Hijinks

The English Department's annual grad conference, disjunctions, was this past weekend and ended with a rather bang-up party at one of the grad's houses. But before that, I was privvy to two most excellent panels/papers: R and E's panel on performative/critical-personal writing kicked off the first day of the conferece, was well-attended and blew us all out of the water! Many said it was "the" panel of the conference and I would have to agree. The chair of USC's English Department attended and was really engaged with the three papers on this panel, and we were all struck by the courage it takes (especially in the self-immolating process of academic writing) to allow one's self to be part of a fetishized text (fetishizing texts: isn't that really all we do in grad school?!). But the fact that they were able to insert their own selves into the critical analysis and response was remarkable. Having taken the seminar from which these papers arose (though I took it 5 years ago and they took it last quarter) it was interesting to see how one could write in such a way without it turning into a self-important confessional. I really enjoyed R's paper since I am invested in that which bleeds the line of static sexual identity--or rather, reveals the blurry lines inherent to queerness, and identified with his story about telling his family he's gay as a rhetorical strategy (which I've done as well). Funny birds, we are.

J's paper came later in the day: a medieval panel, about which I know very little--if anything at all. Fantastic! The paper itself was really brilliant, but I was even more impressed that he did what should be done with conference papers: establish a core critical model that audience members, even if they know nothing about the literature, field, etc., will still wholly comprehend and be able to apply as the author walks through a textual close reading. J's work reminded me that, whether the context be medieval or contemporary and whether the object to be read is clothing/ephemeral markers or skin (or bodies, uterii, etc), the contexts as well as the objects are liminally and permeably signified and require "voyeristic confirmation" in order to acknowledge their "symbolic capital." Go J!

My final (but certainly not least) shout-out goes to Shanaynay: the coolest, most rockin' conference organizer I know!

The Girls


R doing his best impression of Hank (and impression that became the cornerstone of hijinks that night).


J "interviewing" (?? what were you doing, J??) R.


K and E laughing at Patrick's ass....


Some of us on the host's bed (much to his horror).


Me and Patrick after one too many of something. "And, scene!"


"Hey! Is that a 'cock on your shoulder or are you just glad to see me?"


Valarie sucker punching J, a switch-up since she spent the evening kicking him....