosophy, African & African Diasporas, Asian & Asian Diasporas, Australian Literature, Canadian Literature, Caribbean & Caribbean Diasporas, Indian Subcontinent, Eastern European, Mediterranean, Middle East, Native American, Scandinavian, Pacific Literature, Science, Engineering, Miscellaneous
Event Date: 2025-11-06 to 2025-11-08 Abstract Due: 2025-05-01 Submit Abstract

Sir Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes are associated with the phrase, “Knowledge is power,” articulated by both writers about four centuries ago. Their assessment of the value of knowledge is all the more relevant in the “now” of 2025, when we are forced to contend with the implications of “fake” knowledge, including the often-suspect productions of generative artificial intelligence.  This proposed session will feature papers that examine the intersection of knowledge and power--or the lack thereof--in a variety of literary contexts, including our current historical moment but also including the knowledge/power dynamics of earlier centuries.  Papers might address the power acquired through knowledge but might also focus on the implications of the powerlessness brought by willful ignorance and aliteracy.  Please submit a 250-word abstract, a brief bio, and any A/V requests by 1 May 2025.

https://southatlanticmla.org/

bprobertson@troy.edu

Ben P. Robertson