In his recent Theory of the Lyric, Jonathan Culler distinguishes between “hermeneutics” — which privileges and is governed by interpretation — and “poetics” — which generally eschews interpretation in favor of understanding the conventions that make meaning possible. This symposium builds upon the arguments in Jonathan’s recent book to decipher contemporary world anglophone literature not confined to poetry, in the process engaging current debates about theory and method ranging across literary study.

Friday, February 3rd
2:00-2:30
Elizabeth S. Anker (Cornell University), Welcome
Jonathan Culler (Cornell University), Opening remarks

2:30-3:30
David James (Queen Mary-University of London), “In Defense of Lyrical Realism"
3:45-4:45
Ellen Rooney (Brown University), “Change of Address”
Moderator: Tim Murray (Cornell University)

~ Reception to follow ~

Saturday, February 4th
11:00-12:00
Robert Caserio (Penn State University), “Wireless: The Novel's Transmissions of Lyric Form”
12:00-1:00
Grant Farred (Cornell University), “This is Not a Fiction: Rankine's Citizen as Mimetic Event”
Moderator: Leslie Adelson (Cornell University)
 
2:00-3:00
Christopher Nealon (Johns Hopkins University), “Some Limits to Antihumanism, or, Problems with the Critique of Meaning”
3:00-4:00
Elizabeth S. Anker (Cornell University), “Beyond Interpretation: Dualism, Postcritical Reading, and Ali Smith’s How To Be Both”
Moderator: Elisha Cohn (Cornell University)
 
4:00-4:30
Ian Balfour (York University), Response
Grant Farred (Cornell University), Closing remarks

~ Light breakfast and lunch provided; reception to follow ~

SPONSORS: Department of English, Africana Studies & Research Center, Society for the Humanities, & Institute for German Cultural Studies

~ This conference opens on Friday, February 3, 2017 and continues for a full day on Saturday, February 4, 2017 ~