Call for Papers for a Themed Issue of Oxford German Studies: End-of-Life Writing in German Literature and Culture
For centuries, the proximity of one’s own death has
motivated people to
write: whether they experienced terminal illness, suspected
they might lose their life in childbirth, intended to take their own life,
faced the prospect of being killed in action or in imprisonment, or anticipated
their execution or a premature death in the wake of a natural or man-made
disaster. The genres adopted in this most extreme of situations are
manifold: last letters, suicide notes, wills, diaries,
end-of-life narratives, more general autobiographical accounts, poetry and
prose.
The issue aims to identify the characteristics, contexts,
and uses of these forms of writing in extremis. Contributions may focus on any
period of German literature and culture; articles which adopt a comparative,
cross- or interdisciplinary approach are especially
welcome.
Possible topics of interest include, among others: the
relationship between the act of writing and the process of dying; adapting
genre conventions to the occasion; following or breaking with literary
traditions or models; the influence of media and material conditions;
depictions of writing in extremis in literature, art, and film; religious,
social, and historical contexts; psychological aspects; differences between
genders or generations; and the functions and perceptions of writing before
death both on the author’s and the reader’s side.
Articles should be 5000–6000 words long (the issue will
contain up to seven articles). To reflect the international interest in the
subject, contributions in English or German are equally welcome. Please note
that Oxford German Studies can only accept articles which have not been
published before.
If you are interested in contributing to this issue,
please send an abstract of no more than 250 words to Dr Marie Isabel
Matthews-Schlinzig.
The deadline for submitting abstracts is 7/31/2013.