Walt Whitman International Festival (WWIF)
August 9, 10, 11, 2019 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Walt@200 – Bicentennial Birthday Celebration
Call for Papers
Walt Whitman Birthplace Association (WWBA) invites you to attend the inaugural Walt Whitman International Festival (WWIF) to be held August 9-11, 2019 at Walt’s Birthplace on Long Island, NY, in celebration of Whitman’s Bicentennial birthday. Join this historic celebration.
Walt was born here in 1819 in a home built by his father. In Walt’s poem, “There Was a Child Went Forth,” he commemorates his Birthplace environs that “became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day.”
Walk in Walt’s footsteps and join the International Festival in a way that suits you best: as a presenter, as an attendee, as a friend of Whitman. There will be academic presentations, musical interludes, theatrical events, a high school student program, poetry readings and marathon readings of “Leaves of Grass.”
Presenters will cover a wide range of topics on Walt Whitman. We hope you will take this opportunity to meet an international crowd, present your ideas, learn from accomplished scholars and poets, network with a broad Whitman audience and enjoy the festivities.
Featured Speaker
Ed Folsom, PhD, The Roy J. Carver Professor of English, University of Iowa. Professor Folsom is the author and editor of numerous Whitman books, including Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song and Walt Whitman’s Native Representations (both Choice “Outstanding Academic Books”). He has been the keynote speaker at four international Whitman conferences, co-directs the online Walt Whitman Archive, edits the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review, and edits the University of Iowa Press Whitman Series.
Submission Deadline: December 1, 2018
We are looking for papers that examine different aspects of Walt Whitman and his contribution to humanity. Studies relevant to culture, using any scholarly method, are welcome.
Decision notification: January 10, 2019
Topics of interest for paper or panel proposals include, but are not limited to:
• Impact of Whitman on domestic and international social justice issues
• Whitman’s influence on pop culture (e.g.: Breaking Bad, Dead Poets Society, The Twilight Zone, Paper Towns, Volvo and Levi’s commercials)
• Significance of place in early childhood: how the ecological landscape impacts children and/or impacted Whitman
• The spectrum of Whitman’s sexuality
• Comparative approaches to Whitman and other poets
• Technology and Whitman
• Cross-cultural influences created by Whitman’s poetry in politics, art, music, social media and other aspects of society
To submit a proposal, email director@waltwhitman.org and submit a paper abstract of 250 words or a panel proposal including short abstracts and titles of each prospective paper. Include in your submission the name, affiliation, address, and email address of each author/participant as well as their CV/bio. You must specify any special AV or scheduling needs when submitting your proposal.
Presenters – Registration to Present a Paper: $125 ($100 for Graduate Students) due July 1, 2019
Early Bird Registration: $100 ($75 for Graduate Students) due March 1, 2019
Attendees: $30/day, $75 for 3 days (Early Bird Special – $60 for 3 days due June 1, 2019)
Seniors & Students: $20/day, $45 for 3 days (Early Bird Special – $35 for 3 days due June 1, 2019)
If you wish to pursue financial grants to present or attend, we will be glad to provide a letter to help support your grant seeking.
Co-Directors
Cynthia Shor (WWBA Executive Director): director@waltwhitman.org
Phone: 631-427-5240 x111
Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan (2017 WWBA Long Island Poet of the Year, Poet Laureate Suffolk County 2009-2011)
Location of Walt Whitman International Festival:
Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site
246 Old Walt Whitman Road
Huntington Station, NY 11746