Special

Comparative Literature / Film Studies

Anwita Ghosh (Georgia Institute of Technology)
anwi@****.com (Log-in to reveal)

This session invites position statements that explore how narratives of intrusion—of the “wrong” person entering a space—destabilize social, cultural, and rhetorical structures. Across literature, film, media, and theory, the figure of the outsider, whether guest, intruder, or interloper, often functions as a disruptive force that reveals the fragile conditions of belonging. From Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener and Albert Camus’s The Guest to films such as Teorema, Funny Games, Saltburn, and Weapons, such figures expose underlying tensions around class, identity, power, and social order. Rather than restoring equilibrium, these narratives frequently leave systems unsettled, raising questions about who is permitted to belong and at what cost. We welcome proposals that examine how stories of intrusion operate across genres and media, as well as how they may be taught, theorized, or reimagined through multimodal composition.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

1) The rhetoric of the outsider, stranger, or intruder

2) Narratives of hospitality, refusal, and unwanted presence

3) Disruption of domestic, institutional, or communal spaces

4) Class, race, gender, and power in narratives of belonging

5) The ethics and politics of intrusion

6) Multimodal approaches to teaching literature, film, and theory

7) Designing assignments (video essays, podcasts, digital exhibits, etc.) around themes of disruption and belonging

8) Translating literary and theoretical concepts into multimodal composition practices

We especially encourage proposals that reflect on pedagogical practices, including how multimodal assignments and collaborative work can help students engage critically with themes of intrusion, belonging, and social disruption.

Please email Anwita Ghosh at aghosh370@gatech.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Upload your abstract directly to Ballast by clicking "Submit Abstract."