Kalamazoo ICMS 2023 CFP
The Game Cultures Society invites abstracts for three sessions at ICMS 2023! The GCS showcases the importance of games —and their various manifestations — in medieval culture. Importantly, the theoretical implications of games extends beyond the temporal and spatial borders of the game space itself into larger aesthetic, ethical, cultural, and social arenas. The GCS serves to highlight the importance and multivalent purpose of games in medieval culture as a way to understand better their function in society both then and now.
Any questions should be directed to Sarah J. Sprouse at: [email protected]
Medieval Gaming II: Playing with Pedagogy (Roundtable):
Games and gamification are buzzwords in education and pedagogy. In addition to popular curricular games such as Reacting to the Past, many teachers are incorporating games, the idea of game-play, and the study of medieval texts as games and play into the classroom. This roundtable session seeks proposals that discuss ways in which we can use the appeal of games/game-play in the classroom to make medieval literature and culture more accessible to the digital generation.
Abstract length: 250 words
Deadline: September 15, 2022
Submit abstracts here: https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions
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Games and Medievalism I: The Middle Ages on the Board
There have been excellent studies of the ways the Middle Ages is presented, represented and misrepresented in modern video games, but critical study of analog games lags behind. And yet, medieval-themed board and card games are wildly popular, covering topics from Vikings (Feast of Odin) to art (Sagrada) and literature (Beowulf), the Isamic world (Merv), and even Plague (Rattus Cartus), let alone the current popularity of fantasy role-play like D&D. In what ways do board and card games reflect and reinforce contemporary misconceptions about the Middle Ages, and how can games inform or even disrupt these tropes?
Per Patrick Rael, analog games should be analyzed in terms of game play, aesthetics, narrative, and how they engage with history. It is hoped that contributors will analyze a game or set of related games, addressing as applicable themes such as modern medievalisms (Umberto Eco), participatory medievalisms (Dan Kline), participatory stories (Janet Murray), Orientalism (Edward Said), and analog game studies (the journal of the same name). We invite proposals that explore analog games and their medieval tropes.
Abstract length: 250 words
Deadline: September 15, 2022
Submit abstracts here: https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions
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Games and Medievalism II: Reading Games in Medieval
Cultural game theorists have analyzed texts as games or how games are a fruitful analogical lens for examining literature, suggesting that storytellers and audiences play with or against each other within textual game spaces. Medieval manuscripts likewise highlight text as game, with marginalia left by scribes, readers, and illuminators indicating that texts were often understood as interactive games. Texts were also frequently performed, and audiences actively engaged with them by adopting theatrical, playful roles. We invite proposals that explore the gaming relationships between texts, audiences, and storytellers to better understand how literary games served people of the Middle Ages.
Abstract length: 250 words
Deadline: September 15, 2022
Submit abstracts here: https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions