Adaptation Studies

Adaptations are a dominant mode of narrative production in our world. Over half of Best Picture nominees in recent years were based on earlier stories, and big box office hits like Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights seek to retell literary classics in modern terms. Despite its prominence as practice, adaptations are still viewed as less important, less original, secondary objects when compared to their originals. The Adaptation Studies group asks: how can we better conceptualize adaptation as artistic practice, cultural object, and scholarly focus? Why have adaptations been so prominent historically? What can we learn from adaptations on their own terms? Looking to engage academic, public, and creative interest, this research focus group examines filmic adaptations of literary works. We plan to host screenings of films, discussions, works-in-progress events, and speakers to more fully theorize adaptation as a phenomenon and practice.

Conveners:

James Kearney, English
jkearney@ucsb.edu

James McNamara, Film and Media Studies
mcnamara@filmandmedia.ucsb.edu