Flagler to host International Slayage Conference

Flagler College is partnering with the Whedon Studies Association (WSA) to host the “International Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses 4,” according to a Historic City News announcement.

The purpose of the conference is to bring together popular culture scholars who study the works of Joss Whedon.

Flagler College professors, Tamara Wilson, Ph.D., and Hugh Marlowe, Ph.D., will be presenting at the conference on Thursday, June 3rd through Sunday, June 6th in the Ringhaver Student Center located at 50 Sevilla Street on campus.

Whedon is an American director, producer and head writer of television programs including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Firefly,” “Angel” and “Dollhouse.” One of his “Buffy” episodes, “Hush,” was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2000 for outstanding writing in a drama series. Whedon also wrote the screenplays for both “Toy Story” and “Alien Resurrection.” He is best known for his motto, “Bring your own subtext.”

The conference begins with registration at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 3, followed by a reception and a presentation by David Lavery, Ph.D., a professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University. Lavery’s presentation will be “Joss Whedon, Conversationalist.”

In addition to American scholars, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany will all be represented in historic St. Augustine for the three-day conference.

Keynote speakers for the conference will be Lorna Jowett, Dale Koontz and Janet Halfyard.

Jowett is a professor at The University of Northampton’s School of Arts. She teaches media and English and Culture. She is the author of “Sex and the Slayer: A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan.” Her research interests focus on gender and genre in horror and science fiction texts across literature, film and television. Her recent publications include articles on television shows such as “Battlestar Galactica,” “Angel” and “The Shield.”

Koontz is the author of “Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon.” One reviewer said “Koontz’s purpose lies in examining why self-proclaimed atheist Joss Whedon underscores the themes of choice and faith in his works, themes that are undeniably spiritual in nature, if not tied to a specific religious tradition.”

Janet K. Halfyard, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer at Birmingham Conservatoire where she teaches courses in film music as well as 20th century and contemporary music. She performs as Steve Halfyard, specializing in extended vocal technique and she has worked with a number of electroacoustic composers. She has contributed to two collections of essays on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and to an anthology of essays on European Film Music.

Registration for the conference is $150, but a one-day pass may be purchased for $50.

For more information, please visit www.slayageonline.com/SC4/
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