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Deadline Extended — Lost and Found (Again): Finding One’s Way There and Back Again

deadline for submissions:
November 2, 2018

full name / name of organization:
Signum University and Johnson C. Smith University

contact email:
matthew.deforrest@signumu.org

Magnolia Moot 2018

Speakers

Corey Olsen

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT; BOARD MEMBER EX OFFICIO; LECTURER, Signum University

Matthew M. DeForrest

Board Member, Professor of English and Mott University Professor, JCSU

Date

November 10, 2018, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM EDT

Address

Johnson C. Smith University

The New Science Center

100 Beatties Ford Road

Charlotte, NC 28216

Johnson C. Smith University, Signum University, and the Mythgard Institute are pleased to announce the inaugural MagnoliaMoot 2018, a symposium on the theme “Lost and Found (Again): Finding One’s Way There and Back Again.” A mixture of paper presentations, panels, and discussions will be offered along with a keynote address by guest of honor Dr. Corey Olsen, “The Tolkien Professor.”

Call for Papers

Lost and Found (Again): Finding One’s Way There and Back Again

“But without a feast we shan’t remain alive much longer anyway,” said Bombur, and Bilbo heartily agreed with him. They argued about it backwards and forwards for a long while, until they agreed at length to send out a couple of spies, to creep near the lights and find out more about them. But then they could not agree on who was to be sent: no one seemed anxious to run the chance of being lost and never finding his friends again. In the end, in spite of warnings, hunger decided them, because Bombur kept on describing all the good things that were being eaten, according to his dream, in the woodland feast; so they all left the path and plunged into the forest together.” (The Hobbit)

Tolkien’s work has an interest in finding one’s place, both figuratively and metaphorically, in the wider world. It is not enough to have a place, one must understand it and one’s relationship to it to come to a clear understanding of what it means to belong in and to a place. This concept is not exclusive to Tolkien, but is also present in many works of science fiction and fantasy literature, films, and television. MagnoliaMoot will take up this theme, as well as other topics relating to the works of fantastic literature, television, and film. Please submit all abstracts by November 2, 2018 to matthew.deforrest@signumu.org. Acceptance will be notified on a rolling basis.

Registration

Registration fee includes light breakfast and boxed lunch.

Schedule

More information on the schedule will follow once the Call for Papers has closed. However, please keep in mind that events are due to begin at 9am, and should conclude by 4:30pm. Dr. Olsen will give the keynote address just after lunch, around 1pm.

Area Information and Accommodations

Johnson C. Smith University

The New Science Center

100 Beatties Ford Road

Charlotte, NC 28216

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private liberal arts university with proud HBCU traditions and a future aimed at diversity. Approximately 1,600 highly talented and motivated students from various backgrounds are enrolled at JCSU and its faculty and staff members are equally as unique, coming from all over the world.

JCSU has a limited number of suite-style rooms available in its Mosaic Village facility for those attending MagnoliaMoot. The closest hotel to the campus is the DoubleTree Hotel (Part of the Hilton Hotel Group). As a major business and banking center, there are a number of hotels and restaurants relatively close to JCSU’s campus.