Writing Otherwise: Toward an Unconventional Academic Career
February 20
A.D. White House
5pm - 6:15pm
How can we get across what matters? When biologist Kriti Sharma, co-author of Relationality: An Emergent Politics of Life Beyond the Human, faced the challenge of explaining what she meant by “relationality” to an academic audience, she turned to the seagrass she studied, wondering, what would the seagrass say about life? The dilemma Sharma confronted is common: as scholars and teachers, our arguments and ethical commitments often demand more than the conventions of academic discourse allow. Further, as early career scholars, we feel pressure to conform. This talk, sitting with the risk and uncertainty of writing otherwise, identifies and describes the unexpected networks and communities that can emerge through our different efforts to resist conditions of academic legibility. Discussing how I revised my dissertation into a book, selected a publisher, and created a podcast, I consider the practices and resources that helped me let go of what I thought was possible and push back against the precariousness of the academic job market.
Lette Bragg, visiting assistant professor of English at Swarthmore College, received her Ph.D. In the Department of Literatures in English, with a concentration in FGSS, in 2018. Before coming to Swarthmore, she held a postdoctoral teaching fellowship at the University of Delaware. Lette is the author of The Ruins of Solitude: Maternity at the Limits of Academic Discourse (punctum books 2024). Her work has been published in Cultural Studies Review, Feminist Theory, and The Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy.
Free and open to the public.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To be respectful of those with allergies and environmental sensitivities, we ask that you please refrain from wearing strong fragrances. The venue is wheelchair accessible and equipped with assistive listening technology. If you need additional accommodations to participate in this event, please contact us as soon as possible. Light refreshments following.
For more information about this event contact fgss@cornell.edu.
This event is presented by Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program and Literatures in English Department.
