The history of theory and its Hispanic uses
The publication of Roland Barthes' first book, Le degré zéro de l’écriture
, reached its sixtieth anniversary in 2013; in 2014, it will be thirty years from Michel Foucault's passing. As arbitrary as they are resounding, these two dates, 1953 and 1984, can frame the beginning and the end of a period of crisis in French intellectual history in which thought, politics, and literature unsettled each other, a period that we may term, in retrospect, 'the age of theory'. By now, thirty years after the closing of that period of effervescence, it stands as a living root of our present understanding of literature. This monograph aims at inquiring how that thinking has been passed on to us, and accordingly, what connects us to it, and what separates us from it. [+]
On January 31st 2014, we start the CFP for the twelfth issue of the 452°F Journal of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, to be published on January 31st 2015. This CFP is open and addressed to anyone who wishes to contribute and who holds at least a BA degree.
criteria that follow, which regulate the receipt and publication of any
works, are subject to the content of the Peer review System, the
Style-sheet and the Legal Notice. All these may be consulted on the
Procedures area of the web page.
- The deadline for submissions is July 31st 2014; all articles received after this date will be rejected.
- The number of articles included in the ninth issue will be between
8 and 12. The Editorial Board will represent at most 20% of the total.
- The articles will be placed, according to the field of interest,
in the corresponding section of the Journal (monographic or
- The monographic section will be restricted to 4 to 6 articles and,
in the twelfth issue, will bring together a body of texts dealing with "The history of theory and its Hispanic uses". A non-comprehensive list of possible
a) Past and present of theory: discursive and institutional study of literary theory, in its original context and at present.
b) History, uses and conceptual transformations.
c) Literary theory at the crossroads: between knowledge, politics and literature.
d) Literary theory and intellectual history.
e) Means of production, conceptual circulation, and transformation of the intellectual field: universities, journals, new magazines, television, the Internet.
f) Translations, re-readings, and theoretical borrowings.
g) Theory in the Hispanic context: comparative studies.
h) Historical transformations of theory.
i) Critical uses of literary theory.
- All other articles will constitute the miscellaneous section
and, as long as it stays within the boundaries of Literary Theory and
Comparative Literature, and the choice of theme and approach is free.
- Articles for publication should be sent to
The subject line should include the section for which the article is
intended (“monographic” or “miscellaneous”), the name of the author and
the title of the article.
Call for Reviews
452°F is also accepting book reviews for a section of the journal devoted to newly
- Reviews must be original and unpublished.
- Books reviewed should be of new or recent (last 2 years) publication, and
discuss issues in Literary Theory, Literary Criticism and/or Comparative
- We would also consider reviews of relevant new editions or translations
related to the field of study, provided that the date of publication is in
accordance with the above stated criteria.
- Format, notes, quotations and references should follow the criteria of the
- Reviews should include a title, the citation of the book reviewed and the
number of pages, and will not contain an abstract nor key words.
- Reviews should not exceed 1500 words.
- Please send your proposals to
Barcelona, January 31st 2014