Book Reviews and Beyond. The Transformations of Literature and Art
Criticism in Periodicals Between the 18th and the 21st Century
Milan, 3-5 June 2020
Although unquestionably all-pervasive within the history of modern and
contemporary press, the ‘review form’ has been to present an
understudied practice. In fact, this multi-faceted, cross-disciplinary
form that has persistently accompanied the different phases in the
evolution of “print-capitalism” has hardly been analysed from a
theoretical perspective. This dismissal by the academic world is
certainly peculiar, if not manifestly contradictory; however, it
significantly testifies of the difficulty of investigating such a
slippery object of study critically.
The very ‘physiognomy’ of the book or film review, inherently wavering
between the duty to inform and the needs of the market, influenced as it
is by the definition of ‘taste’, makes this form difficult to tackle
with a sound methodological approach. Since the beginning of the XVIII
century, the book and film review has proved to be an essential
interface between cultural supply and demand, and it has always been
something more than a weapon to reach fame and recognition. Depending of
the position gained in the literary or film fields, the review has often
determined the success or failure of a creative enterprise, of a name or
reputation. This particular device has been the yardstick of the most
diverse sensibilities and tempers, from the learned expert to the
passionate amateur. In this, its proliferation has foreshadowed the
changes in the reception processes of works no longer provided with an
‘aura’ and therefore prone to the whims of a mass audience, whose
judgments ultimately assessed their value.
For these reasons, it is hard to trace the evolution of the ‘review
form’ from a single point of view while focusing on the mechanisms that
have triggered its fortune. As a crucial touchstone of intellectual
production, the review still performs its essential normative function,
contributing to outlining the ever-evolving “horizon of expectations” of
its audiences, often identified with an ideal corpus which should
epitomise a shared canon. On the other hand, as a social process, the
review tends to keep track of the continuing dialectics between
mainstream aesthetic values and their renegotiation in distinct contexts
and/or communities of consumption.
In the light of the rapidly-changing scenario of media and technologies,
the conference “Book Reviews and Beyond” aims at exploring this
compelling area of research in accordance with the interdisciplinary
perspective of periodical studies, with particular focus on the period
from the eighteenth century to the turn of the new millennium.
The topics that will be discussed include, but are by no means be
limited to:
the formats of the review and its relevant features;
the history of the review in the modern and contemporary publishing
industry;
the types and subgenres of the review;
art, film, music, theatre, videogame reviews;
the symbolic status of the review;
methods of analysis and theories of the review;
appropriations and declinations of the ‘review form’ in different
disciplinary areas;
the review and the building of the canon;
the language of reviews (styles, lexical choices, discursive practices);
the new modes of the review in the digital era.
Scientific Committee:
Paolo Giovannetti
Andrea Chiurato
Mara Logaldo
Organizing Committee:
Dario Boemia
Stefano Locati
Laura Sica
Deadline for submissions:
1 March, 2020
Please submit a 350-500 words abstract (with brief author bio and
affiliation, 100 words) in English or Italian by 1 March 2020 to
beyondbookreview2020@gmail.com.
Panel submissions are welcome. Panel proposals should include no more
than 4 papers in total, a short description (300 words) together with
abstracts for each of the papers (150-200 words each including details
of the contributor), and the name and contact details of the panel
proposer. The panel proposer should coordinate the submissions for that
panel as a single proposal.
Proposals will be read and evaluated by 25 March 2020. The time of
delivery for each paper should be no more than 20 minutes.
Details regarding the registration procedure and fees for the accepted
proposals will be notified after the evaluation process.
Info
The working languages of the conference are English and Italian but all
speakers are kindly requested to provide slides in English.
For information about the event, and other questions about the
conference program, please contact the Organizing Committee
(beyondbookreview2020@gmail.com).