Dysfunctional Relationships and Abuse in American Horror Story
Collection Editors: Lizzy Walker, associate professor & metadata/digital initiatives librarian at Wichita State University Libraries, Women in Horror Movement Librarian & Cecilia Abate, independent researcher & editor-in-chief of the Horror Scholar Journal
Deadline for Abstracts: April 30, 2021
Publisher: We are aiming to pitch the concept to McFarland Publishing.
We are inviting chapter submissions for a new edited collection focusing on representations of dysfunctional families on the tv show American Horror Story. Finished chapters should aim to be between 7,000-10,000 words.
This edited collection aims to examine the myriad variety of abusive family dynamics on the show and the complex implications of showing abusive families on TV, as well as the legacy of various family tropes in horror (such as evil children, bad mothers, etc.) This collection aims to cover (but not limited to) topics such as:
- Perceptions of motherhood and the "bad" mother
- Possession/"evil children" tropes
- Class, politics, marriage, and socioeconomic consequences
- Representations of queer couples & queer families
- Mental illness & stereotypes of mental health
- Representations of parenting & child-adult dynamics
- Violence & sexual abuse in families
We hope to encourage diverse perspectives and also welcome early career researchers and new voices to offer their thoughts on AHS.
Please send abstracts of approximately 300 words to
horrorscholar@gmail.com.
