Please consider consider submitting an abstract for the following call for
papers from the American Humor Studies Association for the American
Literature Association's Annual Convention, May 21-24, 2009, in Boston:

Perennial presidential candidate Pat Paulsen died in 1997.  But desperate
times require desperate measures, so when asked to run again in 2008,
Paulsen did not refuse.  Showing how in touch with the zeitgeist he is, his
campaign has run under such slogans as, “We’ve tried brain dead; let’s try
plain dead,” and “Pat Paulsen: thinking inside the box.”  While the 2008
campaign may become known as the high-water mark of political humor and
satire, America’s history is so rich with such humor as to require us to
bask in this old glory for a few precious moments next May.  Papers on
American political humor and satire from all stars and of all stripes are
welcome, with developed abstracts due by January 20, 2009 to Gregg Camfield,
e-mailed to [log in to unmask]


Yes, the due date is soon, but how can you pass up the chance to imagine
what Mark Twain would have said about Tina Fey performing as a painted
pit-bull toting a hockey stick?  While Mr. Twain might have gagged, I doubt
he'd have tripped over the raw materials of the past year.

Even if you don't want to laugh in Boston next spring, please pass this
invitation on to someone who might.

Gregg Camfield