Lecture at Newcastle University: ‘Parochialism – a defence’

Henry Daysh Inaugural Lecture, ‘Parochialism – a defence’, by Professor John Tomaney
Clore Suite, Great North Museum: 11th January, 2012, 4pm

Abstract:
“In this paper I present a defence of parochialism against the claims of cosmopolitanism and in the context of debates about the relational accounts of place. Against normative claims that local attachments and territorial sense of belonging lead to exclusion and cultural atrophy the paper suggests that the local, its cultures and solidarities, are a moral starting and a locus of ecological concern in all human societies and at all moments of history. I explore this idea by reference to art and literature, especially poetry. This analysis suggests the local identities should be understood contextually; there is no necessary relation between local forms of identity and practices of exclusion. The paper shows how the virtue of parochialism is expressed in art with a universal appeal. I conclude therefore that we need more detailed studies of real local identities, which avoid a presumption of disdain.” Professor John Tomaney.

This event is part of a programme of activities celebrating the 35th Anniversary of CURDS in 2012.

For more information visit the Newcastle University website.

'Pictures from Hopper' launch

Neil Campbell will introduce his new collection of short stories Pictures from Hopper at 6pm in Gallery North, Northumbria University on Tuesday, December 13th. Neil's stories are inspired by the works of Edward Hopper and engage with issues of place and location. For more on this collection visit: http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smf/9781844718306.htm

Readings for 9th December 2011

Emails have been sent out with this week's readings, also available online:

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 'Race', from English Traits (1856).
Paul Giles, 'Transnationalism and Classic American Literature', PMLA, 118 (2003), pp. 62-67.

We hope these readings will prompt discussion of transatlantic space, race, literary tradition, and the influence of the spatial turn on our understanding of these categories.

Change of Date in March

Just a quick note to say that our meeting in March will now go ahead on Friday 23rd, instead of 16th.

Also, Jenny Hodgson will lead the group on the 20th January on Alain Robbe-Grillet's 'Towards a New Novel' and Snapshots, and Laurie's Robin Hood and Derrida session will be rescheduled for the end of January/beginning of February.

Keep an eye out for the Walden and Emerson readings circulating soon for Clare's session (9th December), we look forward to seeing you then.

Newcastle Winter Book Festival

The Newcastle Winter Book Festival starts this Thursday 24th November and runs until Sunday 27th, featuring readings and workshops from a range of local writers, artists and historians. Events take place at a range of venues including Northumbria, Seven Stories, the Lit & Phil, Newcastle City Library, Blackwells Bookshop, and the Star and Shadow Cinema.

Place-based highlights include talks by Alistair Moffatt, 'Who do we think we are? The Scots: A Genetic Journey', and Ann Cleeves, who will talk about her story collection, Shetland Quartet. In addition, Ann will jointly run 'Crime in a Foreign Country' with Shirley McKay and Northumbria's own Jacky Collins.

Northumbria University Library will be hosting performance and installations from students and staff at the university, in An Encounter with Antigone (dir. by Jane Arnfield and Matt Cummins) and Chattering Monkey (by Alex Elliott). It would be great to see many of you there.

November Meeting Postponed

Apologies for the short notice but we've decided to postpone this month's session until the new year so that Laurie can focus on submitting her thesis - she aims to have it in by the end of the month so let's wish her the best of luck!

Keep checking for updates about Clare's session, which will be going ahead on Friday 9th December.

Interdisciplinary Conference at Northumbria

Readers may be interested in the following conference hosted by Northumbria's 'States of Mind' research group:

Situating and Interpreting States of Mind 1700-2000

An Interdisciplinary Conference

14-16 June 2012

Northumbria University

Keynote Speakers

Professor Joel P. Eigen (Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania)

Professor Melinda A. Rabb (Professor of English, Brown University, Rhode Island)

Dr. Judith A. Tucker (Lecturer in the School of Design, Leeds University)

This cross-period and interdisciplinary conference seeks to situate and interpret states of mind from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first questioning how the space, place and historical context in which mental states are experienced shaped the narratives produced by individuals. Interweaving perspectives from across such disciplines as literature, history, philosophy, art history, creative writing, psychology and sociology, the conference will explore accounts of states of mind including mental illness, dreams, sleep-walking, imaginative states and self-awareness. The conference seeks to assess how these varying states of consciousness are expressed and how such narratives are influenced by historical change, continuity or the reconfiguration of these forms of expression.

We would like to invite abstracts for papers from across disciplines on the theme of the conference, particularly related, but not limited, to the following key strands:

Experience and Representation of Mental Illness

- the gap between individual experience and interpretations by medical and legal practitioners

- the relationship between mental distress, agency, literature and cognition

- representations of mental derangement and criminal responsibility

Liminal States of Mind

- representations of liminal states of consciousness

- the relationship between experiences and representations of dreams and sleepwalking

- categorisation of imaginative states in cognitive science and philosophy

- concepts of interiority, selfhood and imaginative processing of real or fictional worlds

Self-awareness and Place

- relationship between self and place, particularly regarding the past, decay and dilapidation

- artistic expressions of situating self-awareness

- creative representations of landscape as a geographic metaphor

Abstracts of 300 words for 20-minute papers should be submitted no later than 31 January 2012 to the conference organisers: anita.oconnell@northumbria.ac.uk or leigh.wetherall-dickson@northumbria.ac.uk.  Please see www.northumbria.ac.uk/statesofmind for details.