N.B.: I am posting this message on behalf of Harry Wonham. Please see contact information at end of this message for queries.--K.B. ~~~~~ Mark Twain and Money: Call for contributions to a volume of new scholarly essays Questions about Mark Twain’s fascination with wealth have played a major role in Twain criticism from the very beginning. It might be argued, in fact, that the foundational disagreement in Twain studies hinges on whether his commercial inclinations fostered his artistic achievement (Bernard DeVoto) or bastardized his talent (Van Wyck Brooks). Rather than prolong the biographical debate, this volume of original essays will draw on recent work at the intersection of economic theory and literary studies (sometimes referred to as the New Economic Criticism) to reevaluate and deepen our understanding of Mark Twain’s complicated relationship with money and issues of economy, broadly understood. Topics of interest might include Twain’s engagement with: the profession of authorship the literary marketplace concepts of ownership concepts of intellectual property, real property, and personhood copyright law and theory the nature of money and its relationship to art, literature, and representation debates about the gold and silver standards the meaning and significance of debt, credit, and usury commodities and the commodity form production and consumption economic panic and bankruptcy Webster & Co. investment and speculation gender and/or masculinity in relation to economic forces and events capitalism and capitalists progressive politics, socialism, and the rights of workers gift theory the advertising industry branding and marketing the role of fraud in economic transactions/the role of hoax in literary transactions work and leisure play (or childhood) in relation to economic structures and practices Please send paper abstracts of 500 words and a working title to Harry Wonham [log in to unmask] by January 1, 2014. Final essays will be between 6,000-8,000 words in length and should conform to the MLA documentation style. Final papers will be due by September 1, 2014. Questions, comments, and suggestions should be directed to Harry Wonham, Department of English, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 ( [log in to unmask] ).