Billy Joel Symposium seeking papers from fans, musicians, more

Do you know every reference in "We Didn’t Start the Fire?" Have a contrarian take on "She’s Always a Woman" or a deep-reaching analysis of "Zanzibar?"

Start typing: The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is looking for academic papers for a two-day Billy Joel Symposium to be held at the Stony Brook venue June 6 and 7.

"They do them all over the country, on The Beatles, on [Bob] Dylan, on Prince," said Tom Needham, the hall’s vice chairman and the symposium’s executive director. "We felt Billy deserves one."

The conference, according to a news release, will be "devoted to the music, lyrics, themes and cultural impact" of Joel, who was inducted into the hall in 2006. Among the suggested topics for papers are Joel’s lyrics and storytelling, musical composition, regional and ethnic identity and even showmanship. Submissions should include an abstract of 250 to 300 words and a short biography of the author. A presentation of roughly 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute Q&A, may be expected during the symposium. The deadline to submit is Jan. 15.

Organizers of the symposium are hoping to hear from critics, authors, archivists, musicians and industry professionals, and have already received submissions from university professors and staffers at other museums. But Needham noted that regular fans, too, are encouraged to send in their ideas. "All proposals will be reviewed by the Symposium Committee," according to the venue’s website.

One goal of the event is to bolster Joel’s critical standing, according to Needham, a former high school English and film teacher for the Sewanhaka school district. "Billy Joel is beloved, but he even acknowledges that critics have not always been kind to him," Needham said. "We wanted to give him a full, all-out analysis of his work, because we think his work is significant."

In addition to individual presentations, the June event also will feature panel discussions and possibly live music, Needham said. "People are passionate" about Joel, he added. "He’s not playing right now, so this will fill a void and give him some appreciation."

For more information and submission guidelines, go to limusichalloffame.org.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com