A Denbo Center Conference
“Speculative Souths”
“Speculative Souths” is an interdisciplinary symposium that will redirect past regionalist studies of the US South with a transformative focus on “speculative representation,” a way of creatively reimagining identity and place as sites of possibility—building from the past but attuned to the developments of the present and needs of the future
Call for Proposals closes November 2, 2026.
The US South has long been a space upon which others project fantasies of national and regional identity, heroic mythologies of resistance, or nostalgic ideas of “American” identity. Rarely has it been considered a space from which progressive and future-oriented narratives about place and identity emerge and develop. By contrast, the interdisciplinary symposium “Speculative Souths” will consider the US South as a generative, even virtual, space of imagination, entanglement, and possibility.
The symposium will build from the traditions of speculative thought embodied in science fiction and fantasy artforms in order to reexamine place and identities associated with the US South. Papers will play with “speculation” as a creative imaginary from a variety of scholarly perspectives—from economic speculation to the virtuality of digital life to new global economic and cultural networks—to rethink regional studies and the legacies of history within specific localities. Participants will contribute to an emerging international conversation about the importance of redefining “authentic” identity and place in a new media economy that often profits from regional stereotypes.
The three-day symposium will take place at the DCHA in June 2027 and showcase 30-40 speakers, including invited plenaries and panel participants. There will be an open call for participants in Fall 2026, invited plenary speakers, and events with established DCHA community partners (for example, UT Galleries, the Knoxville Museum of Art , the East Tennessee Historical Society, and Central Cinema). Speakers will be nationally recognized scholars in the areas of US southern cultures and arts whose work is at the forefront of speculative studies.
Call for Proposals
The Denbo Center for Humanities & the Arts (DCHA) at the University of Tennessee seeks submissions for its inaugural conference, “Speculative Souths,” which will take place June 10-12, 2027 in Knoxville, TN.
“Speculative Souths” is a symposium that will redirect past regionalist studies of the US South with a transformative focus on “speculative representation,” a way of creatively reimagining identity and place as sites of possibility—building from the past but attuned to the developments of the present and needs of the future. The US South has long been a space upon which others project fantasies of national and regional identity, heroic mythologies of resistance, or nostalgic ideas of “American” identity. Rarely has it been considered a space from which progressive and future-oriented narratives about place and identity emerge and develop. By contrast, the interdisciplinary symposium “Speculative Souths” will consider the US South as a generative space of imagination and possibility.
The symposium will build from the traditions of speculative thought embodied in science fiction and fantasy artforms in order to reexamine place and identities associated with the US South. Beginning with a keynote from Kiese Laymon, the conference will feature roundtable discussions, panel presentations, and visual arts exhibitions that play with “speculation” as a creative imaginary from a variety of perspectives—from literary and cultural representation to the virtuality of digital life to local histories to new global economic and cultural networks—in order to rethink regional studies and the legacies of history within specific localities. Participants will contribute to an emerging international conversation about the importance of redefining “authentic” identity and place in a new media economy that often profits from regional stereotypes. Given the DCHA’s focus on interdisciplinary, humanities-based research, scholars from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and institutional affiliations are welcome.
Proposals can take three forms:
- Individual papers. Proposals should include a 300-word abstract and 100-word bio.
- Panel proposals of more traditional research papers. Proposals should include a 500-word panel introduction, plus 300-word abstracts for each presentation, and 100-word bio for each presenter.
- Roundtable discussions, or more informal, working group-style sessions where participants can share works in progress. Proposals should include a 500-word panel introduction, plus 300-word abstracts for each presentation, and 100-word bio for each participant.
Please submit proposals to the DCHA at [email protected] by November 2, 2026.