The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Tony Astran

A trio of faculty members will provide insights on unique topics during the “Conversations in and out of the Disciplines” lecture series, which begins tomorrow, February 26. The annual series is designed to both educate and create dialogue among faculty, staff, and graduate students.

All events will take place in Ketchum Hall 320 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Jennifer Ryan, assistant professor of English, will commence the series on February 26 with a discussion titled “‘You are sorry you are born with ears’: Ideology and Identity from Bessie Smith’s Blues to the Coltrane Poem.”

Ryan will describe what she calls the intersection of “cultural identity, political statements, and formal innovation” in jazz and poetry. Much of her research will stem from her forthcoming book, Post-Jazz Poetics: A Social History, which explores how Americans experiment with both jazz and poetry to create bold messages.

“As faculty, we often focus on teaching and service, so this lecture series serves as an important tool for promoting scholarship as well,” Ryan said. “I think it’s especially helpful for graduate students to see what we do on other levels.”

Kimberly Hart, assistant professor of anthropology, will present a paper based on her recent ethnographic research, titled “Women’s Work in Secular and Sacred Redemption in Western Turkey,” on March 12. She will discuss women’s work in intensifying practices of Islamic devotion.

“Women are playing key roles in contributing to global Islamic change, such as making efforts to send their children to Qur’an schools and establishing weekly prayer meetings,” Hart said. “But there are ongoing debates over other activities, such as allowing women to visit the graveyards to say prayers for the dead. Sin and the threat of eternal damnation create anxiety because the parameters of ‘correct’ belief and practice are in a state of flux.”

Kim Chinquee, assistant professor of English, will discuss the art of crafting flash fiction and prose poetry, and the differences between them, during her April 30presentation, “Flash Fiction, Prose Poetry, and Men Jumping out of Windows: Search for Plot and Finding Definitions.” She characterizes flash fiction as writing that involves a narrative with a short word count (typically 750 words), and prose poetry as more focused on language and content.

“Flash fiction is a relatively new genre, and I’m excited to get the word out about it,” Chinquee said. “The plot is really the difference-indicator for distinguishing flash fiction versus prose poetry. For example, if a man is jumping from a window, different points of view allow the writer to craft the story in various ways.”

Chinquee values the opportunity that the Conversations series provides to learn about colleagues and their research on a deeper level. Likewise, Ryan is looking forward to hearing a critique of her work from a variety of academic circles.

“I’m interested in seeing conversations develop, especially from people in other departments [than English],” Ryan said. “I’m particularly intrigued by the rich possibilities for scholarly connections across disciplines.”