Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["Karey L. Perkins" <karey AT charter.net>]

I've noticed that Walker Percy has been absent from the MLA for the past few
years; even two conventions ago, when the MLA was in New Orleans, Percy's
home, there were no sessions (nor even any papers within sessions, as far as
I could tell) on Walker Percy, which I thought was unusual.  Why his
absence?   Is no one interested in Percy so no one has proposed a session,
or do convention organizers just not want to accept a session on him?

I am considering proposing a session on Percy for this year's convention.  I
had thought of the theme of "time and place" in his work -- which has a vast
array of possibilities, including both literal time and place and
metaphysical time and place.  In his novels "place" matters immensely, as
was also true in his life it seems. (Actual geographical place, but also,
finding one's place in the world.  The original title of "the Last
Gentleman" was "Ground Zero," referring, I think, to both a spiritual and a
physical "ground zero."  What to do with "time" was another very important
theme of his in both his novels and his life.  Catholicism (in particular,
Christiniaty in general),  which was so important to him, is a religion of
particular time and place -- not of abstracts.  Another approach could be
any of the social issues that he wrote about or that were reflected in his
work that were affected by his time and place.   I think that Percy is
sufficiently narrow enough a topic that just a session entitled:  "Walker
Percy in the 21st Century" -- would be enough (which also relates to time).
What does Percy have to say to humankind in the 21st century -- anything?
Is his message still relevant?

Anyway, if you'd be interested, have something to say, and think the topic
is a possible viability at this year's convention (it's in San Diego, Dec.
27-30), then send a one-page abstract by e-mail to me at karey AT charter.net
by mid-March.  The submission deadline for the session itself is April 1st,
so I would need to have all paper proposals before that date.   If I get
three good papers, I'll submit the session.

For more info on the convention, see www.mla.org

Thanks!

Karey