Author: Kelly Baker Josephs

Quarrelling with Coloniality

Quarrelling with Coloniality: Carifesta Redux
A Conversation Among Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars

Wednesday April 10, 2013

Cabot Auditorium, Tufts University, 4:30-8:00PM

Panelists include Faith Smith, Donette Francis and Leah Rosenberg

With Readings by Angie Cruz and M. Nourbese Philip

Join the conversation concerning Carifesta’s 1976 landmark discussion of history in the Caribbean literary imaginary with Caribbean women writers and scholars, who will address how contemporary Caribbean writers and thinkers, female in particular, have continued to “quarrel with the past” but moved forward now to critically contend with colonialism’s afterlife in the region.

Please see the event flyer for more information.

The Place of Memory: Anglophone Diasporas in the 21st Century

CFP Deadline: Abstracts and bios due 29 May 2013

Conference location and date:
The Place of Memory: Anglophone Diasporas in the 21st Century
3-4 October 2013, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie

Conference description:
Diasporic studies have often made diaspora rhyme with nostalgia, focusing on the ways in which the loss of the homeland coincides with a dynamics of reminiscence inevitably triggered by that moment of loss. In this perspective, the diasporic subject is, to paraphrase Emmanuel Nelson, a “fossilized fragment that seeks refossilization.”

A large number of literary works but also of visual artistic creations and films undeniably deal with the difficulties inherent in adjusting to a new land, a fact which often makes it tempting for diasporians to seek to revive the homeland and keep it alive through an active process of re-membering. But there is a lot more to the dynamics of diasporization and remembrance than this rather obvious starting point. In recent years diasporic studies have opened up new areas of investigation which have either confirmed or put into question this link between nostalgia and diaspora. Trauma studies have evidenced the haunting presence of past events and their lingering presence in the lives of diasporians through trauma, and the nature of memory — its making, remaking and sometimes its packaging and “marketing” (Huggan) — has also constituted an area of investigation. Indeed, in the wake of geographer David Harvey’s concept of heritage culture, many critics have interrogated the validation and instrumentalisation of the margins, sometimes through a re-/creation of collective memories.

The conference seeks to position itself in this framework of emerging problematics and reassessment of the role, status and place of memory. Contributions are invited on a variety of topics relating to literature but also to different forms of cultural productions (eg the visual arts from films to installations) in the anglophone world. Continue reading The Place of Memory: Anglophone Diasporas in the 21st Century

Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage

Call for Manuscripts:
Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage
Maney Publishing and Left Coast Press

The Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage provides a focal point for peer-reviewed publications in interdisciplinary studies in archaeology, history, material culture, and heritage dynamics concerning African descendant populations and cultures across the globe. The Journal invites articles on broad topics, including the historical processes of culture, economics, gender, power, and racialization operating within and upon African descendant communities. We seek to engage scholarly, professional, and community perspectives on the social dynamics and historical legacies of African descendant cultures and communities worldwide. The Journal publishes research articles and essays that review developments in these interdisciplinary fields. Continue reading Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage

“The Temporality of Generations” – Lecture by David Scott

Thursday, April 25th, 2013
4:30-6:30pm
CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, NYC
President’s Conference Room

The Committee on Globalization and Social Change present:

“The Temporality of Generations”
A Keynote Address by
David Scott
Professor of Anthropology and Research Fellow of African-American Studies at Columbia University

This keynote address is part of the larger event, “Contemporality: A Symposium on Culture, Politics, and Time,” which will take place at the CUNY Graduate Center, April 25-26.

Please click here for further information about the full event.

Free and open to the public

Antithesis/Synthesis: Fine Arts and Cultural Heritage

Caribbean InTransit, Issue 5, Call for papers

Deadline: 15 April 2013

Information below obtained from Caribbean inTransit announcement. For more information about the issue, about the journal, and/or about submissions, click here.

Special issue: “ANTITHESIS/SYNTHESIS: FINE ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE”

Guest Editors: James Early, Diana N’diaye and Dominique Brebion

Are expressions of “fine art” and “cultural heritage” mutually exclusive, beneficial and/or interchangeable? There are a plethora of terms that seek to distinguish arts connected to “heritage” including such performance based genres as carnival regalia, genre paintings such as those created by Amos Ferguson and utilitarian arts such as basketmaking or fashion, from the arts taught historically in the academy- painting or sculpture. Continue reading Antithesis/Synthesis: Fine Arts and Cultural Heritage

Brooklyn College Caribbean Studies Conference

50 to 21: The 50th Anniversary of Caribbean Independence and Its Impacts on 21st Century Students
Caribbean Studies conference
April 17th, 2013
Brooklyn College, CUNY

Student Union Building (SUBO)
Jefferson Williams Rm.
East 27th Street and Campus Road

