Court and Spark: An international symposium on the work of Joni Mitchell.

School of English and Journalism,
University of Lincoln, U.K.
July 3rd, 2015.

*Call for papers*

Joni Mitchell is widely recognised as an innovative, influential, much-loved and much-imitated artist. From her debut album Song to a Seagull to her most recent Shine, Mitchell’s music: her tunings, her lyrics, her scope has drawn critical and popular acclaim. And yet, scholarly attention to her work has been relatively limited. This symposium will attend to Mitchell as a figure worthy of sustained critical thought and appreciation.

The School of English and Journalism at the University of Lincoln invites you to join us in considering all things Mitchell. Academics, music critics, fans are encouraged to attend. Paper proposals that mix personal with critical, historical, musicological, or cultural-studies analyses are welcome.


Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Considerations of the relationship between Mitchell’s visual art and her music.
- Politics and political activism in Mitchell’s music [for example: Mitchell as reluctant feminist, Mitchell’s ecocriticism].
- Race in Mitchell’s work.
- Low affect in Mitchell’s work [disappointment, boredom, ennui, alienation].
- High affect in Mitchell’s work [joy, desire, excitement, enchantment].
- Commodification, stardom, the market and fame.
- Cover versions and reworkings.
- The politics of space and travel in Mitchell’s work.
- Mitchell in popular culture.
- Mitchell’s histories.
- Queer Mitchell.

Please send paper proposals of 300 words, plus a short bio to Dr. Ruth Charnock at rcharnock@lincoln.ac.uk by 14th January, 2015.