ASECS 2012 Burney Society Panels Call for Papers Date: March 22-25, 2012 Place: San Antonio, Texas "Frances Burney and Performativity" (Burney Society Graduate Student Seminar) Alicia Kerfoot, McMaster U. (until August 1, 2011), U. of Prince Edward Island (as of August 1, 2011), Until August 1, 2011: Department of English and Cultural Studies, Chester New Hall 321, McMaster U., 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, Canada L8S 4L9; After August 1, 2011: Department of English, U. of Prince Edward Island, 550 U. Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada C1A 4P3; Tel: (905) 807-1574; Fax: Until August 1, 2011 (905) 777-8316; After August 1, 2011 (902) 566-0363; E-mail: kerfooal@mcmaster.ca This seminar will consider the topic of performativity in Frances Burney's novels, plays, letters, and journals. We seek proposals from graduate students for 10-20 page papers on any aspect of performativity or performance in the works of Frances Burney. No more than four papers will be circulated before the seminar and will be available to view on the Burney Centre website. At the seminar, participants will offer short (five-minute) summaries of their papers, after which a panel of senior scholars will offer short (five-minute) responses to the graduate student papers; these responses will be followed by a question and answer period between the panelists and respondents, after which the chair will facilitate a broader discussion period between participants, respondents, and seminar attendees. Topics of papers may include (but are not limited to) subjects such as play and theatricality, accounts of theatrical and musical performances, the performance of everyday life, clothing, fashion, dress, and costume, movement and dance, embodiment and bodies, the performance of gender, class, race, or national identity, representations of the bon ton and social events (balls, assemblies, public attractions), and performative language and dialogue. The goal of this format is to encourage discussion between graduate students and senior scholars, as well as to foster excitement for new topics and scholarship in Burney studies. Submission deadline: September 15, 2011 "The 'Underminers of Existence': Secondary Characters and Social Comedy in Frances Burney's Fiction" (The Burney Society) Ann Campbell, English Dept., Boise State U., Boise, ID 83725-1525; Tel: (208) 426-1956; Fax: (208) 426-4373; E-mail: anncampbell@boisestate.edu In Cecilia, the protagonist plans to drop all "idle and uninteresting acquaintance"- the "underminers of existence" as she memorably refers to them- so that she may pursue "rational and refined" pursuits such as reading, charity, and real friendship. Burney's novels would look much different, however, if any of her protagonists actually succeeded at excising what Julia Epstein describes as the "plethora of wittily drawn characters" and "abundance of satirically choreographed social scenes" to which they belong from their stories. This panel will address the question of how secondary and satiric figures contribute to the structure or purpose of Burney's fiction. Proposals might address one or more of the following characters, but may focus on any character of this type from any of her novels: Madame Duval, Mr. Lovel, and the Branghtons from Evelina; Mr. Gosport, Mr. Morrice, and Lady Honoria from Cecilia; Miss Margland and Dr. Orkbourne from Camilla; and Miss Arbe and Mrs. Ireton from The Wanderer. Submission deadline: September 15, 2011 Home

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