AGENDA

9:30am
Introductions

9:45 – 10:45am
Panel 1: Urban Communities
Panelists: Prof. Jennifer Adams, Prof. Alan Aja,
Prof. Miranda Martinez
Alpha Kappa Delta Symposium Speaker:
Dr. Anton Allahar, Western University, Canada,
former President of the Caribbean Studies Association

11:00am – 12:15pm
Panel 2: Performing Race, Gender, and Identity in Carnival
Panelists: Prof. Dale Byam, Prof. Ray Allen, Prof. Rosamond King
12:30pm –2:05pm
Keynote Address: Jace Clayton (a.k.a. DJ/Rupture)
Lunch provided in the Bedford Room, SUBO

2:15pm – 3:30pm
Panel 3: Authors meet Critic
Hispanic Caribbean Literature of Migration
Narratives of Displacement: Prof. Vanessa Perez Rosario
and Laura Lomas
Critics: Prof. Regine Latortue

3:40pm – 4:55pm
Panel 4: Texting the Diaspora
Panelists: Prof. Jason Frydman, Prof. Maria Scharron del Rio,
Prof. James Davis

For more information, see the attached flyer (PDF)

 

 

Global Cuba/Cuba Global – Sargasso CFP

SARGASSO

– CALL FOR PAPERS –

Global Cuba/Cuba Global: Worldly Perspectives from the 21st Century

 
Deadline for submissions: June 15, 2013
 
SARGASSO, a Journal of Caribbean Literature, Language, and Culture published at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras invites submissions for an upcoming issue entitled “Global Cuba/Cuba Global.”  We seek interdisciplinary academic papers, short fiction, poetry, and visual art that (re)mediates, (re)formulates and/or (re)affirms Cuba’s varied interactions with and approaches to the world today.  Manuscripts are due by June 15, 2013, and should be sent to [email protected].  Contributors will be notified of the status of their submissions by August 1, 2013.

CFP – sx salon: a small axe literary platform

sx salon: a small axe literary platform invites submissions for Summer and Fall 2013. sx salon, launched in 2010 as part of the Small Axe Project, is an electronic publication dedicated to literary discussions, interviews with Caribbean literary figures, reviews of new publications (creative and scholarly) related to the Caribbean, and short fiction and poetry by emerging and established Caribbean writers. sx salon also houses the Small Axe Literary Competition, launched in 2009. Visit www.smallaxe.net/sxsalon to view past issues.

sx salon publishes a new issue every three months and invites submissions of the following for our Summer and Fall 2013 issues:

  • Literary Discussions that engage issues relevant to Caribbean literary studies: 2,500 words. Anticipated discussions for Summer and Fall include “Chinese Caribbean Literature” and “Dub Poetry.”
  • Book Reviews of recent (published no more than two years preceding the date of submission) creative literary works by Caribbean authors or scholarly works related to Caribbean literary studies: 1,200 words. Please contact [email protected] to query available books.
  • Interviews with Caribbean literary figures: 2,500 words
  • Poetry and Short Fiction that engage regional and diasporic Caribbean themes and concerns: up to 2 poems or fiction of up to 4,000 words

Deadlines are as follows: Summer issue – May 1; Fall Issue – August 1.

Please visit http://smallaxe.net/sxsalon/submissions.php for more detailed guidelines for submissions.

INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSIONS

All inquiries and submissions should be sent electronically to the following addresses:

New (Caribbean) Voices in Black Cinema

Following are two Caribbean-related films showing as part of the BAMcinématek New Voices in Black Cinema films series in Brooklyn this February. All descriptions are from the BAM website.

Fri, Feb 15, 2013, 4pm

THE FADE

This intimate documentary captures the lives of four Afro-descendent barbers in Ghana, Jamaica, the US, and the UK over the course of seven days. Interweaving their colorful stories, the film examines the cultural disparities among their locations.

Directed by Andy Mundy-Castle | 2012.  RUN TIME: 76min

____________________

Mon, Feb 18, 2013, 1pm

STONES IN THE SUN

Amid political violence in Haiti, a young couple, two sisters, and a father and son are transported to New York, where they must confront the truths of their interlocked pasts. Widely acclaimed author Edwidge Danticat (Krik? Krak!) gives a moving performance as a teacher drawn into the social upheaval that surrounds her.

With Edwidge Danticat, Michele Marcelin, Diana Masi, Thierry Saintine, Carlo Mitton, Patricia Rhinvil

Directed by Patricia Benoit | 2012.  RUN TIME: 95min

 

 

The Life and Work of Michel-Rolph Trouillot: A Symposium

Friday, March 1st, 2013
9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m

Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Auditorium of King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (KJCC), 53 Washington Square South, New York University, New York NY 10012.

