Calls for Papers for SSSL sessions at MLA 2027 in Los Angeles:

Southern Literature and the Limits of Close Reading

A recent trend in literary criticism re-emphasizes the practice of close reading. This panel invites abstracts that offer close readings of southern texts and that interrogate the merits and limits of close reading.

Deadline for submissions: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

David A. Davis, Mercer University, davis_da@mercer.edu

Southern Immigration

Waves of immigration into the U.S. South have reshaped the region’s demographics, enriched its culture, and sparked xenophobic backlash. This panel seeks abstracts that explore literary depictions of the recent immigrant experience in the region.

Deadline for submissions: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

David A. Davis, Mercer University, davis_da@mercer.edu

The Monstrous South

Ghosts, vampires, zombies, and monsters are recurring tropes in southern literature. This panel invites abstracts proposing new analyses and theoretical perspectives on monstrous presences in the U.S. South.

Deadline for submissions: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

David A. Davis, Mercer University, davis_da@mercer.edu