CFP: Star Bodies and the Erotics of Suffering anthology

CFP: Star Bodies and the Erotics of Suffering (Anthology)

Edited by Rebecca Bell-Metereau and Colleen Glenn

Please email queries, proposals, or=97better yet=97completed essays to rb12=
@txstate.edu by December 29, 2013. We will respond promptly.

Star Bodies and the Erotics of Suffering is a collection of essays currentl=
y under final consideration at a university press. The collection deals spe=
cifically with the link between suffering and onscreen transformations and =
the star persona. At the suggestion of our reviewers, we are currently seek=
ing one or two additional contributions on contemporary stars who represent=
 more ethnic or racial diversity. While we are open to essays on male stars=
 (Denzel Washington or Sidney Poitier would be great additions), we are par=
ticularly interested in essays on female stars of color, such as Halle Berr=
y, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, =
or others.=20

Please see the original proposal below for our collection.

It is common wisdom that an actor=92s ability to project an enduring image=
=97both symbolic and physical=97over the course of a career often predicts =
box office success. Movie stardom is inherently associated with continuity,=
 yet what happens to stars who struggle to maintain a stable screen identit=
y, who wish to break away from typecasting, or who suffer or grow old onscr=
een? Such stars disrupt the narratives around which their star personas hav=
e been constructed, offering film scholars a rich opportunity to address is=
sues of casting, audience expectation, and the tensions at play between an =
actor=92s double role as human individual and symbol.

In Star Bodies and the Erotics of Suffering, we interrogate this notion of =
the continuity-image as we examine the struggles of individual stars to tra=
nsform their iconic identities and to manage and mine the suffering they ex=
perience both onscreen and in their personal lives. A variety of contributo=
rs examine how stars suffer, age, or change onscreen and off screen, focusi=
ng on those moments or periods in which the continuity of the star persona =
is disrupted or damaged.

We include analyses of before/after stories (Mickey Rourke and Joaquin Phoe=
nix), tales of the longevity of actors and how they manage to mine personal=
 suffering (like Rock Hudson and Marilyn Monroe) or employ age to an effect=
 (like Clint Eastwood). Our collection also deals with stars who are contin=
ually "punished" onscreen, such as Sissy Spacek and Hilary Swank. This coll=
ection covers a range of eras from the 1950s to the present, with the major=
 emphasis on American film celebrities. Star power and celebrity have been =
a significant force from the rise of the star system to the present day, bu=
t the examples we examine suggest that relatively few stars actually mainta=
in the much-vaunted stability that stardom supposedly demands. This volume =
challenges readers to rethink some common assumptions about the true source=
 of star power and the ethereal nature of celebrity.

Contributors, Audience, Approaches:

Contributors take eclectic approaches to their subjects, ranging from tradi=
tional scholarly and formal analyses to more creative avenues, such as a ph=
oto essay on Michael Jackson=92s transformation during the 1980s. The diver=
sity and range of this international set of contributors brings a freshness=
 and contemporaneity to the collection that will appeal to scholars, studen=
ts, and film buffs alike. Written in readable prose and supplemented with w=
ell-chosen stills and original photographs, this collection will contribute=
 new insights to scholarly discussions of stardom and work equally as suppl=
emental or foundational reading in a course on star acting and the star sys=
tem.

After an overview of the topic, we divide essays into four broad sections, =
grouping chapters through a rough chronology into thematic categories: the =
foundation of suffering and dual identity, the quest for eternal youth, the=
 transformation to maturity and aging, and reconfigurations of celebrity.  =
Our themes encompass physical transformations and dramatic reinventions, th=
e relationship between public fame and private pain, and the articulation b=
etween the image and reality of star personas and the actor who embodies th=
e celebrity identity.

Please email proposals, queries, or completed essays to [email protected] by=
 December 29, 2013.=20

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