Download PDF of symposium: Trouillot Symposium Poster and Program.

Program:
9:00 – 9:45am: Introduction
Welcome from CLACS Organizing Committee
Performance by Gina Athena Ulysse (Wesleyan University)

9:45 – 11:15am: Session I – Translations
Mariana Past (Dickinson College)
Dahoud Andre (Lakou New York)
Natalie Pierre (NYU)

11:15 – 11:30am: Break

11:30am – 1:00pm: Session II – Scales of Analysis: Peoples, Places, and Global Concerns
Vanessa Agard Jones (NYU)
Dasha A. Chapman (NYU)
Millery Polyne (NYU)

1:00 – 2:30pm: Break

2:30 – 4:15pm: Session III – Ways of Knowing
Michael Dash (NYU)
Yarimar Bonilla (Rutgers University)
Mayanthi L. Fernando (UC Santa Cruz)
Harvey Neptune (Temple University)

4:15 – 4:30pm: Break

4:30 – 5:15pm: Keynote Speaker Colin Dayan (Vanderbilt University)

5:15 – 7:30pm: Reception

*Photo ID is required for entry in the building
Online  Registration can be found here (via Eventbrite)

Christopher Cozier: In Development

Trinidadian artist Christopher Cozier’s first solo exhibition in New York is currently being held at:

David Krut Projects
526 W. 26th St. #816
New York, NY 10001
212.255.3094
[email protected]
Hours: Tues – Sat, 10am – 6pm

The exhibition runs from January 25 to March 16, 2013, and “consists of mixed-media drawings on paper, recent monotypes and linocuts created at David Krut Print Workshop in Johannesburg, and silkscreen prints made at Axelle Fine Art in Brooklyn.”

On Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 3pm, Cozier will be present for a public conversation with Tumelo Mosaka of the Krannert Art Museum in Champaign, IL.

For more information on Christopher Cozier and this exhibit (which includes a participatory online element), please visit the description on the David Krut Projects site.

Unleashing the Black Erotic (CFP)

Unleashing the Black Erotic: Gender and Sexuality—Passion, Power, and Praxis

September 17-21, 2013
The College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center and African American Studies Program
Historic Downtown Charleston, SC

Proposals due May 10, 2013; complete papers due by August 1, 2013

From the CFP:

I believe in the erotic and I believe in it as an enlightening force within our lives as women. I have become clearer about the distinctions between the erotic and other apparently similar forces. We tend to think of the erotic as an easy, tantalizing sexual arousal. I speak of the erotic as the deepest life force, a force which moves us toward living in a fundamental way. And when I say living I mean it as that force which moves us toward what will accomplish real positive change.  
-Audre Lorde Continue reading Unleashing the Black Erotic (CFP)

Vincent Brown: Tacky’s Revolt and the Coromantee Archipelago

Announcement from the Critical Caribbean Studies program @ Rutgers University:

Vincent Brown
Harvard University
Charles Warren Professor of History, Professor of African and
African-American Studies

Monday, February 11th 2013 @ 6:15 PM
Plangere Annex – Murray Hall, Room 302
510 GEORGE STREET, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901-1167.

Tacky’s Revolt and the Coromantee Archipelago: A New Cartography of Slave Revolt

“The Coromantee Wars: An Archipelago of Insurrection” offers a major
reconsideration of the early modern African diaspora by conceiving it
in terms of its military history. Historians of colonial slavery have
been careful to show the impact of events and decisions made in Europe
on patterns of New World development, but with a few notable
exceptions, we have a much weaker understanding of how African social,
political, and military history has shaped the Atlantic world. The
scholarship that exists in this area has focused primarily on cultural
continuities between Africans and African Americans, and much less on
the influence of specific social trends and political events. By
examining the Jamaican slave revolt of 1760 in the context of a series
of insurrections between 1675 and 1775, The Coromantee Wars will show
how events in Africa reverberated through the Atlantic, thereby
joining African, European, and American history within a critical
study of popular revolt and imperial counterinsurgency. Continue reading Vincent Brown: Tacky’s Revolt and the Coromantee Archipelago

The West Indies in the Great War: 1914-1918

MaedaSan Productions – a small London based Production Company currently working on a documentary on the first World War entitled “The West Indies in the Great War: 1914-1918” – is seeking help from scholars and students working in this area/period.

They are particularly interested in information concerning the “West India Regiment” and any Caribbean Soldiers who fought in American and Canadian regiments and/or West Indians en route to Europe to enlist via the States, as well as any other relevant information that may be of interest including: images, stock footage, letters, army records etc.

If you are interested in helping with this project please contact Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda at [email protected]. Please include your area of expertise and availability during the month of March. Please note that interested parties should contact MaedaSan Productions by 21 February 2013.