One advantage of our online environment is that we now have some options for attending conferences that we would otherwise miss. On Feb 6th, for example, is the free Urbana Theological Seminary online Tolkien conference, with guest speakers Carlie W. Starr, Craig A. Boyd, Sarah Waters, and Matt Green. You can register here.

As part of the normal regional conference cycle of the “Moots” connected to Signum University is this year’s TexMoot. While would all like to go to the LoneStar state to talk about Tolkien’s non Middle-earth poetry, C.S. Lewis’ vision of the hnau, Madeleine L’Engle’s awkward bodies, physics and metaphysics in the Harry Potter world, anime and body image in Eastern Poland, aetherial love-making in Shakespeare, Ready Player Three: After the Apocalypse, or whatever nerds like you happen to be thinking about. In the meantime–and with some degree of perspective–the organizers of TexMoot have gone digital on Feb 13th, but rooted the theme in the idea of Embodiment. This happens to be the same Saturday as the first Tolkien Society Seminar of 2021–though the Seminar is pretty focussed on content, and the times overlap but are not the exact same. You can probably attend TexMoot and get some of the Seminar as a bonus. In any case, I thought I would share this opportunity with you all. They are not looking for full academic papers, exactly, but more like conversational teasers and provocative conversation starters. It looks like an intriguing day.

TexMoot 2021:
Signum University’s Fourth Annual Texas
Literature & Language Symposium

13 February 2021
in the Cyberverse

Embodiment:
Do You Need Some Body to Love?

Signum University is pleased to announce its fourth annual Texas Literature & Language Symposium (aka “TexMoot”) on Saturday, February 13th, 2021, in the great universe of Internet, Texas. TexMoot will offer a gleeful gallimaufry of lively curated conversations, a keynote presentation, workshops, and lots of fellowship and social time. Plan ahead to enjoy this balanced blend of academic rigor and avid literary fandom. Stay tuned on the Announcements page and in our Facebook group for more information about special guests, optional pre-conference activities, workshop participation, and more. Visit our CFP page for info about how to submit a topic for discussion; the deadline is January 16th. Email info@texmoot.org with questions.

Registration

Registration for TexMoot 2021 costs $10 for students and $15 for everyone else. CLICK HERE to register now!

What is a “Moot”? 

The word “moot” refers to a meeting or legislative assembly and also the place in which that meeting is held. It’s from the Old English -mot, which could be appended to the end of a word, as in “Texmoot.” It was made famous by the “Entmoots” of the tree-shepherding Ents in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Signum University sponsors regional gatherings called “moots” throughout the year. These are times of academic conversation and fellowship that often include creative presentations and special guests. Although these conferences may vary in flavor, they are united by a love of stories and the people who read them.