Join us at 4pm in Arts 141 on the 4th of February for a discussion of Michael Richardson’s ‘Climate Trauma, or the Affects of the Catastrophe to Come’. In this article Richardson argues that ‘climate catastrophe are traumatically affecting without necessarily being traumatizing: they are jarring, rupturing, disjunctive experiences of future crisis in the now.’ … Continue reading “Imagining Catastrophe – February 4th”
Page Breaks Teaching Special (Wed 5 Feb 2:30pm)
This week’s Page Breaks will be an informal special session to reflect on tips and techniques for teaching undergraduate seminars, including suggestions for preparation and ways to prompt discussion. We’ll share examples of good (and bad!) teaching experiences, and exchange ideas on what has worked well in different seminar contexts.
Page Breaks (Wed 22 Jan) Mars is Heaven!
Ray Bradbury’s short story ‘The Third Expedition’, first published as ‘Mars is Heaven’ in 1948 and later collected in The Martian Chronicles, describes the arrival of a space expedition on Mars whose crew discover a seemingly familiar American town.
Page Breaks (29 Jan): ‘Dialogue between Old England and New’, with Peter Auger
In this new series for Page Breaks, we’ve asked other members of staff to bring in passages they’re puzzling over at the moment in their own research. We’ll be using the sessions for members of staff to discuss their work in its very first stages – when they’re still at the stage of asking questions … Continue reading “Page Breaks (29 Jan): ‘Dialogue between Old England and New’, with Peter Auger”
CTRG – Queerness and Disability (24th of Jan) & Schedule
It’s a New Year, and to usher in the times, Timothy the Octopus has put together a new schedule! Our first session will be on Theory relating to Queerness and Disability. However, we wanted to try something a little bit different for this session: instead of setting a text to read, we will be having … Continue reading “CTRG – Queerness and Disability (24th of Jan) & Schedule”
Works Loved: New Beginnings (Wed 15 Jan)
A new year, and a new theme for Works Loved. In our first session of 2020, we’ll share texts that explore fresh starts, new beginnings, and other kinds of reinvigoration. All types of texts are welcome – and as always, feel free to mix up the tone with a drastic ending! An extra challenge: accounts … Continue reading “Works Loved: New Beginnings (Wed 15 Jan)”
Works Loved: Festive Favourites (Wed 11 Dec)
For this festive edition of Works Loved, we’ll be sharing texts that explore festivities, celebrations, and other occasions that are – or should be – joyful. All types of texts, phrases, and festive figures are welcome, from Scrooge to Santa – or feel free to change the tone with a non-festive favourite. Reflections: We had … Continue reading “Works Loved: Festive Favourites (Wed 11 Dec)”
Teach Out – Uses of Theory: The Dirty Version (Dec 3rd)
To show solidarity with the UCU strike action over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads, the Contemporary Theory Reading Group will be running a Teach-Out on the 3rd of December at 3-4pm in the Bristol Pear. The reading for this week has … Continue reading “Teach Out – Uses of Theory: The Dirty Version (Dec 3rd)”
Teach Out: What is Literary Activism? (3pm, Mon 25 Nov)
On the first day of UCU industrial action at UoB, we’re taking Page Breaks to a teach out and discussing ‘literary activism’. Join us at the S’Oak, in Selly Oak, and see the full schedule of teach outs here: https://tinyurl.com/BUCUteachouts
Giovanni’s Room (Wed 20 Nov)
On 20 November, we’ll be reading a longer work than usual: James Baldwin’s 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room. Sometimes described as Baldwin’s most controversial fiction, Giovanni’s Room explores home, nationality and sexuality in the setting of postwar Paris.