40th Anniversary Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) Feb. 26-March 1, 2009 Hyatt Regency - Boston, Massachusetts

Stemming from what can be understood as an absence of and apathy toward revolutionary politics in postmodernity, many theorists have argued that the committed artist is no longer able to generate politically conscious works without being attacked for touting propaganda for a leftist agenda or for being accused of what George Caffentzis calls revolutionary “wishful thinking.” Indeed, contemporary Marxist critics like Fredric Jameson have questioned the possibility of creating works which might overcome “A fundamental structural and ideological limit on our Utopian imagination” and could restructure the global project of radical culture while moving beyond the conciliation of postmodernist ennui.

Considering the above characterization, this panel will focus on the enduring necessity of historical materialism in literary and cultural criticism and the possibility of rethinking collective responses to the “new” imperialism, globalization, and neoliberal hegemony. More than a simple inquiry into the particular responses to these issues by contemporary authors, this panel invites theoretical examinations of wide- ranging movements that have moved beyond the nihilism and localization of postmodernism with the objective of confronting late capitalism and “ensconced” ruling-class ideologies. Some of the fundamental questions this panel intends to ask are: What does it mean to be a “committed artist” in the contemporary period? How are global aesthetic and political movements attempting to move beyond the “flexibility” of postmodernity and the reification of collective organizing? What components of the “classical” period of literary radicalism can be incorporated into revolutionary aesthetics and politics for the 21st century, as found in the proletarian literary collectives of the 1930’s and 1960’s? Send submissions (word attachments) and/or inquiries to John Maerhofer, jjmaer_at_aol.com.

Deadline: September 15, 2008