Monday I realized just how hungry I've been for intellectual stimulation and, even better, that I am not alone! Thanks to the Vancouver Institute For Social Research, a free series of professor-led talks that aims to free critical theory from the confines of the University, I am now able to flex my brain once a week with about one hundred wool clad, designer framed theory nerds of all ages (who made up the majority of those present) at the Or gallery!
The list of speakers is awesome including two of my own heroes, Steven Taubeneck (who I took existentialism and post-war German lit with and who made an impression on me by forcing the most entitled students-as-consumers tell him what they thought of the state of the world) and Thomas Kemple (who I took two theory courses with, who encouraged me to write unorthodox papers and who got my ass into grad school.)
These talks happen every Monday from 7-9 (though show up early because seats fill up) until April 1st (and hopefully thereafter, as this is the pilot phase of the project). Readings are accessible online and free of charge on this website, which will also tell you a bit more about the varied topics that will be discussed:
And check out the Or Gallery website to find out more about this and other events:
This is so sick! Lots of schools are jumping aboard the Massive Online Course wagon but I think to a large extent, especially in critical theory, the atmosphere a good speaker creates is not replicable on the internet, at least in its current state. Of course, reality also offers audience members the invaluable ability to connect in person with speakers through questions and authentic "networking" afterwards.
ReplyDeleteHope to hear more about this series, and/or details on what a genealogy of the unconscious consists of. Is it an account of how our individual or collective perception of the unconscious has evolved, or how this unconscious changes in itself? Where does Burnham start it?
I'm glad you have such a stimulating place to listen to fine speakers. I wish I could be there too, but it's too far away.
ReplyDeleteYeah it is a really great opportunity to see such speakers "live!" though of course it would be nice if other types of knowledge were embraced in this format--so far just academics (though the good kind I should add)! The free school phenomenon is great, I heard even Harvard is offering free certificates online (need to check how factual that is...)
ReplyDeleteThe geneology of the unconscious was a sort of history of the concept from fraud (the inner world) to Lacan (predicated on the other, aka language, something external and relational) to Jameson and his notion of the political (external?) unconscious and so on and so forth. But I guess how the unconscious evolves through intellectual tradition would also impact how the unconscious evolves itself. As some would argue, there was no unconscious before freud. It's crazy how much the concept has permeated our understanding of human experience!
wow my spelling is terrible :)
ReplyDelete