Cormac McCarthy Conference 2014

Borders and Landscapes in the Works of Cormac McCarthy

The Writing and Society Research Centre at Western Sydney University hosted a 3 day Cormac McCarthy conference from 23-25 July 2014

View the conference program (opens in a new window)

Overview

The works of Cormac McCarthy cover nearly two hundred years of southern and southwestern American history. Set initially in Tennessee and greater Appalachia, and more recently on the U.S./Mexico border, his books blend realism, mysticism and mythology, a combination that locates him squarely within the tradition of William Faulkner and Mark Twain, yet with a voice uniquely his own. McCarthy is known for spending considerable time in the various locations explored in each of his novels, researching the flora and fauna, as well as the architectural, geological and geographical features of his settings. Taking his interest in place (as well as displacement) into consideration, the theme of this conference is "Borders and Landscapes." This conference highlights various approaches to this theme including:

Keynote Speakers

The conference featured keynote presentations by Rick Wallach, David Holloway, Stacey Peebles, Petra Mundik and Steven Frye.

Audio Recordings

Steven Frye on Cormac McCarthy, Influence, and Literary Empowerment

Listen to Steven's paper (right click and "save link as" to download).

Petra Mundik on Terra Damnata: The Anticosmic Mysticism of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian,or the Evening Redness in the West

Listen to Petra's paper (right click and "save link as" to download).

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Dave Holloway on Mapping McCarthy in the Age of Neoconservatism

Listen to Dave's paper (right click and "save link as" to download).‪

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Rick Wallach on A World Read from the Inside Outward: How Patrick White and Cormac McCarthy Inhabit the Landscape

Listen to Rick's paper (right click and "save link as" to download).

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