Panel Proposal: Capote Revisited

Due to the overlapping film productions of Infamous (2006) and Capote (2005), as well the 2005 Random House publication of the “lost” Summer Crossing manuscript, Truman Capote has received yet another wave of attention amongst academic and popular American audiences. For this panel proposal, I welcome a variety of different critical approaches to understanding Capote’s literature and his complex role as an American literary icon. I am particularly interested in papers that reflect critically upon the recent surge of interest in Capote’s work, offer innovative new interpretations of his texts, or analyze the influence of Summer Crossing, Infamous and/or Capote to our understanding of his life and work.

Panelists might explore the following topics, among others:

- Issues of authorship in Capote or Summer Crossing.
- Approaches to teaching Capote’s work and/or Infamous and Capote.
- Comparative analysis of Infamous and Capote.
- New Orleans and Capote.
- Issues of celebrity and Capote’s vexed literary relationships.
- Harper Lee and Capote.
- Violence in Capote’s work and/or Capote.
- Sexuality in Capote’s work and/or the recent films.
- Analysis of the 1967 film version of In Cold Blood, perhaps in conjunction with the recent films.
Please send a 250 word abstract and a brief CV or bio to Kristen B. Proehl, College of William and Mary, kbproe@wm.edu. Due by January 1, 2008.