The UNM Hobbit Society is now accepting submissions for its second annual Fantasy & Science-Fiction Colloquium, “Intellectual Hooliganism,” set for Thursday, April 1, from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the UNM Honors Forum
To apply,submit a one-page proposal abstract to tolkien@unm.edu by March 10 at 5:00 p.m. The Hobbit Society will consider submissions dealing with any fantasy and/or science fiction text* in a scholarly fashion. All presentation formats are welcome, papers or audio-visual experiences that do not exceed 15 minutes in length.
Include contact information: name, phone number and email, as well as whether the presentation requires audio-visual equipment. Presenters will be notified of acceptance on or before March 14. *”Text” means in the broadest sense: films, comic books, television, video games and beyond are all open for scholarly analysis here.
“…at the Berkeley campus bookstore Fred Cody, the manager, said: “This is more than a campus craze; it’s like a drug dream.” In the U.S. hobbits have quite replaced Salinger and Golding as “in” reading. Tolkien seems to promote a mild kind of intellectual hooliganism. But his supporters argue (overwhelmingly) that, on the contrary, it does everyone good to stay in the Tolkien world, where things are still green; there is hope for people and pleasantness.” – NY TIMES, 1967
With the publication of The Hobbit in 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien revolutionized fantasy as something acceptable for both scholars and ordinary readers. Since then, the literary genres of fantasy and science fiction have steadily gained attention in the academic world. The UNM Hobbit Society, in honor of Professor Tolkien, is initiating this colloquium as an annual event to encourage UNM students to study fantasy and science fiction literature in a scholarly manner and share their findings with others.
“Intellectual Hooliganism” will consist of 8-10 brief, ten to fifteen-minute presentations. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Leslie A. Donovan, University Honors Program, 277-4313, or ldonovan@unm.edu.
