Delta Symposium to feature film fest

The Department of English and Philosophy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro has called for papers and presentations for the 21st annual Delta Symposium on April 8-11.

The theme will be “The South Goes to the Movies,” said symposium co-Chairman Gregory Hansen, professor of English and folklore.

“Individual presentations on topics relevant to the history and culture of Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta are welcome,” Hansen said in a news release. “The Delta Symposium features scholarship on blues and other musical expressions, and the symposium’s focus also includes a wide variety of expressive forms that are resonant with the Delta.”

Two new partnerships will be part of the 2015 symposium: the Delta Film Festival and a segment featuring papers devoted to scholarship on Bob Dylan.

The College of Media and Communication will host the first Delta Film Festival within the symposium. The presenta- tions on Dylan will be showcased during a special session April 11. Research that connects scholarship on Dylan to the Delta Symposium’s theme is encouraged, but entries that look at Dylan’s artistry and life history using any relevant approach are welcome.

The symposium also will feature the annual Roots Music Festival on April 11, with continued support from KASU, the university’s public broadcasting service.

Those seeking more information can visit the symposium website at http://altweb.astate.edu/blues/ or “Delta Symposium” on Facebook. The deadline for entries is Dec. 4, and each entry should consist of the presenter’s name and affiliation; contact information including address, telephone and email; technical needs; a two-page curriculum vitae; and a 200-word abstract of the presentation.

Entries may be directed to the Delta Symposium Committee, c/o co-Chairs Dr. Lauri Umansky and Dr. Gregory Hansen, Arkansas State University Department of English and Philosophy, P.O. Box 1890, State University, Ark. 72467, or ghansen@astate.edu.