"Was Student -- Am Now Writer"
Hosted by Fitzgerald in Saint Paul and the College St. Scholastica-Saint Paul Campus
June 25-July 1, 2017
For only the second time in its history, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society will gather in the author’s hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota, for a week-long celebration of his Midwestern roots and the importance of regionalism, home, and youth in his writing.
Fitzgerald was, of course, born in Saint Paul and spent most of his formative years there. The conference theme, Was student – am now writer, comes from Fitzgerald’s military discharge interview, and marks the acknowledgement of his emergence in Saint Paul as a writer. It was in Saint Paul where he first developed the class consciousness that defines his work; where he wrote and performed his earliest theatrical pieces; where he drafted This Side of Paradise in 1919 in a desperate push to win the hand of Zelda Sayre; and where he and Zelda returned in 1921 for the birth of their daughter, Scottie. Saint Paul is the setting for some of his finest short fiction, including "Winter Dreams" and the charming Basil & Josephine stories.
While we will happily entertain proposals on all aspects of Fitzgerald’s life and work, due to the location, we particularly encourage papers that focus on Midwestern influences and affinities. Possible topics include both widely reprinted stories ("Bernice Bobs Her Hair") and neglected ones ("At Your Age," "A Short Trip Home"); the geographical importance of specific Saint Paul sites in his work; his relationship to other Minnesota writers (from Sinclair Lewis to Louise Erdrich and beyond); his friendships within the Saint Paul literary and artistic community (Thomas and Peggy Boyd, Charles and Grace Flandrau, Clara Mairs, et al.); and his relevance to both past and present representations of Midwestern-ness. Thematic emphases on home and/or youth would also be fitting.
As we look forward to the centennial celebrations of Fitzgerald’s works, we are also interested in theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches that consider his writing in a new light and innovative approaches to teaching his oeuvre.
At the conference, unique opportunities to visit historic Fitzgerald sites and locations, as well as community celebrations of his work will be offered to attendees. Additional information will be posted on the conference website www.Fitzgerald2017.org later this summer.
Please send your 250-500 word proposal (noting any audio/visual requests) along with a brief C.V. or biographical statement to our official conference email, fitzinstpaul17@gmail.com. THE DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS NOVEMBER 1, 2016. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by January 15, 2017.