*Narratives of 9/11: The Arab World and its Diasporas*

Beyond the widely circulated pictures of jubilant kids dancing to the “terrible
beauty” (to use a terribly memorable phrase from W.B. Yeats’ “Easter, 1916”) of
commercial planes diving into the Twin Towers, what do we know about the Arab
peoples’ reactions to 9/11? How have Arab public intellectuals, (diasporic)
writers, artists, filmmakers, media and iconic cultural figures responded to
9/11 and to the ongoing war on terror? Has there been a coherent Arab
intellectual response to 9/11 and its repercussions? Has that response been
heard and reckoned with by audiences across the globe? More specifically, what
are the broad strokes of such a response, if there is one, and what are its
particular impulses and nuanced engagements?

Paper proposals that explore any of the above questions as well as any other
aspect of the still unfolding artistic and creative responses to 9/11 by Arab
littérateurs and aesthetes (and others under other capacities) across the world
are invited. Selected proposals will be submitted as part of a proposal for a
Special Session at the MLA's 123^rd Annual Convention (Chicago, 27-30 Dec.
2007).

Please send a 500-word abstract, a short bio and an updated CV by March 18 to
Nouri Gana (ganouri@umd.umich.edu)