Beowulf at NeMLA 2024

Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture

Sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture and the Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular Culture Association 

Organized by Michael A. Torregrossa, Carl Sell, Benjamin Hoover, and Richard Fahey

55th NeMLA Convention, Boston, MA, 7-10 March 2024

Updated 3/8/2024

Saturday

Mar 9 Track 16

01:15-02:45

16.29 Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture (Part 1)

Chair: Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College

Chair: Richard Fahey, University of Notre Dame

Location: Dalton B (Media Equipped)

British & Cultural Studies and Media Studies

"Performing Beowulf" Chris Vinsonhaler, City University of New York (BMCC) [WITHDRAWN]

"A 'Thorn and Steel Grendel': Attacking the Mead Hall in The Hyperion Cantos" Benjamin Yusen, Indiana University-Bloomington

"Beowulf Transformed is Beowulf Preserved What’s Old is New Again The Recovery of its Lost Story" James the Howard of Buckingham, Independent Scholar

Saturday

Mar 9 Track 17

03:00-04:30

17.29 Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture (Part 2)

Chair: Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College

Location: Dalton B (Media Equipped)

British & Cultural Studies and Media Studies

"Authenticity and the Genre of Historical Fiction in Beowulf Adaptations for Young Readers" Melissa Filbeck, Texas A&M University

"Beowulf, Exile, and Endless Sword Fights" Maureen Gokey, Russell Sage College

"Beowulf after Beowulf: Continuations of the Old English Epic in Popular Culture" Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College

"Contemporary Beowulfs: Translation and Representation" Richard Fahey, University of Notre Dame

CFP Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture (Panel) (9/30/2023; NeMLA Boston 3/7-10/2024)

Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture (Panel)


Sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture and the Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular Culture Association

Organized by Michael A. Torregrossa, Richard Fahey, Carl Sell, and Benjamin Hoover


Call for Papers - Please Submit Proposals by 30 September 2023

55th Annual Convention of Northeast Modern Language Association

Sheraton Boston Hotel (Boston, MA)

On-site event: 7-10 March 2024



Beowulfs Beyond Beowulf: Transformations of Beowulf in Popular Culture (Panel)


The Old English epic Beowulf remains an important touchstone for connecting us to the medieval past, yet it also has continued relevance today through its various transformations in cultural texts (especially works of popular culture). Our hope with this session is to expand our knowledge of these works and assess their potential for research and teaching.


Please visit our website Beowulf Transformed: Adaptations and Appropriations of the Beowulf Story (available at https://beowulf-transformed.blogspot.com/) for resources and ideas.


The full call for papers (with complete session and submission information) can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/Beowulf-Transformed-NeMLA-2024.

Session Information

Over a millennium old, the story of Beowulf is disseminated primarily through its editions and translations and its transformations. These three types of Beowulfiana represent a massive corpus of over 1000 works according to the Beowulf’s Afterlives Bibliographic Database; though, as medievalists, we tend to focus on the first two categories rather than the last concentrating on scholastic pursuits rather than entertainments. Consequently, many are often surprised by the variety and vitality of this corpus and its vast potential for research and teaching.


New versions of the Beowulf story feature in all forms of modern mediævalisms, yet (as is true with most medieval texts) research continues to focus primarily on depictions of Beowulf on screen (about 100 examples according to the Internet Movie Database). We hope in this session to expand our view of Beowulf’s reception by creators and look more deeply at the text’s wider use.


We are particularly interested in explorations of the adaptation and/or appropriation of the text, its characters, and its themes in works of fiction (at least 250 examples according to the Internet Speculative Fiction Database and much more recorded by the Beowulf’s Afterlives Bibliographic Database) and comics (at least 380 examples according to the Grand Comics Database), as well as their representations in new and neglected works on screen (including film, television, entertainment consoles, and the Internet). Additional versions of the Beowulf can be found in works of creative, performative, and visual arts that also need more attention.


We hope to make our conversation productive. Therefore, we request that submissions highlight the ways the new text transforms the old (for example as interpretations or appropriations of the poem or as an intertext for another work) as well as its value in furthering the Beowulf tradition rather than focusing solely on any perceived defects.


Please see our website Beowulf Transformed: Adaptations and Appropriations of the Beowulf Story (at https://beowulf-transformed.blogspot.com/) for a growing list of ideas, resources and support.


