The Fan Studies Network

Queer Fan Cultures in Greater China, edited collection

Editors:
Maud Lavin, School of the Art Institute of Chicago;
Ling Yang, Xiamen University;
Jing Zhao, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Contact Email: queerfandom2014@yahoo.com

Timeline:
Proposal due May 30, 2014 (1000-1500 words);
Acceptance Notification by July 30, 2014;
Final Submission due Dec 30, 2014 (5000-8500 words)

CALL:
Queer fandom nowadays has become a global phenomenon. It helps exemplify the complexities, anxieties, conflicts, and negotiations within and surrounding the collision of global, national, and regional cultures. Some of its subdivided fields, such as Western slash and Japanese Boys’ Love (BL), have received significant academic attention since 1980s (e.g., Aoyama, 1988; Bacon-Smith 1992; Buckley 1991; Fujimoto 1991; Jenkins 1992; Kinsella 1998; Matsui 1993; Penley 1992; Russ 1985). Especially in recent years, the distributions and interpretations of BL across language and geographical boundaries, the distinctiveness and similarities between BL and slash genres, the pornographic aspect of BL, slash, and other forms of queer fannish productions have been emphasized in a body of scholarly literature worldwide (e.g., Brienza 2009; Chao 2013; Galbraith 2011; Glasspool 2013; Isaksson 2009; Keft-Kennedy 2008; Levi 2009; Levi & McHarry & Pagliassotti 2010; Martin 2012; McLelland 2000; Meyer 2013; Mizoguchi 2008; Nagaike 2003; Nagaike 2009; Pagliassotti 2009; Penley 1991; Perper & Cornog 2002; Sabucco 2003; Shamoon 2012; Silvio 2011; Welker 2006; Wood 2006; Wood 2013; Zanghellini 2009).

Meanwhile, the blooming of Chinese queer fandoms in the past two decades has also offered rich sites of queer representations of gender and sexuality. Greatly shaped by Chinese traditional romantic literature, Japanese BL, and Western slash cultures (Feng 2009; Xu & Yang 2013; Yang & Bao 2012; Zheng 2009), contemporary Chinese queer fan cultures have been enjoying a growing diversity. The objects Chinese fans queerly fantasize about are by no means limited to local Chinese celebrities, nor to self-identified queer celebrities. The proliferation of cross-regional, cross-cultural, and transnational Chinese queer fandoms dedicated to androgynous celebrities, queer media, and popular culture is also hard to ignore. Yet, research explicating the intricacies of gender identities, sexual desires, regional differences, national belongings, and global queer cultural convergence and hybridization within Chinese queer fandoms is still far from adequate.

To fill this research gap, this edited collection stresses the struggles, potentials, and dynamics of queerness unveiled within a variety of the fannish contexts of Greater China. Bearing on the intersecting of global cultures studies, post-colonial studies, modern queer theory, and media audience research, we view queerness as a nonstraight spectatorial position (Doty 1993; Kohnen 2008) and/or a productive space (Munoz 1999). These expansive interests have also renegotiated certain online relations along homosocial lines, at times blurring, at times contesting boundaries between fans who define themselves as queers and those who do not. Accordingly, we aim to examine Chinese queer fandom as a grassroots cultural palimpsest that reconfigure, contest against, trespass, and/or overturn the dominant scripts of identity and subjectivity.

We seek chapter contributions that elaborate the cultural specificities, significances, transformativity, hybridity, historicity, and futurity epitomized by Chinese queer fan cultures. We are especially keen to receive manuscripts that consider the queer dimensions of gender, sexuality, desire, and fantasy from a wide range of Chinese temporal and geographical settings. We also very welcome submissions that employ interdisciplinary and/or comparative approaches.

Manuscript topics may include but are not limited to:
—Genders and Sexualities in Chinese Boys’ Love/Slash and Girls’ Love/Femslash Fandoms
—Queerness and Performativity in Chinese Fandoms Dedicated to Anime and Cosplay/Role-Play/Life-Play
—Chinese Queer Readings of Media, Popular Culture, and Celebrities Worldwide
—Chinese Queer Fans’ Gender- and Sexuality-Related Identities, Agencies, Subjectivities, Fantasies, Desires, Connections, and Relationships within Fan Communities
—Racial Representation, Distant Cultural Construction, and Non-Chinese Imagination in Chinese Queer Fan Cultures
—The Interrelationship and Interaction between Chinese Queer Fandoms, Queer Organizations, Queer Movements, Queer Politics, and Queer Grassroots Publics and Communities
—Queer, Pornographic Representations of Male/Female Sexualities in Chinese Queer Fandoms
—The Transgressiveness, Multivalence, and Constructedness of Masculinities and Femininities in Chinese Fan-Made Queer Productions
—Violence, Abuse, and Aggressiveness in Chinese Fan-Made Queer Productions
—The Interplay of the Boom of Boys’ Love/Slash and/or Girls’ Love/Femslash Industries, Fans’ Passions for Queering and Queerness, and the Commercialization of and Censorship on Queer Media in Greater China
—Imaginaries Related to Transgender Issues that Intersect with Chinese Queer Fan Practices
—Rethinkings of Fandom and Homosociality Related to Broadly Defined Chinese Queer Fan Practices

