Sometimes it's helpful to scan the Conference Alerts webpage. But most of the time it's little more than an occasion for confronting DOOM. Here's a prime example. No, I'm not making this up....
M(o)ther Trouble is a two-day international conference on the maternal, psychoanalysis and feminism. It is linked to an exhibition of artworks by Bracha Ettinger at the Freud Museum. Keynote speakers: Bracha Ettinger and Adriana Cavarero.
M(o)ther Trouble? Are they kidding? Assuming they're trying to play on "mother" and "other" (and, yes, there's a rat in Socrates, too), don't they mean (M)other? What's a "mther"?
Seriously, must we make things this easy for David Horowitz?
19 comments:
Maybe they are making it look like a boob?
"M-ther" is the sound you make when your mother is smothering you either with love or a pillow. That's why it's trouble.
And now that Churchill is out of the academy (with a buck for his troubles), there must be some po-mo culture-crit types that are angling for his spot. A shout out from Horowitz would seal the deal. Ergo, they must make it easy for him.
Those mther fckers
Maybe Anony 7:42pm is right, but I was thinking that a "(o)" is a "(|)" with a baby's head pushing out of it.
Time to stop scanning Conference Alerts. Holy shit, how much worse can it get... Bullsh(i)t.
Yes i-g-u: it's yet another level of the use/mention distinction. Stand e- and cor-rected Spiros!
I think Spiros should submit a paper about "Fe(mini)nity: the Western Anglophone Derision of (C)literaray (In)terpretation"
It gets even better: the “research network” behind this conference is called MaMSIE, which stands for “Mapping Maternal Subjectivities, Identities and Ethics” (http://mamsie.wikispaces.com/). Someone should tell them that “Ethics” isn’t plural anymore. Apparently, they’re based in the “School of Psychosocial Studies,” whatever that is, at Birbeck College, U of London (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/sps/).
What explains the persistence of bankrupt theoretical outlooks from the social and natural sciences in some corners of the humanities? Jesus, what's next: a phlogiston theory of the text?
The text in the conference alert is a misprint. The M(o)ther conference is to kickoff discussion of the new book (D)anzig and Philosophy. Questions to be considered include:
1. Can you keep them in the dark for life?
2. Can you hide them from the waiting world?
ohhhhhhhhhh, M(o)ther.
Anon 11:51: You beat me to the Danzig joke by only a few minutes! You bastard!
Imipolex: hilarious.
Question: Is it time for a critical examination of Danzig's book collection (well... it's just part of his book collection)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weNO9k1TXS0
"All documented, All TRUE!"
Oh God, thanks Sprios, the Danzig video made my day.
UPDATE:
The keynote speaker for the M(o)ther conference has been changed. The new speaker's CV and photo are available here:
http://www.tonyrocks.com/index.php/myspace/tony-danza-rocks/
Keynote address title:
Ohhhh, M(o)na: Toward a Mapping of the Subjectivities of Angela's M(o)ther
Danizg is from Lodi. My hometown. Never been prouder.
If you google "m(o)ther" this blog is now the first hit!
Krinos,
Not sure whether you were suggesting that Churchill was a pomo-type or that given that he was not, pomo-types are looking to add to their number by taking his spot.
For all of his blunders and sloppy research, some of Churchill's stuff on American Indian politics and identity was spot on and would have otherwise gone unsaid. Given the current state of academia with respect to American Indian issues, we could do with a few more Churchills.
A friend in grad school referred to anyone who buys this shit as "otherfuckers". I still use it to this day.
Killjoy,
The point's well taken, and I am in no position to speak to the quality of Churchill's research in Native American History. However, his "Some People Push Back" essay, regardless of its conclusions, is precisely the self-indulgent pomo culture crit writing that way too many language department denizens think will make them famous. Churchill's vacancy in the academy creates two vacuums: one being his research program (you point out and I can't speak to), and another being the object of attention from the Right's culture warriors. It's the latter that our friends at the M(o)ther trouble conference are out to fill.
Case in point: there's a comm studies professor I know who introduces himself as one of David Horowitz's 100 most dangerous professors. He wants to be the next university professor to represent the Academic Left on Sean Hannity's show.
Oh God, thanks Sprios, the Danzig video made my day.
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