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Call for Papers and Sessions
THE DOCUMENTARY TRADITION
November 8-12, 2006
www.filmandhistory.org
Area CFP: Ken Burns
For more than two decades, Ken Burns has increasingly drawn the documentary into the limelight of American popular culture. In an era noted for the de-massification of the media, Burns’ documentaries have had a mass appeal that has spanned age, education, and socio-economic status. Documentaries such as JAZZ, Baseball, Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, and Horatio’s Drive have given the genre a facelift – and brought a new spark of popularity to the Public Broadcasting stations that brought them into viewers’ homes. As Burns tutors Americans in Americana, we are called to analyze his impact on the genre, to examine his role in the creation and maintenance of cultural identity, and to explore his historical perspective. This call for papers seeks submissions of work from a wide range of orientations, exploring interpretations and impacts of Burns’ documentaries, from his early, Brooklyn Bridge (1981) through Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004).
Possible topics for consideration include, but are not limited to:
An in-depth critical analysis of a single Burns documentary, examining its contribution and representation of American history.
The use of Burns’ films in the classroom
“The Burns Effect”
Burns’ role in the rise of the epic documentary
Burns’ historical perspective on the Civil War
Consuming Ken Burns
Nostalgia in Burns’ documentaries
The book, the video, the CD – synergy and then Burns documentary
Burns and American Biography
The Film & History League will be holding its biannual conference on "The Documentary Tradition" during November 8-12, 2006, near Dallas, TX.
Full details on the location, featured speakers, registration procedures, and additional area topics can be found on the web site at www.filmandhistory.org.
Proposals for either individual papers or complete panels (3-4 papers) are welcomed, and submissions may be made in either electronic (no attachments, please) or hard copy format. Please send panel proposals and/or 300-word paper abstracts no later than July 30, 2006, to:
Chair for Ken Burns Area
Prof. Cynthia Miller
Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies
Emerson College
120 Boylston St., Rm. 515
Boston, MA 02116
email: cynthia_miller@emerson.edu or cymiller@tiac.net
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