CFP: V. Nabokov’s The Original of Laura
Nabokov Online Journal, Vol. IV, 2010
The Editors of the Nabokov Online Journal announce a special block of articles devoted to V. Nabokov’s The Original of Laura (scheduled to appear in the fall of 2009). The cluster will be published in the fourth volume of the journal.
Topics:
The list of possible directions to explore can be found below, although these general outlines will be adapted after the actual publication of the fragment of Nabokov’s novel in November 2009. At this point the Editors would appreciate only the declaration of your intention to participate in this discussion.
Format:
Regular-length papers and short scholarly notes are welcome. The manuscripts should follow the MLA style. Please use parenthetical references and add a list of works cited.
Timeframe:
As soon as possible – express your intention to contribute an article or note;
Mid-November 2009 – The Original of Laura will be published worldwide;
List of suggested topics:
1) An intrinsic analysis of the novel: Its plot, structure, imagery, and motifs (to the extent possible when treating a fragment of a work of art in progress);
2) The Original of Laura and the Nabokov canon: The place of the novel in relation to Nabokov’s other writings;
3) Translations of The Original of Laura (we encourage contributions on all available languages in which the work will appear on the market);
4) The poetics of incompleteness (The Original of Laura and other similarly unfinished works);
5) Nabokov as a literary phenomenon: How will his art be viewed in light of the new publication?
6) The publication history of The Original of Laura.
7) Public responses to The Original of Laura.
Contact Information:
Yuri Leving and Nassim Balestrini