The Early Modern Center of the University of California, Santa Barbara and its affiliates invite scholars to attend the EMC Winter Conference, "Straws in the Wind: Ballads and Broadsides, 1500-1800." This two-day interdisciplinary event derives its title from a comment made by John Selden (whose collection of ballads Samuel Pepys built upon) in touting the importance of ballads, or what he called "libels" of his time. "Though some make slight of libels," Selden protests, "yet you may see by them how the wind sits. As take a straw, and throw it up into the air; you shall see by that which way the wind is, which you shall not do by casting up a stone." This conference provides a space to interrogate these "scattered straws" from a range of perspectives. How do they function as cultural artifacts or as indicators of their historical moments? What are the lasting impacts and legacies of ballad culture? If ballads and broadsides have the capacity to show trends of popular culture, do they also have the potential to change them?

The two-day program offers seven exciting panels representing a variety of disciplines, on topics including ballad collection, aesthetics, monsters, gender and transgression, class, the political and the transatlantic.

Among the speakers are such distinguished scholars as:

• Julie Crawford
  
• Frances E. Dolan
  
• Dianne Dugaw
  
• Patricia Fumerton
  
• Anita Guerrini
  
• Ruth Perry
  
• Sean Shesgreen
  
• William B. Warner
  
• Joy Wiltenburg
  

In addition to two days of formal panels and papers, the conference will include an evening of song and ballad performance! For more details on the program, please see the working conference schedule.

Registration information is available below. You may register by mail or email.

Conference Sponsors:

The University of California Humanities Research Initiative (UCHRI)

And from UCSB:
The Early Modern Center
The College of Arts and Sciences
The Division of Humanities and Fine Arts
The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center

As well as the following UCSB deparments and programs:
English Department
Art History
Comparative Literature
Dramatic Arts
French and Italian
History
Spanish and Portuguese
Women's Studies

CALL FOR PAPERS

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE    

NIGHT OF SONGS EVENT     [Friday-- Click here to listen to recordings of the night's performances!]

SATURDAY DINNER

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Registration Deadline: February 10th.

Please register early; there is limited seating for the Night of Songs and Saturday dinner.

You may register by mail or email.

Conference Fees:

Registration: The conference is free and open to the public.
Night of Songs Event [Reception and Dinner]: $25 ($15 for students)
Saturday Dinner: $35

To confirm your reservation for the dinners, please send a check for the appropriate amount to Jessica Murphy at the address below.
A check with your name prominently marked should be made out to Patricia Fumerton.

To register by mail:
Please download and mail your completed REGISTRATION FORM to the address below.     (Must have Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Jessica Murphy
Department of English
2607 South Hall
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California 93106-3170
(805) 893-4365
jcmurphy@umail.ucsb.edu

To register by email:
Please include the following information in an email to emc_conference_06@yahoo.com.
Type "Registration" in the subject line.

Your Name
Departmental Affiliation
University Affiliation
E-mail Address
Mailing Address
Telephone Number
Are Faculty, Student, or other?
Will you attend the Night of Songs event on Friday night?
Will you attend the Saturday dinner?

Confirm your dinner reservations by mailing a check for the cost of the meals to Jessica Murphy at the above address. Your check should have your name prominently marked and should be made payable to Patricia Fumerton.

Be sure to register early for the Night of Songs Event and the Saturday dinner! Seating will be limited.

Feel free to contact the conference committee with any questions at: emc_conference_06@yahoo.com

For information on travel to and accommodations near UC Santa Barbara, please visit the English Department's Visitor Information page.