Comments for The Floating Academy

Comment on April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies by Jennifer Esmail

Jennifer Esmail — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:12:05 +0000

There actually wasn’t any talk about contemporary critical theory that I can recall at the Victorianists’ Workshop conference, which may be interesting in itself! I’d be interested in looking at some of those studies you are referencing, Tara, that argue for some kind of Victorian priority or purchase on contemporary critical concepts. I wonder how the scholars themselves frame the utility of yoking together the Victorian writer and the 20th century theorist.

Comment on April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies by Tara MacDonald

Tara MacDonald — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:04:37 +0000

The Western conference sounds really interesting, Jen. Was there any talk of Victorian literature and contemporary critical theory? I ask because I’ve been finding a lot of studies lately that seem to suggest certain Victorian writers have “anticipated” Derrida or Foucault or Levinas, etc. and I’m finding such readings a bit troubling. If we’re locating such arguments in Victorian writers already (and I suppose that too is debatable), then what is the utility, I wonder, of tacking them together with contemporary critical theorists? I’m not suggesting that there is nothing useful about this exercise, but I’m not sure where it gets us, exactly.

Comment on Melancholia and the Digitization of Victorian Culture by karenbourrier

karenbourrier — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:19:16 +0000

I definitely take your point that we all need to engage with the canon at a minimum in our teaching, if not in our research! In my own work, I have found that looking intensively at popular, non-canonical writers like Dinah Craik and Charlotte Yonge gave me a completely fresh view of George Eliot and Henry James. I think it’s great to do both, if possible!

Comment on Melancholia and the Digitization of Victorian Culture by Recent Posts of interest to Victorianists - Blogging Conferences Social Media - - Victorian Studies Association of Western Canada

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:14:43 +0000

[…] out Daniel Martin’s recent post on melancholia and the digitization of Victorian culture, inspired (in part) by the recent VSAWC […]

Comment on April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies by Jennifer Esmail

Jennifer Esmail — Tue, 07 May 2013 01:33:14 +0000

We were also sorry that you weren’t there, Karen! But your disability reader was mentioned at one of the disability panels as a wonderful site that we had all contributed to.

Comment on April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies by karenbourrier

karenbourrier — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:11:58 +0000

Thanks so much for this post Jen! I am again so sorry to have missed out on so many great disability studies papers at VSAWC. I loved reading this though, and realizing that all of those folks have contributed to the digital archive! I love the idea of people’s work being more accessible through resources like the site and blogging.

It was an embarrassment of riches to have so many conferences to choose from in April, and a bummer that we all inevitably have to miss some. I was at the annual CUNY Victorian Studies conference on Friday, on “Inventing Victorian Race” (http://victorian.commons.gc.cuny.edu/), and particularly enjoyed Patrick Brantlinger’s keynote (so many great images) and Aviva Briefel’s paper on the significance of cutting off hands as punishment in the Congo–there’s certainly a disability studies perspective in there somewhere.

Comment on VSAWC by Jennifer Esmail

Jennifer Esmail — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:19:25 +0000

Thanks for sharing the NVSA theme, Karen — “Victorian Senses” will be really interesting! Do you know where and when?

Comment on VSAWC by April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies | The Floating Academy

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:16:07 +0000

[...] « VSAWC [...]

Comment on Karen Bourrier by April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies | The Floating Academy

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:15:59 +0000

[...] especially in the face of archival constraints. My fellow Floating Academicians, Alan Galey and Karen Bourrier, both presented fascinating papers on their own work. Alan’s talk “Performing Hamlet with [...]

Comment on Alan Galey by April Conference Report: Methodologies in Victorian Studies | The Floating Academy

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:15:56 +0000

[...] post-humanist way, especially in the face of archival constraints. My fellow Floating Academicians, Alan Galey and Karen Bourrier, both presented fascinating papers on their own work. Alan’s talk [...]

Comment on VSAWC by Constance Crompton

Constance Crompton — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:36:26 +0000

I will think on conference topics for next year.

I hope to lure the VSAWC crowd out to the Okanagan one of these days. Let me reserve “Victorian Spirits” as a theme for our winery-filled valley.

Comment on VSAWC by karenbourrier

karenbourrier — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:24:30 +0000

I know that NVSA next year is on “Victorian Senses”–perfect for Jen Esmail and maybe others among us as well. The key to a good conference theme seems to be to make it broad enough that a lot of people can fit their work in, but narrow enough that you actually get cross-pollination among papers. Not sure that I have any ideas along those lines, though!

Comment on VSAWC by Daniel Martin

Daniel Martin — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:16 +0000

VSAWC was fantastic this year! There’s no theme for next year’s conference yet. Any suggestions???? Perhaps we could put together a few ideas here and then I’ll pass them on to next year’s conference organizers.

Comment on VSAWC by Fiona Coll

Fiona Coll — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:11:09 +0000

This is an entirely lovely description of your VSAWC experience, Connie – I love the entanglement of Connie past and present here. I’d be very interested in hearing more about your students’ collaborative encoding experience. ACCUTE meetup, maybe?!

Comment on VSAWC by Jennifer Esmail

Jennifer Esmail — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:15:46 +0000

Thanks for writing about this terrific conference, Connie! I saw so many thought-provoking and wonderful papers over the course of the weekend — including your own, which has motivated me to consider designing new kinds of assignments in my courses. There was no conference topic announced at the AGM but there was an invitation to pass along conference topic ideas to the VSAWC executive. Any ideas?

Comment on VSAWC by Constance Crompton

Constance Crompton — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:58:52 +0000

Hi! I am wracking my brains to remember whether next year’s conference topic was announced at the annual general meeting. I can’t recall — Jen, Daniel, do you remember?

I hope that the theme is good fit for the whole FA team (and for our readers — it would be great to meet in person).

Comment on VSAWC by karenbourrier

karenbourrier — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:21:51 +0000

Thanks so much for posting Connie! I too wish I could have been there with you all… But it’s great to have a post that allows those of us who couldn’t be there to share!

Comment on VSAWC by Tara MacDonald

Tara MacDonald — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:15:58 +0000

These all sound like fascinating papers, Connie! I do wish I could have gone this year as it was such a great theme. Any idea when the Banff conference will be and on what topic?

Comment on Tara MacDonald by VSAWC | The Floating Academy

VSAWC | The Floating Academy — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:48:51 +0000

[...] VSAWC has become quite international. With luck we’ll be able to reunite with even our farthest flung Floating Academy member at the next VSAWC meeting in [...]

Comment on CFP for a Special Issue of Victorian Review on “Victorians and Risk” by Daniel Martin

Daniel Martin — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:43:16 +0000

Karen, I agree that industrialization and the risk of disability go together. Submit a proposal!!