Call for Chapters: Nostalgia and Song: Production, Text, Reception and the Quest for Home
Call for Chapters: “Nostalgia and Song: Production, Text, Reception and the Quest for Home”
Deadline: October 10th 2023
This book will explore a neglected aspect of scholarship surrounding the study of song—its relationship with nostalgia and notions of ‘home’. All of the chapters will examine these factors from the perspective of ‘production’, ‘text’ and/or ‘reception, as alluded to by scholars such as Longhurst (1995) and Nattiez (1990). Potential contributors are encouraged to explore these themes either individually or dialogically.
Examples of the Production theme include questions such as:
What are the relationships between nostalgia and creativity in songs about home?
How are nostalgic production techniques used in song construction?
How is nostalgia used as a form of commercialism in songs about home?
How are post Marxist ideas used to ‘haunt’ songs about home?
How has covid influenced the construction of nostalgic songs about home?
Examples of the Text theme include questions such as:
Case studies of nostalgic songs or albums about home
Musicological analysis of the nostalgic trends of songwriters, songs or albums
‘Escape and return’ narratives in songs or albums about home
Examinations of nostalgic dysphoria songs about home
Post Modern and ‘virtual’ considerations of nostalgic songwriting about home – for example the nostalgic impacts of merging time, place and space
Finally, the Reception theme facilitates authors to examine song via more nostalgic narratives from the perspective of audiences, or indeed more personally, via more subjective perspectives.
The book will be divided into three sections as outlined above and scholars are invited to submit proposals of 300 words that address the given themes.
Accepted chapters will be no more than 6500 (including bibliography and footnotes)
Timeline:
Proposals submitted by October 10th 2023, to paul.carr[at]southwales.ac[dot]uk.
Decisions communicated by November 7th 2023
Accepted and edited chapters finalised by October 7th 2024
Proposed date of publication - Early 2025
A book proposal (including 2 substantive chapters) has already been sent out to Bloomsbury, who have expressed enthusiastic interest with the intension of sending it out for peer review. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me off list.
All best and thanks,
Prof. Paul Carr