Baudrillard identifies the "characteristic hysteria of our times" as the production and reproduction of the real in terms of his notion of the indefinite recurrence of simulation. We live in an era of the "hyperreal" in which the precession of simulacra, or the generation of models of a real without origin, dominates our cultural experience. It is not merely a question of duplication, however, but rather the substitution of the replica for the original which, according to Baudrillard, implies the end of reference. How then can we understand this postmodern era in terms of the city? Many examples of the city or site as simulacra abound (Las Vegas would be the most obvious and fascinating to explore), but other examples come to mind such as Disneyland, Santa Fe, the West in general, and even Boulder. How, moreover, is postmodern urbanism visible in non-U.S. cities currently undergoing transformation, such as Berlin, London, or Bejing? Is a society in which the original no longer exists but is replaced by a never-ending series of referrals the shape of things to come in the 21st century? How then do we understand the real and to what extent do cities like Las Vegas and its tourists produce the real themselves? What possibilities lie beyond the scope of reference and authenticity? And how can we explain the attraction for so many people to this type of simulated space? Proposals for papers are welcome on e.g., literary works or other media that give voice to the conflicted experience of lived space in the postmodern city; and consumerist, public, or residential architecture's impact on urban and suburban behavioral patterns.

Please send an abstract and a summary c.v. to: Joy Ramirez, Dept. of Comparative Lit. and Humanities, Campus Box 331, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Or by e-mail, ramirej@stripe.colorado.edu

Or to: Janet Ward, Associate Professor of German, German & Slavic Department, Campus Box 276, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309; e-mail, janet.ward@colorado.edu