Queer Theory Graduate Reading Group

Coordinators:
Andrew Anastasia, Modern Studies-English
Meridith Kruse, Modern Studies-English

Spring 2008

Friday, January 25, 2-5 p.m
Readings: David M. Halperin, "Forgetting Foucault: Acts, Identities, and the History of Sexuality," Representations, No. 63. (Summer, 1998), pp. 93-120.

Friday, February 15, 3:30 pm, Curtin Hall 175
"Tragedy Into Melodrama: Towards a Poetics of Gay Male Culture"
a lecture by David Halperin (English, Michigan)
Keynote for Midwest Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference

Friday, March 7, 3 pm, Curtin 939
Cancelled; new date and time t.b.a
Reading: Michel Foucault, History of Sexuality, Vol. I 
(you will need to bring your own book)

Friday, April 11, 3 pm, Curtin 939
Reading theme: Queer Globality. Readings TBA

copies of the readings are available in the Center main office, Curtin 929, please call ahead: 229-4141

Queer theory is a historically situated, highly contentious and continually shifting field of inquiry. It exists in relation to politically engaged movements outside the academy, strands of feminist and lesbian/gay intellectual work, as well as continental philosophy and literary theory. It is an interdisciplinary mode of inquiry that examines any sexual activities and identities that fall into both “normative” and “deviant” categories. The Queer Theory Group thus attempts to generate new ways of thinking about and working with existing categories and concepts situated within hegemonic social and cultural formations.

The field of Queer Theory is a cross-disciplinary construction that has no singular disciplinary origin. Further, Queer Theory is an interdisciplinary mode of inquiry and as such the readings for our group will repeatedly engage topics across various disciplines. Importantly, the group fills an existing institutional gap for graduate students studying queer theory across disciplines at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

We plan to meet once a month to discuss readings we select jointly. Group meetings may also be devoted to professional development activities (e.g. helping members prepare papers for the Midwest Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference or other conferences, interviews, etc). Some presentations of graduate student research will be organized in conjunction with the Modern Studies graduate student colloquium in 2007-08.

Copies of the readings available at the Center office, Curtin 929
please call (229-4141) or email (liesgang@uwm.edu) ahead

Center for 21st Century Studies

Daniel J. Sherman, Director

Center for 21st Century Studies
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201 USA
tel: 414-229-4141; fax: 414-229-5964; email: ctr21cs@uwm.edu
www.21st.uwm.edu