Note:
We are only interested in academic analytic papers grounded in certain critical/theoretical perspectives that have NOT been published elsewhere.

To submit chapter proposal submissions for consideration, please send a 1000- to 1500-word abstract (outlining the topic, methods, and fan-related materials used) with working bibliography and a CV to the book editors at queerfandom2014@yahoo.com by May 30th, 2014.

Acceptance will be handled on a rolling basis till the end of July, 2014. Early submissions are strongly encouraged.

Completed, well-polished papers from accepted contributors should run between 5,000 to 8,500 words and are expected before the end of December, 2014.

Fan Phenomena: Rocky Horror Picture Show

Editor, Marisa C. Hayes

Now accepting abstracts to be considered for a new book Fan Phenomena: The Rocky Horror Picture Show from Intellect Press. This title will be part of the latest series of Fan Phenomena books, which aim to explore and decode the fascination we have with what constitutes an iconic or cultish phenomenon and how a particular person, TV show or film infiltrates its way into the public consciousness.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Fan Phenomena) title will examine the film’s fan culture, its essential role in creating the midnight movie, audience participation, and cult film cultures, as well as other areas of influence and social impact. Subjects are to be addressed in a thoughtful and accessible manner aimed at both fans and those interested in the cultural and social aspects of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to:

– the film’s role in creating a culture of the midnight movie, audience participation, and the cult film circuit

-influence of developing the pastiche tribute film (for its homage to B-Grade Sci Fi, Hammer horror, early 20^th century musicals, pulp, comics, etc.)

-queer theory

-sexual liberation

-glam rock aesthetics/drag style

-hedonism

-language and linguistics explorations pertaining to the creative use of dialogue and audience call and response during the film

-diverse aspects of fan art, fan tributes, and fan culture

-economics of fan culture, including creation of low budget cult classic and/or how a cult subject becomes a franchise (sequels, stage revivals, etc.)

Ten essays will be selected and published within the following broad section categories: Fashion, Fan Media, Language, Economics, Virtual, Influence, Philosophies, Character/Characterization.

Abstracts should be 300 words long. Please include a CV or resume with your abstract. Abstracts due March 3, 2014. Final chapters of 3,000-3,500 words will be due July 15, 2014. Please direct all questions and submissions to editor Marisa Hayes: marisa@videodansebourgogne.com

CFP:  Twitter, Celebrity and online public identity

Abstracts due: 28^th Feb 2014

Contact and submissions to: Sarah Thomas skt@aber.ac.uk

The ongoing adoption of Twitter as a tool for communication, broadcasting and interaction has meant that the social media platform has emerged as a significant site for re-thinking some of the key relationships between celebrity, performance and the presentation of the self. This CFP seeks short articles for Celebrity Studies Journal Forum section that explore Twitter and its usage beyond its status as a ‘new’ platform (that positions its singular significance through comparison with traditional representational media). We aim to consider the diversity of presentational modes that Twitter allows for through an examination of the different functions, usages, modes of address and performance that may operate across the site in its own right. In particular, we are interested in the way the platform has re-invigorated debates around the conception of authenticity as a way of understanding the online presentation of public personalities, and are especially interested in receiving submissions that explore the following topics:

• The presentation of self online
• Authenticity and interactivity
• Performance, authenticity and the digital self
• Interactive celebrity
• Digital labour and celebrity
• Online spaces of ‘public privacy’

The special issue of the journal will incorporate the style and ethos of Twitter in the submissions:

Abstracts should be 140 words.

The short articles should begin with reference to a specific Tweet that sparks the analysis within the rest of the article.

The final word count for the article will be between 750 and 1,500 words, depending on the number of accepted submissions.

Detailed schedule of production

Abstracts due: 28^th Feb

First drafts: 28^th March

Editors return: 25^th April

Final drafts: 23^rd May

Contact and submissions to: Sarah Thomas skt@aber.ac.uk