Uncertain Futures is an interdisciplinary conference hosted by OCAD University and the Canadian Association for American Studies. It will take place at OCAD University, in downtown Toronto, from October 27^th to 29^th, 2017.

In her introduction to The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin writes that “the future, in fiction, is a metaphor.” In uncertain times, we look to the future as a blank screen for projecting our anxieties about the fraught present and unresolved past. Our fantasies about the future reveal the ideological constructs of our contemporary moment. “Science fiction is not predictive,” Le Guin writes. “It is descriptive.”

What does the future look like for Americans and observers of American culture in the 21^st century? How have past Americans used the future to address lingering uncertainties about their own eras? In an age of fractured politics, environmental devastation, neoliberal innovation, and deadly imperialism, what hope can the future hold? And what can American Studies hope to teach us about the role of uncertainty and futurity in our daily lives?

We invite proposals for papers and other presentations on the topic of “Uncertain Futures.” We welcome approaches to this theme from all disciplines, fields, and historical periods. Papers on other topics relevant to American Studies will also be considered.

To participate, submit abstracts of 300 words to CAASfutures@gmail.com by March 15^th, 2017. Please include a brief bio and five (5) keywords. Panel submissions and other presentation formats will be considered, but an abstract, bio, and keywords are required for each conference participant. Questions about the conference, or about submitting a proposal, can be sent to conference co-organziers Ross Bullen (rbullen@faculty.ocadu.ca) and Mary Eileen Wennekers (mwennekers@faculty.ocadu.ca).

Topics and themes might include (but are not limited to):