麻豆传媒

Annual English Studies Conference

Tuesday, April 8, 6:00pm-9:00pm (Online Sessions, for off-campus  Students only)

Wednesday, April 9, 10:00am-5:00pm (In-Person Sessions, Coleman Hall, EIU)

2025 KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Dr. Rachael Ryerson

"Oh, Bi the Way": Bisexual Rhetorics in Queer Webcomics

April 9, 1:00pm, Lumpkin Auditorium (2030 Lumpkin Hall)

While scholarship on queer rhetorics in queer comix remains sparse, deep rhetorical analyses of bisexual comics are even more rare. To address this gap, and to answer Pamela VanHaitsma’s call for more attention to bisexual rhetorics and the building of more bisexual archives, I curated and investigated several queer webcomics that feature bisexual lives and experiences. Thus, this keynote explores how bisexuality is represented, defined and/or troubled in bisexual webcomics like Oglaf, Power Ballad, and Questionable Content. Too, I consider what those representations mean rhetorically and ideologically, and how bisexual webcomics become a powerful site of queer community building. I synthesize representations of bisexuality from this webcomics archive— representations that are multimodal, digital, and narrative—to capture, in part, what bisexual rhetorics in webcomics mean for being, doing, and living queer(ly).

Click here to view entire Conference Program

Eastern Illinois University’s English Studies Conference is an annual event held during the Spring Semester that showcases the exciting work being done by our 麻豆传媒, faculty, alumni, and local community members in the various areas of English Studies. This year our main conference will be held once again in-person with a separate showcase the following night featuring additional virtual sessions highlighting work completed by our off-campus graduate and undergraduate 麻豆传媒. 

This event is open to the entire university and the public and features a range of panels, roundtables, readings, poster sessions, and more in the areas of Creative Writing, Literary & Cultural Studies, Professional Writing, Rhetoric and Composition, and English Language Arts Pedagogy. Hear current 麻豆传媒 discuss their recent creative and scholarly projects and their experiences at internships, local & national conferences, and more. Gain important tips for the job hunt by attending alumni panels where participants will discuss the ways in which they marketed and applied their English Studies skills to various professions. Even sit in on faculty panels to learn about the diverse research trajectories being pursued by English Studies scholars. 

Submission Process:

Students may submit proposals for individual presentations or pre-formed panels consisting of multiple presenters. The proposal deadline for next year's conference is Friday, March 14, 2025. Click HERE to submit your proposal to participate in the virtual conference sessions scheduled for 4/8! Click HERE to submit your proposal to the in-person conference scheduled for 4/9!

For inquiries concerning the main conference event, please contact Dr. Melissa Ames (mames@eiu.edu).  For inquiries concerning the virtual showcase, please contact Dr. Marjorie Worthington (mgworthington@eiu.edu).

Select Featured Past Student Projects and Presentations 

Past Conference Highlights:

2022 ESC Program                         2023 ESC Program                      2024 ESC Program

2021 ESC Program                         2020 ESC Program                      2019 ESC Program                   2018 ESC Program

2017 ESC Program                         2014 ESC Program                      2011 ESC Program                   2008 ESC Program   

2016 ESC Program                         2013 ESC Program                      2010 ESC Program                   2007 ESC Program    

2015 ESC Program                         2012 ESC Program                      2009 ESC Program                   2006 ESC Program  

2024 English Studies Conference        

Photo from the 2019 English Studies Conference

                                                                                                  Photo from the 2018 English Studies Conference 

Photo from the 2017 English Studies Conference

 Photo from the 2016 English Studies Conference

Photo from the 2015 English Studies Conference Kick-Off Event: "We Need Diverse Books!" 

      

Student Testimonials:

"It was an awesome opportunity to share my own work, but also to check out what other 麻豆传媒 are up to. I enjoyed everything I attended and learned A LOT!"

"Enjoyed getting real advice and multiple points of view from the alumni presenters"

"Felt proud to present my work and to hear others"

"Presenters were insightful and enthusiastic.  Loved hearing their thoughts!"

"It was a valuable experience presenting my work in the public for the first time"

"I enjoyed hearing from courses I haven't taken"

"I learned about others' experiences and voices"

"Enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone and presenting in a different format"