Call for Papers

SCSECS 2025

Lost and Found in the Eighteenth Century

The South Central Society for Eighteenth Century Studies and the James Smith Noel Collection invite you to present papers and organize conference panels on being lost and found in the long eighteenth century. Whether one is lost at sea or lost in thought, finding one's bearings can bring about new insights and inspirations. Discovering the answers to the mysteries of existence has led to whole new understandings of the world around and within us -- and whole new speculations about the unseen and unknown. We look forward to hearing your guiding perspectives.

Individual paper proposals and proposals for full panels (with presenters) will be accepted until December 1, 2024. Before submitting an individual paper proposal, please see our list of proposed panels below and contact the chair directly. We recommend that you include an abstract of up to 250 words along with the paper's title. If none of the panels seems to fit your idea, contact SCSECS President Martha Lawler directly.
The conference will be held February 6-8, 2025 at the Hilton Shreveport Convention Center Hotel, 104 Market Street, Shreveport, LA. Registration will be $149. The Hilton Shreveport, which is located in historic downtown Shreveport, which boasts several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Let them know you are with SCSECS so you can get the conference rate of $139 for a room with 2 queen beds and $149 for one king bed.All reservations must be made by January 17, 2025, in order to receive the discounted group rate. The hotel will continue to accept reservations from guests after this date, butrooms will be reserved at the standard rate and subject to availability.

Please note that there will be a tour of the James Smith Noel Collection at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, which is a private collection that contains over 3,000 items produced before 1850. Conference attendees are encouraged to make use of the collection while they are here, perhaps by spending a day or two before or after the conference. We look forward to seeing you.

For further information about the conference or the conference venue, please contact the current SCSECS President, Martha Lawler, at Martha.Lawler@lsus.edu

SCSECS February 2025 proposed panels

If your paper idea fits one of these topics, please contact the panel chair directly.
Otherwise, email SCSECS President Martha Lawler at Martha.Lawler@lsus.edu

Note: Some untitled panel proposals consider travels to, from, and within unfamiliar lands and spaces and travel literature as related to Fanny Burney and Jane Austen. A special panel on eighteenth-century music is being developed in memory of Dr. Gloria Eive, who passed away earlier this year. Individual paper proposals we have received so far have included, among other suggestions, an examination of the effects of losing one’s vanity and, perhaps therefore, one’s sense of self and finding a lost ancestor.

"Losing and Finding God (and Vice Versa) in the Long Eighteenth Century." -- Chair, Brett McInelly. brett_mcinelly@byu.edu

"Intercultural Dialogues, Translations, and Philosophies." -- Chair: Linda Reesman. LReesman@qcc.cuny.edu

"Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Long Eighteenth Century." -- Chair, Kathryn Duncan. kathryn.duncan@saintleo.edu

"Lost in Austen." -- Chair, Kathryn Duncan. kathryn.duncan@saintleo.edu

"Asia in the Eighteenth Century." -- Chair, Susan Spencer. sspencer@uco.edu

"Lost and Found in the Novels of Frances Burney." -- Chair, Catherine Parisian. catherine.parisian@uncp.edu

"Lost in the Archives." -- Chair, Catherine Parisian. catherine.parisian@uncp.edu

"Lost (or Found) at Sea: Lessons from Maritime Trade, Leisure, and Exploration in the 18th century." -- Chair, Susan Spencer. sspencer@uco.edu

"Found, Lost, and Found Again: Discovery, Rediscovery, and Recovery in All Aspects of the Long Eighteenth-Century Experience." -- Chair, Kevin Cope. encope@lsu.edu

"Ghosts of Artists Past: Finding Lost Sources for Artworks Created During the Long 18th Century." -- Chair: Dr. Elizabeth Lisot-Nelson. elisot@uttyler.edu

"Les Objets (indigènes) trouvés: Indigenous lost and found along the Mississippi in 18th-century French documents." Closed panel.

The blue background and decorative details on this and other pages on the SCSECS website were taken from some of many beautiful books on the Noel Collection shelves.

SCSECS Home Page

	The South Central Society for Eighteenth Century Studies and the James Smith Noel Collection invite you to present papers and organize conference panels on being lost and found in the long eighteenth century. Whether one is lost at sea or lost in thought, finding one's bearings can bring about new insights and inspirations. Discovering the answers to the mysteries of existence has led to whole new understandings of the world around and within us -- and whole new speculations about the unseen and unknown. We look forward to hearing your guiding perspectives.
	Individual paper proposals and proposals for full panels (with presenters) will be accepted until December 1, 2024. Before submitting an individual paper proposal, please see our list of proposed panels below and contact the chair directly. We recommend that you include an abstract of up to 250 words along with the paper's title. If none of the panels seems to fit your idea, contact SCSECS President Martha Lawler directly. The conference will be held February 6-8, 2025 at the Hilton Shreveport Convention Center Hotel, 104 Market Street, Shreveport, LA. Registration will be $149. The Hilton Shreveport, which is located in historic downtown Shreveport, which boasts several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Let them know you are with SCSECS so you can get the conference rate of $139 for a room with 2 queen beds and $149 for one king bed.All reservations must be made by January 17, 2025, in order to receive the discounted group rate. The hotel will continue to accept reservations from guests after this date, butrooms will be reserved at the standard rate and subject to availability.
	Please note that there will be a tour of the James Smith Noel Collection at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, which is a private collection that contains over 3,000 items produced before 1850. Conference attendees are encouraged to make use of the collection while they are here, perhaps by spending a day or two before or after the conference. We look forward to seeing you.