Edited by
Julian C. Chambliss, Department of History, Rollins College and Denise K. Cummings, Department of Critical Media and Cultural Studies, Rollins College

This edited volume will offer a collection of essays that explore the distinctive issues that shape popular understandings of Florida. While academic works have addressed Florida’s economic, social, and political histories, this collection seeks to re-evaluate Florida’s impact on the broader cultural dialogue about the postwar transformation of the United States. Florida’s rich and diverse geographic gifts have allowed the state to play a defining role in a postwar culture of consumption, leisure, and growth often central to discussions and debates about U.S. popular culture in general. Thus, the values associated with Florida’s development and the State’s many “identities” are not simply regional values; instead, they offer insights into the benefits, challenges, and concerns associated with modern living. This collection will consider Florida as both a geographic place and a symbolic space, one within which the dynamic aspect of societal development may have been realized and a future foreshadowed.

Proposals from scholars living and working in Florida are particularly welcomed. Please note: In order to facilitate organization of the collection, the editors strongly encourage papers wishing to be considered for the volume be presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Florida Conference of Historians in Jacksonville, FL, February 27 through March 1, 2008. All proposals for the volume will be organized into panel presentations for the conference. Final selection for the volume will occur following the conference.

For consideration, please send the following information to Dr. Julian C. Chambliss (jchambliss@rollins.edu) by 12/15/07:

1. Paper title and abstract/proposal (500 words max.);
2. Brief vita or one-paragraph biography;
3. Complete personal information: name, department, academic institution, mailing address, and e-mail address.

Topics may include but are not limited to the following as they relate to Florida:

Race
Gender
Urbanism
Nationalism
Non-U.S. identity
The Environment
Cinematic imaginings
Media representation