[ecrea] CFP: Refocus on Amy Heckerling

A reminder that the deadline for the following call for proposals is 
January 31st. We look forward to receiving your submissions...
Refocus on the films of Amy Heckerling
Edited by Dr. Frances Smith and Prof. Timothy Shary
The films of director and screenwriter, Amy Heckerling, have enjoyed 
both popular and critical success. Debut features Fast Times at 
Ridgemont High (1982) and National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985) 
were blockbuster hits at the box office, and were arguably instrumental 
in the development of the nascent high school and family comedies that 
emerged during the 1980s. Later, Heckerling would achieve critical 
recognition for Clueless (1995), her revisionist adaptation of Jane 
Austen’s Emma, which led the way for a boom in teen literary adaptations 
at the end of the 1990s. Additionally, Heckerling has directed family 
films, notably the huge hits Look Who’s Talking (1989) and its follow-up 
Look Who’s Talking Too (1990), and created two television series – Baby 
Talk (ABC 1991-1992) and Clueless (ABC 1996-1999) – based on her film 
work. Her more recent films – Loser (2000), I Could Never Be Your Woman 
(2007), and Vamps (2012) – while compelling in terms of theme, did not 
achieve the visibility of her earlier work, suggesting that Hollywood 
may no longer embrace the mildly feminist work of a middle-aged female 
director.
Heckerling’s films remain relevant and well remembered, while a growing 
body of academic literature acknowledges the importance of her teen 
films. Nonetheless, there has to date been no scholarly volume dedicated 
to the discussion of her work as a whole. This anthology seeks to 
address this gap in scholarship, and will be published by Edinburgh 
University Press in 2015 as part of the Refocus Series. Edited by Dr. 
Gary D Rhodes and Dr. Robert Singer, this series is dedicated to 
examining the work of overlooked directors.
We are seeking proposals of 500 words, plus a biography of 50 words for 
essays to be included in the book. Completed essays should be between 
6500 and 8000 words and follow the Chicago endnote referencing style.
We are open to proposals on all aspects of Amy Heckerling’s work in both 
film and television. Essays may focus on individual works, or on themes 
and topics that pervade her body of work. Contributions are particularly 
welcome, but are by no means limited to, the following areas:
Heckerling and teen cinema and/or teen television
Analysis of individual films, or television series
Gender and teen comedy
Heckerling and family films, such as Look Who’s Talking (1989)
The American family in Heckerling’s films
Heckerling and Jewish comedy
Feminist themes in Heckerling’s work
The place of female directors in genre history
Audience studies – growing up with Heckerling’s films
Heckerling’s role in the 1980s teen movie cycle
Issues of medium specificity working across film and television
Proposals should be sent to (refocusamyheckerling /at/ gmail.com) by January 
31, 2014. Both editors will review all proposals and provide a response 
by February 28, 2014. Essays will need to be completed by September 30, 
2014. Please send any queries to (refocusamyheckerling /at/ gmail.com)
Thanks and regards,
Dr. Frances Smith, University of Warwick



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