Penetrating Interiors in the Eighteenth Century

This panel seeks to contextualize British authors' fervent commitment to examining interior experience in literature of the eighteenth century. Why are readers immersed in the private acts of characters, acts such as sex, prayer, pleasure, reading, writing, labor, domestic experience? What are the philosophical, spiritual, epistemological, and/or moral underpinnings of interiority in the eighteenth century, and how do they shape literary production? Papers addressing all genres welcome. Presentations no longer than 20 minutes.

Deadline for proposals is 9/15/06. Please email abstracts as MS Word attachments to lubeyk@stjohns.edu or regular mail (though email is preferred) to Kathleen Lubey, Department of English, St John Hall B40-13, St John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens NY 11439.