CALL FOR PAPERS

 THEORY OF MIND AND LITERATURE CONFERENCE

NOVEMBER 1-3, 2007

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

Word document version

"Theory of Mind and Literature" is the first conference devoted solely to the implications for the theory and study of literature of the psychological activity of inferring what other people are thinking, perceiving or feeling. This process sometimes lightly called "mindreading," is generally considered in cognitive science to be facilitated by the possession of a Theory of Mind (ToM). ToM may be one of the things that makes litearture - the writing and reading of literature, as well as the social relationships among characters in works of literature - possible.

The conference seeks to present a broadly representative array of approaches, theoretical as well as empirical, general as well as attuned to specific literary topics and fields. In addition to literary scholars and theorists, we encourage paper proposals from researchers in psychology, linguistics, the neurosciences, anthropology, and philosophy of mind. Papers may address theoretical or conceptual aspects of ToM, study the mindreading activities of literary characters, investigate the implications of ToM for the reading process, address matters of authorship, or related subjects.

Keynote speakers will be: Keith Oakley, University of Toronto, Mark Turner, Case Western Reserve University, and Lisa Zunshine, University of Kentucky

Proposal Submission

Step 1
Send 200-300 word proposals by email only no later than May 1, 2007, to any of the conference organizers:

Paula Leverage (in French) at leverage@purdue.edu
Howard Mancing (in Spanish) at mancing@purdue.edu
Richard Schweickart (in Pyschology) at swike@psych.purdue.edu
Jennifer William (in German) at jmwilliam@purdue.edu

Step 2
Proposals will be reviewed by the conference organizers and acceptance notifications delivered by email by June 15, 2007.

Step 3
Register for the conference using the online form (soon to be set up) on the web page as early as possible, but no later than September 15, 2007.