CFP: “Speculative Souths”

“Speculative Souths” is a symposium linked to the DCHA’s current theme of “Authenticity: Identity and Place” and will redirect past regionalist studies of the US South with a transformative focus on “speculative representation,” a way of creatively reimagining identity and place as sites of possibility—building from the past but attuned to the developments of the present and needs of the future. The US South has long been a space upon which others project fantasies of national and regional identity, heroic mythologies of resistance, or nostalgic ideas of “American” identity. Rarely has it been considered a space from which progressive and future-oriented narratives about place and identity emerge and develop. By contrast, the interdisciplinary symposium “Speculative Souths” will consider the US South as a generative space of imagination and possibility. 

The symposium will build from the traditions of speculative thought embodied in science fiction and fantasy artforms in order to reexamine place and identities associated with the US South and Souths more broadly. Beginning with a keynote from Kiese Laymon, the conference will feature roundtable discussions, panel presentations, and visual arts exhibitions that play with “speculation” as a creative imaginary from a variety of perspectives—from literary and cultural representation to the virtuality of digital life to local histories to new global economic and cultural networks as well as hemispheric, global and interplanetary comparisons—in order to rethink regional studies and the legacies of history within specific localities. Participants will contribute to an emerging international conversation about the importance of redefining “authentic” identity and place in a new media economy that often profits from regional stereotypes. Given the DCHA’s focus on interdisciplinary, humanities-based research, scholars from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and institutional affiliations are welcome. Papers and presentations from the symposium will be considered for an edited collection of essays based on the symposium topic.

• Individual papers. Proposals should include a 300-word abstract and 100-word bio.
• Panel proposals of more traditional research papers. Proposals should include a 500-word panel introduction, plus 300-word abstracts for each presentation, and 100-word bio for each presenter.
• Roundtable discussions, or more informal, working group-style sessions where participants can share works in progress. Proposals should include a 500-word panel introduction, plus 300-word abstracts for each talk, and 100-word bio for each participant.

Please submit proposals to conference organizer Dr. Katie Burnett at hu***********@*tk.edu by November 2, 2026.