Skepsi, Second Issue CFP

Call for papers: Skepsi, Second Issue

The editorial board of Skepsi is pleased to invite contributions for
the second issue of the Interdisciplinary Online Journal of European
Thought and Theory in Humanities and Social Sciences, based in the
University of Kent, to be released in Spring 2009.


Considerations of Audience
in Medieval & Early Modern Studies

Besechyng yow that ye audience therof not disdeigne
But consider the trew intent of my hert in euery veyne


The aim of this issue is to explore the nature and character of
audience to foster a greater understanding and utilisation of
strategies that can be employed to construct audience in relation to
Medieval and Early Modern studies. Ultimately audience is a topic
that unites rather than divides us.

Audience forms a vital consideration for all postgraduate students of
the Medieval and Early Modern Period embracing studies of literature,
history, art, architecture and artefacts. The evidence and sources
around which enquiries are centred, regardless of discipline, topic
or approach, be those sources, textual, visual or physical are
created with an intended audience in mind. This primary audience
forms a significant component that is inseparable from considerations
of form and function. There is also a second audience – that is the
actual audience. Yet inevitably both the intended audience, who often
are only a projection in the mind of the creator, and the actual
audience rarely leave us the information that we seek. Thus although
an appreciation of audience is encompassed in all relationships
between producer and recipient(s) this appreciation and anticipated
appreciation mostly has to be constructed afresh. Therefore, although
identifying the Medieval Audience secures the foundation of our
understanding of the period’s culture paradoxically this knowledge
and awareness of the audience is frequently assumed with the result
that neither the intended or actual audience is explored, clearly
identified, or even alluded to.

We invite proposals for articles which interpret the topic as widely
as possible. The following list, which is neither prescriptive nor
exhaustive, may serve as inspiration:

The difficulties in identifying audience
Does the audience emerge through specific methods of research?
Should we be focusing on audience?
To what extent can modern theories of audience be useful tools for
enquiry into the past? Can they be adapted or do alternate modes of
analysis need to be sought?
Ultimately all our endeavours are to be presented to an audience, do
we consider them as we write?

Contributions – including an article (3000/5000 words, written in
academic English), an abstract proposal (approximately 300 words,
with a short list of keywords) and a C.V. (with your name,
institution, stage of study and email address) – should be sent to
Skepsi editorial board via e-mail (skepsi@kent.ac.uk), as Microsoft
Word attached documents. Skepsi uses a version of the MHRA Style
Guide. Please refer to the MHRA online guide.


The deadline for all applications is Friday 20 February 2009. Please
note that a postgraduate colloquium was held on the same topic in
December 2008 at the University of Kent. A selection of its papers
will be published in the Second Issue of Skepsi.


http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/journals/skepsi