2021 ASKHISTORIANS DIGITAL CONFERENCE: “[DELETED] & MISSING HISTORY: RECONSTRUCTING THE PAST, CONFRONTING DISTORTIONS”
19–21 October 2021
AskHistorians Public History Forum

Whether it’s swords and sandals, corsets and wigs, or statues still standing, the past and its possible meanings resonate with twenty-first century audiences. Historical television series, public history projects, and books of popular history might claim to depict the past “as it really was,” but nevertheless illuminate the ways in which we as a society continue to bring the past into dialogue with contemporary popular culture. In so doing, these narratives often reveal more about what we think about the past—and ourselves—than about the past itself. Today, shifting interpretations of the past reveal a growing interest in the inclusion of marginalized voices as well as in questions about the human condition, the relationship between race and national identity, and issues relating to the
construction of sexuality, gender, and equality. Indeed, representations of the historical past have been used as lenses through which contemporary society has grappled with very modern examples of brutality, oppression, and the general uncertainty of life.

We therefore welcome proposals from individuals whose research explores representations of the past in any form. As the scope and influence of our topic is broad and far-reaching, we encourage proposals from a wide range of scholarly disciplines on the themes of gender, identity (both personal and national), propaganda, culture, society, accuracy, and authenticity (among others) as these pertain to the ways in which historical narratives have been constructed, represented, or misrepresented.

Applicants are asked to please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words and a short biography of no more than 100 words to conference@askhistorians.com by 11:59 PM EDT on 1 June 2021.

For more information, including suggested topics and a guide for submissions, see the attached document.