All proposals will also be considered for a themed issue of the open-access journal The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe.


Please address questions and/or concerns to the organizers at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com. .

Submission Information

All proposals must be submitted into the CFPList system at https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/20596 by 30 September 2023. You will be prompted to create an account with NeMLA (if you do not already have one) and, then, to complete sections on Title, Abstract, and Media Needs.


Notification on the fate of your submission will be made prior to 16 October 2023. If favorable, please confirm your participation with chairs by accepting their invitations and by registering for the event. The deadline for Registration/Membership is 9 December 2023.


Be advised of the following policies of the Convention: All participants must be members of NeMLA for the year of the conference. Participants may present on up to two sessions of different types (panels/seminars are considered of the same type). Submitters to the CFP site cannot upload the same abstract twice.(See the NeMLA Presenter Policies page, at https://www.buffalo.edu/nemla/convention/policies.html, for further details,)



Thank you for your interest in our session.


Again, please address questions and/or concerns to the organizers at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com. .


For more information on the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture, please visit our website at https://MedievalinPopularCulture.blogspot.com/.


For more information on the Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular Culture Association, please visit our website at https://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/.

New Comic Bea Wulf

Bea Wulf is the title of a new graphic novel written by Zach Weinersmith and illustrated by Boulet. The first volume of what looks to be a trilogy, it's an interesting take on the Beowulf story. Weinersmith and Boulet recast the tale in modern-day suburbia, alter the conflict from humans and monsters to one between children and adults, and transform Beowulf into a young girl. 

More details, a preview, and ordering information from Weinersmith's website at this link. 

For teachers, the book includes a detailed appendix with information on the making of the comic. There is also a sketchbook with some of Boulet's early art for the book.

From the Macmillan site: 

Book Details

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250776297/bea-wolf

A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.

Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

They call for Bea Wolf.

Imprint Publisher: First Second

ISBN: 9781250776297

Page Count: 208

Genre: Children’s Literature

On Sale: 03/21/2023

Age Range: 8-12

Now on video: Bae Wolf

Missed this initially. It's now available as a streaming video on Tubi (at this link) and for purchase as a streaming video or on disc:

Out Now: Nokes on Beowulf in Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Just released this week. Congratulations to Scott Nokes:

Beowulf in Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Richard Scott Nokes

(Full details and ordering information from the publisher are available from this link.)

Bibliographic Details

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 209
Bibliographic Info: 25 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8778-0 ($49.95)
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4842-2
Imprint: McFarland

About the Book

The legendary story of Beowulf comes to us in only one medieval manuscript with no illustrations. Modern comic book and graphic novel artists have created visual interpretations of Beowulf for decades, both illustrating and altering the classic story to pull out new themes.
This book examines the growing canon of Beowulf comic books and graphic novels since the 1940s, and shows the remarkable emergence of new traditions—from re-envisioning the medieval look, to creating new plotlines, and even to transforming his identity. While placing Beowulf in a fantastical medieval setting, a techno-dystopia of the future, or modern-day America, artists have appropriated the tale to comment on social issues such as war, environmental issues, masculinity, and consumerism. Whether Beowulf is fighting new monsters or allying with popular comic book superheroes, these artists are creating a new canon of illustration that redefines Beowulf’s place in our culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi
Timeline of Beowulf Comic Books and Graphic Novels ix
Note on Citations xi
Preface 1
Introduction 5
1. The Artist as Manuscript Illustrator 13
2. The Further Adventures of Beowulf 74
3. Beowulf as Storyteller 96
4. Beowulf Transformed 107
5. Beowulf for Younger Readers 129
Conclusion 172
Chapter Notes 177
Bibliography 189
Index 193

About the Author(s)

Richard Scott Nokes is a professor of medieval literature at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. His previous published research has focused on popular medievalism and manuscript culture.

Coming Soon from McFarland: Nokes's Beowulf in Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Apologies for cross-posting:

Beowulf in Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Not Yet Published

$39.95
New 2022 Pre-Order

Available for pre-order at https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/beowulf-in-comic-books-and-graphic-novels/




Richard Scott Nokes
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 24 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8778-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4842-2
Imprint: McFarland




Richard Scott Nokes is a professor of medieval literature at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. His previous published research has focused on popular medievalism and manuscript culture.

