54th Annual CEA CONFERENCE Call for Papers

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March 27–29, 2025

Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square

SUBMISSION SITE  OPENS AUGUST 15!

In 1975, in honor of tennis great Billie Jean King and her team, the Philadelphia Freedoms, and as a gift to the city of Philadelphia, Bernie Taupin penned the lyrics to “Philadelphia Freedom,” a song by Sir Elton John. His words captured the spirit of the city:

'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom…. 

Oh, Philadelphia freedom, shine on me; I love ya. Yes, I do.

As the location of CEA 2025, Philadelphia is perfect for the present moment. Here, the spirit of the American Revolution and the ideals that would drive it were born. The Declaration of Independence, penned and ratified in Philadelphia, argued that “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” were “inalienable rights.” As a nation, we continue to wrestle with the words of the Declaration and the men who signed it. However, our commitment to liberty is unwavering, even in the face of multiple challenges to our freedoms, our autonomy, and our choices. At the CEA, we hold close especially the belief in academic freedom.

CEA 2025welcomes papers and panels that address our discipline from multiple perspectives and across a wide range of areas, including literary studies, creative writing, rhetoric, composition, technical communication, linguistics, and film. And, in the spirit of Philadelphia, we are especially interested in presentations that incorporate topics related to FREEDOM in texts, disciplines, people, cultural studies, media, and pedagogy. We also welcome papers on areas that influence our work as academics, including student demographics, student/instructor accountability and assessment, student advising, academic leadership in departments and programs, and the place of the English department in the university.

A feature of the CEA Conference is the use of “Roundtable Sessions.” Each such session features presenters who deliver “flash essays.” These 500-750 word papers are designed to encourage lively discussions of the conference theme. Roundtables offer a chance for presenters to test a notion, discover other resources, or begin imagining the next steps towards developing ideas into longer, more typical conference papers or even journal articles. 

Click on the button to learn more about CEA roundtables!

Philadelphia is a city of firsts: the first U.S. women’s medical college, the first US Mint, the first children’s hospital, the first volunteer fire brigade, the first lending library, and the first post office. 

Our conference hotel, the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square, is centrally located downtown at 18th and Market Streets. Conference-goers can grab a famous Philly cheesesteak before heading out to see some of the city’s many attractions. Take a selfie with Rocky at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and dip into the collection) or with the Liberty Bell. Celebrate the City of Brotherly Love at the LOVE sculpture. (Fun fact: Philly boasts more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other US city!) Stroll down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, modeled after Les Champs-Elysees and lined with a number of the city’s key cultural institutions. Still hungry? The 127-year-old Reading Terminal Market is set below a former railroad terminal and features groceries, dozens of restaurants with tastes from around the globe, and retail shops galore! Or drop in at the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians to see Einstein’s brain (and other medical oddities). There really is something for everyone to enjoy—between sessions, of course. 

As always, the CEA extends a special invite to graduate students not only to attend the conference but to submit their presentations to the CEA Outstanding Graduate Student Paper competition. The award carries a grand prize of $250 and publication of the winning essay in the CEA’s flagship journal The CEA Critic. Submissions will be solicited via email in January 2025 from those whose papers have been accepted.

Click on the button to learn more about how CEA supports gladuate students.

Submission site opens AUGUST 15. The submission deadline for all proposals of 200-300 words is November 1, 2024. Only one submission per individual, please. Notifications of proposal status will be sent in early December. Electronic submissions should be made here: https://www.conftool.pro/cea2025/ Note that all presenters must be members of CEA. Please direct any questions to Conference Chair, Moumin Quazi at quazi@tarleton.edu.

Take a look at these helpful hints on writing an engaging (and succint!) conference proposal.