2024 WSFS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Call for Papers

April 19-20, 2024

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, California

Theme: Living in the Now and Then:
Memory and Legacy in Folklore Studies 

We live in a time when history and memory are viewed as slippery concepts by some. Our very field is boosted by traditionality and knowledge of past ideas and behaviors, yet the TikTok world lives utterly in the moment as though the past never existed. How do we traverse these valleys and what of the past do we choose to elevate and value. How do our stories reflect these interesting times?

As always, the theme is a suggestion for those considering presentation, but not a requirement. We welcome proposals for organized panels or individual papers, videos or poster sessions on any topic related to folklore. We would like to honor our colleague and friend Robert A. Georges at this event with a panel or two and a toast or three. If you have an idea for a panel or paper with him in mind it would be quite welcome.

The deadline for submitting abstracts for presentations is February 15, 2024. Please submit a short (100-150 word) abstract by email to abstracts@westernfolklore.org.

When you submit your abstract, we ask that you use the following format: LAST NAME, First Name (Affiliation in parentheses). Title in boldface. Abstract text (100-150 words only) in regular typeface (not bold). (Your email address, enclosed in parentheses)

Additional abstract guidelines are available on the Meetings page.

The Archer Taylor Lecture will be given on Friday evening, April 19, by quilt researcher and historian Laurel Horton. The title of her lecture is "Quilts? Really?"