Call for Papers
The Aesthetics, Poetics, and Philosophy of Narrative
Guest Editor: Noël Carroll
Work on narrative has been going on for several decades, and the concept continues tobe extended into areas, including philosophy, where previously it was not central. It is timely,therefore, to re-examine the concept of narrative in the expanded context of contemporarydebates, for example, in relation to theories of emotion and analyses of the nature of thinkingand reasoning.
The special issue will engage topics in the aesthetics, poetics, and philosophy of narrative—in film, music, dance, and literature—with a focus on new questions and contexts. The poetics ofnarrative includes, for example, narrative structures such as closure, fictional narrators, impliedauthors, allegory, suspense, and point-of-view. The aesthetics of narrative includes, for example,the effects of narratives on readers, listeners, and viewers; the pleasures of narrative; andparadoxes that arise from our commerce with stories. The philosophy of narrative encompassesthe nature of narrative, the ontology of fiction and fictional characters, and the interpretationof and identity conditions for narrative works.
Theoretical essays about special problems of narrative with regard to specific art formsare also germane, as are discussions of narrative in relation to morality, identity, politics, andideology. Interpretive essays of a narrative work that do not serve a wider theoretical projectare not being sought for this special issue.
Submissions should in general be under 7500 words and in accordance with the general guid-elines for submissions (see the JAAC website www.temple.edu/jaac/submissions.htm). Sendsubmissions to [email protected] as an email attachment (in Word, Word Perfect, or as aRich Text File only, please) or two copies by regular mail to: JAAC Office, Department ofPhilosophy, 715 Anderson Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122. Please indicateclearly that your submission is for the special issue on narrative.
Deadline for Submissions: January 7, 2008
For more information, contact Noël Carroll at [email protected]
