Hurston Conference at Bethune-Cookman University

CFP: American Society for Theatre Research Working Group – Taking Stock of Zora Neale Hurston

Eric Glover (Yale University) and Michelle Cowin Gibbs (CSULB) invite participants for a working group that takes stock of Zora Neale Hurston’s legacy and impact as a vital yet still underexamined repertoire in theatre, dance, and performance studies.

In conversation with the conference theme’s attention to retrospection and futurity, the group considers how Hurston’s work and that of her successors has been adapted, staged, studied, and taught, while asking what remains unfinished, underdeveloped, and newly possible.

The working group emphasizes sustained, collaborative engagement: participants circulate papers in advance and engage in generative discussion rather than one-off presentations. Select papers will be considered for a special issue of ⁠the Black Theatre Review, a peer-reviewed journal of the Black Theatre Network.

Submit a 500-word (or less) abstract and brief bio no later than May 4, 2026, using the link below:
https://site.pheedloop.com/portal/event/EVEKPLXJIKADW/submission/CALXJN56J0GI78I/application

Full session description is:
https://site.pheedloop.com/event/astr2026/sessions/SESQXIOQT4T6GHPQH

ASTR will be in Minneapolis, MN November 12 - 15, 2026.

site.pheedloop.com

Richard Peacock (1973-2026)

Rest well, dear friend.

As promised, here’s the keynote by Dana Williams.

Keynote 2026 Dana A Williams Keynote Address delivered by Dana Williams, author of Toni at Random, at the 2026 Annual Zora Neale Hurston Virtual Conference.

https://youtu.be/jzkGPHkIugo?si=rS1y8VKYe5QqVDhM

Craft Lecture 2026 Roxane Gay Craft Lecture delivered by Roxane Gay, author, professor, and cultural commentator, at the 2026 Annual Zora Neale Hurston Virtual Conference.

And that’s a wrap on the 2026 Annual Zora Neale Hurston Conference!
Thank you to our incredible presenters and attendees for making it such a vibrant two days. We look forward to welcoming you again next year. Craft Lecture and Keynote videos coming soon!
Roxane Gay Bethune-Cookman University

The 2026 Annual Zora Neale Hurston Online Conference begins tomorrow at 9:15 AM EST and concludes on Friday, February 13 at 2:35 PM
EST. Register to access the Zoom links to the panels. Registration links in the program https://heyzine.com/flip-book/cc379dfae8.html, and yes, registration is free!
Roxane Gay (Hunger; Bad Feminist; Ayiti) speaks at 11:15 AM.

B-CU Zora Neale Hurston Conference | PDF to Flipbook Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

The program's here! https://heyzine.com/flip-book/cc379dfae8.html
Registration links are embedded in the program. Please register for any panels that you wish to attend, and the Zoom links will be emailed to you.

The updated flyer with the speakers!

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The College of Arts and Humanities at Bethune-Cookman University welcomes proposals for the annual Zora Neale Hurston Conference, which will be held virtually on February 12-13, 2026. “Their Eyes were Watching Words: Publishing, Editing, and Censorship” is a tribute to Hurston’s skilled navigation of the complex world of publishing and censorship. Our invited speakers this year are Roxane Gay and Dana Williams.

You are invited to submit scholarly, pedagogical, or creative proposals exploring any of the following:

Hurston Studies: New Perspectives on Hurston's Work, Interests, and Impact.
Publishing, Editing, and Censorship: Power and Voice in Literary Production.

Please submit 250–300-word abstracts for individual or panel presentations here: https://tiny.cc/znh-at-bcu-submit

Deadline: January 11, 2026. Notification of Acceptance: January 19, 2026.

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