CFP What's in a Name? (Ab)Use of Anglo-Saxon in English-speaking cultures and elsewhere (12/20/2021; conference in Padua 6/6-7/2022)

What's in a Name? (Ab)Use of Anglo-Saxon in English-speaking cultures and elsewhere

deadline for submissions: December 20, 2021

full name / name of organization: Alessandra Petrina / University of Padua, Italy

contact email: alessandra.petrina@unipd.it

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2021/11/10/whats-in-a-name-abuse-of-anglo-saxon-in-english-speaking-cultures-and-elsewhere

What’s in a Name?

(Ab)Use of Anglo-Saxon in English-speaking cultures and elsewhere

Padova 6-7 June 2022

Since the seventeenth century, the use of the term Anglo-Saxon has been characterised by a strong identity and ideological acceptation. The nationalistic sentiment grown after British imperialism obtained legitimation in the appropriation and remodelling of Britain’s own past, conferring on Anglo-Saxon meanings that were increasingly connected with national and racial identity (Horsman 1976, 1981; Greenberg 1982).

This fictitious idea of ancestry has exerted a special fascination on collective imagery also thanks to the cultural movement known as ‘medievalism’, a recurrent theme in British and American art which also characterises the contemporary political debate in those countries. In America, far-right (pseudo-)political groups make large use of medievalism, and, in particular, of their alleged ‘Anglo-Saxon’ origins in the attempt to back their xenophobic and racist claims, based on white supremacy.

A connection between Anglo-Saxon and whiteness has also emerged within Medieval Studies and this gave birth to firm and, sometimes, drastic reactions. In recent years, a movement formed of women researchers of non-Western origins voiced vibrant protests against the treatment they have been suffering in this academic field, which they consider racist, sexist and xenophobic.

In this regard, they have identified the terms Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Saxonist as the most obvious expressions of this attitude.

This debate concerns the specifically ideological and extremist uses of Anglo-Saxon, but little attention has been devoted to the use of this term in all forms of communication and the semantic values it has received in history, not only in English, but also in other languages and cultures. Beyond the ideological dimension that seems to prevail in some contexts, how and to what purposes has Anglo-Saxon been employed? And to what extent does this term eventually designate an exclusive and superior racial or cultural origin?

The purpose of this conference is to investigate this phenomenon across time, languages, and media. The topics include (but are not limited to) the use of Anglo-Saxon (and its corresponding forms in other languages) in:

• Literature
• Journalism
• Political discourse
• Performative arts (theatre, cinema, TV and web series, etc.)
• Gaming

Please send an abstract (roughly 500 words) and a short curriculum by 20 December to Omar Khalaf omar.khalaf@unipd.it

Last updated November 10, 2021

Coming Soon: Beowulf as Children’s Literature edited by Gilcrest and Mize

Beowulf as Children’s Literature

Edited by Bruce Gilchrist and Britt Mize

Available: November 2021

Full details at https://utorontopress.com/9781487502706/beowulf-as-children-and-x2019s-literature/.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Hardcover

$80.00

ISBN: 9781487502706

Not Yet Published

Pre-Order Now

Imprint: University of Toronto Press

Page Count: 328 Pages

Illustrations: 27 b&w illustrations

Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.00

World Rights

DESCRIPTION:

The single largest category of Beowulf representation and adaptation, outside of direct translation of the poem, is children’s literature. Over the past century and a half, more than 150 new versions of Beowulf directed to child and teen audiences have appeared, in English and in many other languages. In this collection of original essays, Bruce Gilchrist and Britt Mize examine the history and processes of remaking Beowulf for young readers.

Inventive in their manipulations of story, tone, and genre, these adaptations require their authors to make countless decisions about what to include, exclude, emphasize, de-emphasize, and adjust. This volume considers the many forms of children’s literature, focusing primarily on picture books, illustrated storybooks, and youth novels, but taking account also of curricular aids, illustrated full translations of the poem, and songs. Contributors address issues of gender, historical context, war and violence, techniques of narration, education, and nationalism, investigating both the historical and theoretical dimensions of bringing Beowulf to child audiences.

CONTENTS

Introduction: Beowulf in and near Children’s Literature

Britt Mize

1. “A Little Shared Homer for England and the North”: The First Beowulf for Young Readers

Mark Bradshaw Busbee

2. The Adaptational Character of the Earliest Beowulf for English Children: E.L. Hervey’s “The Fight with the Ogre”

Renée Ward

3. Visualizing Femininity in Children’s and Illustrated Versions of Beowulf

Bruce Gilchrist

4. Tolkien, Beowulf, and Faërie: Adaptations for Readers Aged “Six to Sixty”

Amber Dunai

5. Treatments of Beowulf as a Source in Mid-Twentieth-Century Children’s Literature

Carl Edlund Anderson

6. What We See in the Grendel Cave: Focalization in Beowulf for Children

Janet Schrunk Ericksen

7. Beowulf, Bèi’àowǔfǔ, and the Social Hero

Britt Mize

8. The Monsters and the Animals: Theriocentric Beowulfs

Robert Stanton

9. Children’s Beowulfs for the New Tolkien Generation

Yvette Kisor

10. The Practice of Adapting Beowulf for Younger Readers: A Conversation with Rebecca Barnhouse and James Rumford

Britt Mize

11. Children’s Versions of Beowulf: A Bibliography

Bruce Gilchrist

EDITORS

Bruce Gilchrist is a professor in the Department of English at John Abbot College.

Britt Mize is an associate professor in the Department of English at Texas A&M University.

CFP Decentering the White Male Gaze: Inclusivity and Diverse Voices in Beowulf Studies (9/25/21; NeMLA 2022)

Decentering the White Male Gaze: Inclusivity and Diverse Voices in Beowulf Studies (NeMLA 2022)

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2021/06/16/decentering-the-white-male-gaze-inclusivity-and-diverse-voices-in-beowulf-studies

deadline for submissions: September 25, 2021

full name / name of organization: Richard Fahey - NeMLA 2022

contact email: rfahey@nd.edu

Beowulf studies has traditionally been the domain of white male scholars who have historically dominated both the scholarship and translations of the poem. This session seeks to decenter the white male gaze and invites novel perspectives from often marginalized voices in the field to contribute to the many ongoing academic conversations focused on Beowulf.

Although in the field of Beowulf studies, Beowulf has long been regarded as a poem about men and for men, this session rejects such notions and seeks to highlight the formative role women play both in the poem and in the scholarship. Moreover, this session intends to explore the role of race in both the poem and the scholarship, and scholars of color, who have even more underrepresented that women in the field, are especially encouraged to submit proposals. Some recommended topics might include discussion of the role of women in the poem or women’s contributions to scholarship and translations of Beowulf. Other recommended topics might include exploring the role of race and tribalism in the poem, examining the effects of ethno-nationalism and toxic masculinity on interpretations of Beowulf and its literary afterlives, highlighting scholars of color’s contributions to Beowulf studies or centering the perspectives of the monsters.

Please send paper proposals (along with your contact information and a brief academic biography) and/or questions directly to session organizer, Richard Fahey at rfahey@nd.edu. Unless otherwise directed, he will submit the panel details to the conference.

Last updated June 23, 2021

CFP Monsters of Beowulf (8/1/2021; NEPCA virtual 10/21-23/21)

 Our kick-off event:

Monsters of Beowulf: Past, Present, Future

Session Proposed for the 2021 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association

Sponsored by the Monsters & the Monstrous Area

Virtual event, Thursday, 21 October, through Saturday, 23 October 2021.

Proposals due by 1 August 2021.

 

The Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association (a.k.a. NEPCA) prides itself on holding conferences that emphasize sharing ideas in a non-competitive and supportive environment. We welcome proposals for presentations of 15-20 minutes in length, from researchers at all levels, including undergraduate and graduate students, junior faculty, and senior scholars, as well as independent scholars. NEPCA conferences offer intimate and nurturing sessions in which new ideas and works-in-progress can be aired, as well as completed projects.

For this session, we’re looking for papers that explore and highlight the reception and representation of the monsters of Beowulf in popular culture.

 

If you are interested in joining this session, please submit the following information into NEPCA’s online form at http://bit.ly/PopCFP2021.

·         Proposal Type (Single Presentation or Panel)

·         Subject Area (select the “Monsters and the Monstrous” from the list)

·         Working Title

·         Abstract (250 words)

·         Short bio (50-200 words)

Address any inquiries to the area chairs: Michael A. Torregrossa at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com.

Presenters are also required to become members of NEPCA for the year.