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Stewart Russell's Chapter 2 The Missing Notes Copyright2026.mp3References to Stewart Russell's The Missing Notes © 2026 Chapter Two, “The Missing Notes,” ISBN 978-976-97942-2-1 are analyzed through an interdisciplinary framework. This discourse presents a simplified APA-formatted summary of Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D.'s multimodal hermeneutical and media semiotic approach, combining etymological, textual, cultural, and theological perspectives to explore the semantic and ethical layers within the narrative construct meaning. It should be noted that this academic tool integrates the study of signs (semiotics) with the interpretation of cultural texts (hermeneutics) across various sensory modes (multimodality) to understand complex, layered messages. This thinking is supported by https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335024801_Multimodal_Semiosis_In_Mass_Media_Several_Remarks_On_Methodology and Gittens,W.A. © 2026Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D.Podcast 298 Stewart Russell's Chapter 2: The Missing Notes,A Multimodal Hermeneutic and Media Semiotic Analysis © 2026Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing®2015 In collaboration with iMovie present Podcast 298 Stewart Russell's Chapter 2: The Missing Notes,A Multimodal Hermeneutic and Media Semiotic Analysis © 2026RECOGNITIONSAs I take a moment to reflect on my journey, I am filled with profound gratitude for the Creator's guiding hand that has led me every step of the way. Life has brought me countless blessings, and at the forefront of these blessings is the immeasurable debt of thanks I owe to my late parents, Charles and Ira Gittens. They bestowed upon me their wisdom and creative spirit, which have been a consistent source of inspiration throughout my life. Their counsel and encouragement continue to resonate within me, shaping my path and purpose. To my beloved wife, Magnola Gittens, your unwavering support has been my anchor in turbulent seas. Your love and understanding provide the strength necessary to navigate life's complexities. I am eternally grateful for your presence, which comforts and uplifts me. To my brothers—Shurland, Charles, Ricardo, and my late brothers Arnott and Stephen—as well as my sisters, Emerald, Marcella, and Cheryl, thank you for being my steadfast companions along this journey. Each of you has contributed uniquely to my narrative, reminding me of the importance of family ties in shaping who I am today. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my cousins: Joy Mayers, Kevin and Ernest Mayers, Donna Archer, Avis Dyer, and Jackie Clarke. Your love and camaraderie have enriched my life beyond measure. To my uncles, Clifford, Leonard Mayers, David Bruce, and Collin Rock, your support has been invaluable, strengthening the bonds of our family. To my children, Laron and Lisa, grandson Elijah you are my pride and joy, the motivation behind my work, fuelling my desire to create and inspire.Moreover, I am equally grateful to all who have believed in me and wanted nothing but the best for my growth. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Platizky, Mr. Matthew Sutton, Mr. Juan Arroyo, Mr. and Mrs. David Lavine, and many others have played pivotal roles in my development, encouraging me to pursue my passions relentlessly. During my time at New Jersey City University (NJCU), I had the privilege of receiving guidance from exceptional mentors, including the late Dr. Joseph Drew, Merline Mayers, Mrs. Ellen Gordon, Dr. Nicholas Gordon, Rev. Dr. Scofield Eversley BSS, and many others. Conversations about enhancing my writing skills after graduating were integral to my growth, providing the foundation for my future endeavours. Over the past three decades, my experiences in the leisure activities industry have significantly shaped my journey. From 1995 to 2026, I have devoted myself to writing, resulting in 471 E-Publications and 298 podcasts that resonate within the community. In recognition of the profound impact Dr. Joseph Drew had on my academic and personal development, I dedicated my 66th publication, "A Tribute to Culture" Vol. 1, to him—a small token of gratitude for his enormous influence on my life.As I look forward to what lies ahead, I remain thankful to all who have contributed to my story and to the Creator for the endless possibilities this journey holds. Each person's presence has left an indelible mark on my life, guiding me toward a future filled with hope and potential.Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D.ReferencesBarthes, R. (1981). Camera lucida: Reflections on photography. Hill and Wang. Brooks, P. (1984). Reading for the plot: Design and intention in narrative. Harvard University Press. Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge. Cart, M. (2016). Young adult literature: From romance to realism. American Library Association. Cawelti, J. G. (1976). Adventure, mystery, and romance: Formula stories as art and popular culture. University of Chicago Press. Freytag, G. (1863/1894). Freytag's technique of the drama: An exposition of dramatic composition and art. Scott, Foresman. Glotfelty, C., & Fromm, H. (Eds.). (1996). The ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology. University of Georgia Press. Gittens, W.A. (2026). “Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call © 2026: An Interdisciplinary Analysis through Writing, Podcasting, Publishing, Photojournalism, Cinematography, Media Arts, Cultural Theory, and Divinity” Published by Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing ® 2015. ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0.Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage Publications. Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. NYU Press. McHugh, S. (2016). Audio storytelling: Podcasting for learning and engagement. Routledge. Russell, S. (2026). The mystery call (Chapter 1). ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0.Russell, S. © 2026. The mystery call. Published by Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing ® 2015. ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0.Todorov, T. (1977). The poetics of prose. Cornell University Press. Support the showCultural Factors Influence Academic Achievements© 2024 ISBN978-976-97385-7-7 A_MEMOIR_OF_Dr_William_Anderson_Gittens_D_D_2024_ISBNISBN978_976_97385_0_8Academic.edu. Chief of Audio Visual Aids Officer Mr. Michael Owen Chief of Audio Visual Aids Officer Mr. Selwyn Belle Commissioner of Police Mr. Orville Durant Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning Hackett Philip Media Resource Development Officer Holder, B,Anthony Episcopal Priest,https://brainly.com/question/36353773https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning#cite_note-19https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning#cite_note-:2-18https://independent.academia.edu/WilliamGittens/Bookshttps://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=william+anderson+gittens+barbados&oq=william+anderson+gittenshttps://www.academia.edu/123754463/https://www.buzzsprout.com/429292/episodes. https://www.youtube.com/@williamandersongittens1714. Mr.Greene, Rupert
Stacey Langwick, MPH, PhD, is a cultural and medical anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University. Her research, writing, teaching and program building have focused on healing, medicine and the body in East Africa. She is author of Bodies, Politics and African Healing: The Matter of Maladies in Tanzania (2011) and co-editor of Medicine, Mobility and Power in Global Africa (2012). Her articles and essays have appeared in American Ethnologist, Cultural Anthropology, Current Anthropology, Science, Technology and Human Values, and Medical Anthropology, as well as a number of edited volumes. Her work is driven by a conviction that struggles over health are simultaneous struggles over the politics of knowledge, questions of evidence, and possibilities of care. Most recently, her work has taken up these themes through a range of interlocking issues including the science of traditional medicine in Africa, the afterlives of botanical colonization, the problem of toxicity, the politics of intellectual property, questions of bodily and territorial sovereignty, the work of chronicity and the rise chronic disease, and the possibilities of gardens as sites of medical education. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph, Medicines That Feed Us: Plants, Healing and Sovereignty in a Toxic World (2026) where she examines the relationship between toxicity and remedy in the face of the intertwined health and environmental crises that are shaping life in the twenty-first century. Medicines That Feed Us examines the Through ethnographic work with organizations that use plant-based healing and sustainable farming practices in Tanzania, Stacey A. Langwick asks what it means to heal in a toxic world.Currently, Langwick is experimenting with ways in which anthropology might fuel experiments in healing (as) land relations. I co-founded the Uzima Collective, which brings together diverse scholars, medical professionals, and community leaders from both Tanzania and the United States to reimagine healing in the face of intertwined environmental and health challenges. At the heart of this work is a two-acre anticolonial teaching, research, and healing garden at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center—a space for medical training, patient care, and collective repletion, inspiration, and healing. In an interlinked project with the Tanzanian non-governmental organization TRMEGA (Training, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation on Gender and AIDS), she is exploring what it means to "eat well" amid rising rates of chronic disease, climate change, expanding social inequality, and the intensification of property regimes that support the enclosure of land and plant life.
Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call © 2026 .mp3Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call © 2026: An Interdisciplinary Analysis through Writing, Podcasting, Publishing, Photojournalism, Cinematography, Media Arts, Cultural Theory, and Divinity”Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D. ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0 AbstractThis literature review examines Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call (2026) through an interdisciplinary framework encompassing literary criticism, narrative journalism, podcast storytelling, publishing studies, photojournalism, cinematography, media arts, cultural theory, and theological reflection. The chapter introduces Carson Marshall and his companions as they prepare for a summer expedition to Idyllic Gardens, a location simultaneously characterized by natural beauty and hidden danger. Through close textual analysis, this review explores the chapter's narrative architecture, characterization, environmental symbolism, dialogic realism, and moral undertones. The study argues that Russell effectively combines elements of the coming-of-age adventure novel, detective fiction, and moral allegory while employing techniques that resonate with contemporary multimedia storytelling traditions. The chapter establishes suspense through foreshadowing, particularly with the mysterious telephone warning that concludes the narrative, thereby creating a compelling foundation for subsequent developments.All things considered, it should be noted that educator Stewart Russell, in his novel, employed his linguistic expertise to engage with and manipulate a range of theoretical constructs, including adventure fiction, young adult literature, narrative theory, media studies, cultural analysis, theology, and literary criticism.Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D. Podcast 297 Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call © 2026 Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D. ISBN:978-976-97942-9-0 Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing®2015 In collaboration with iMovie present Podcast 297 Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call © 2026 Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D. ISBN:978-976-97942-9-0 RECOGNITIONSAs I take a moment to reflect on my journey, I am filled with profound gratitude for the Creator's guiding hand that has led me every step of the way. Life has brought me countless blessings, and at the forefront of these blessings is the immeasurable debt of thanks I owe to my late parents, Charles and Ira Gittens. They bestowed upon me their wisdom and creative spirit, which have been a consistent source of inspiration throughout my life. Their counsel and encouragement continue to resonate within me, shaping my path and purpose. To my beloved wife, Magnola Gittens, your unwavering support has been my anchor in turbulent seas. Your love and understanding provide the strength necessary to navigate life's complexities. I am eternally grateful for your presence, which comforts and uplifts me. To my brothers—Shurland, Charles, Ricardo, and my late brothers Arnott and Stephen—as well as my sisters, Emerald, Marcella, and Cheryl, thank you for being my steadfast companions along this journey. Each of you has contributed uniquely to my narrative, reminding me of the importance of family ties in shaping who I am today. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my cousins: Joy Mayers, Kevin and Ernest Mayers, Donna Archer, Avis Dyer, and Jackie Clarke. Your love and camaraderie have enriched my life beyond measure. To my uncles, Clifford, Leonard Mayers, David Bruce, and Collin Rock, your support has been invaluable, strengthening the bonds of our family. To my children, Laron and Lisa, grandson Elijah you are my pride and joy, the motivation behind my work, fuelling my desire to create and inspire.Moreover, I am equally grateful to all who have believed in me and wanted nothing but the best for my growth. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Platizky, Mr. Matthew Sutton, Mr. Juan Arroyo, Mr. and Mrs. David Lavine, and many others have played pivotal roles in my development, encouraging me to pursue my passions relentlessly. During my time at New Jersey City University (NJCU), I had the privilege of receiving guidance from exceptional mentors, including the late Dr. Joseph Drew, Merline Mayers, Mrs. Ellen Gordon, Dr. Nicholas Gordon, Rev. Dr. Scofield Eversley BSS, and many others. Conversations about enhancing my writing skills after graduating were integral to my growth, providing the foundation for my future endeavours. Over the past three decades, my experiences in the leisure activities industry have significantly shaped my journey. From 1995 to 2026, I have devoted myself to writing, resulting in 470 E-Publications and 297 podcasts that resonate within the community. In recognition of the profound impact Dr. Joseph Drew had on my academic and personal development, I dedicated my 66th publication, "A Tribute to Culture" Vol. 1, to him—a small token of gratitude for his enormous influence on my life.As I look forward to what lies ahead, I remain thankful to all who have contributed to my story and to the Creator for the endless possibilities this journey holds. Each person's presence has left an indelible mark on my life, guiding me toward a future filled with hope and potential.Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D.ReferencesBarthes, R. (1981). *Camera lucida: Reflections on photography*. Hill and Wang. Brooks, P. (1984). *Reading for the plot: Design and intention in narrative*. Harvard University Press. Butler, J. (1990). *Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity*. Routledge. Cart, M. (2016). *Young adult literature: From romance to realism*. American Library Association. Cawelti, J. G. (1976). *Adventure, mystery, and romance: Formula stories as art and popular culture*. University of Chicago Press. Freytag, G. (1863/1894). *Freytag's technique of the drama: An exposition of dramatic composition and art*. Scott, Foresman. Glotfelty, C., & Fromm, H. (Eds.). (1996). *The ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology*. University of Georgia Press. Gittens, W.A. (2026). “Chapter One of Stewart Russell's The Mystery Call © 2026: An Interdisciplinary Analysis through Writing, Podcasting, Publishing, Photojournalism, Cinematography, Media Arts, Cultural Theory, and Divinity” Published by Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing ® 2015. ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0.Hall, S. (1997). *Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices*. Sage Publications. Jenkins, H. (2006). *Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide*. NYU Press. McHugh, S. (2016). *Audio storytelling: Podcasting for learning and engagement*. Routledge. Russell, S. (2026). The mystery call (Chapter 1). ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0.Russell, S. © 2026. The mystery call. Published by Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing ® 2015. ISBN 978-976-97942-9-0.Todorov, T. (1977). *The poetics of prose*. Cornell University Press. Support the showCultural Factors Influence Academic Achievements© 2024 ISBN978-976-97385-7-7 A_MEMOIR_OF_Dr_William_Anderson_Gittens_D_D_2024_ISBNISBN978_976_97385_0_8Academic.edu. Chief of Audio Visual Aids Officer Mr. Michael Owen Chief of Audio Visual Aids Officer Mr. Selwyn Belle Commissioner of Police Mr. Orville Durant Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning Hackett Philip Media Resource Development Officer Holder, B,Anthony Episcopal Priest,https://brainly.com/question/36353773https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning#cite_note-19https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning#cite_note-:2-18https://independent.academia.edu/WilliamGittens/Bookshttps://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=william+anderson+gittens+barbados&oq=william+anderson+gittenshttps://www.academia.edu/123754463/https://www.buzzsprout.com/429292/episodes. https://www.youtube.com/@williamandersongittens1714. Mr.Greene, Rupert
The Five Ws on the Word's Etymology and the Orchid's HabitatCopyright © 2026 ISBN: 978-976-97942-8-3.mp3Academic Topic StatementThis conversation examines the enduring significance of the "Five Ws"—Who, What, When, Where, and Why—as foundational instruments of inquiry within journalism, literature, media studies, cultural theory, theology, and ecological observation. By tracing the etymology of the word as a vehicle of meaning and exploring the orchid as a symbol of environmental adaptation, cultural representation, and biological specificity, the work establishes a methodological framework that connects language, place, identity, and knowledge production.As a writer, photojournalist, media arts specialist, publisher, podcaster, cultural theorist, and Doctor of Divinity, the author argues that every act of observation begins with a question and every meaningful question seeks context. The orchid's habitat serves as a metaphor for the situated nature of knowledge, while the etymological evolution of words demonstrates how human understanding is cultivated through historical, social, and spiritual environments.(https://botanic-garden.bristol.ac.uk/2018/02/12/the-wacky-wonderful-world-of-orchids/)Central Research Questions1. How do the Five Ws function as universal tools of investigation across disciplines?2. What does the etymology of words reveal about the historical development of human thought?3. How does the orchid's habitat illustrate the relationship between environment, adaptation, and meaning?4. In what ways do media, journalism, and cultural narratives shape our understanding of place and identity?5. How can theological reflection contribute to a deeper interpretation of language, ecology, and human experience?AbstractThe intersection of language and environment offers a unique lens through which to examine human inquiry. This work investigates the Five Ws as epistemological foundations for research and communication, linking the historical evolution of words with the ecological realities of orchid habitats. Through interdisciplinary analysis, the study demonstrates that language and landscape function as parallel systems of meaning-making. Drawing from journalism, media studies, cultural theory, theology, and environmental observation, as an author I propose that asking the crucial question is both an intellectual and spiritual act. The resulting framework provides us scholars, writers, educators, and communicators with a model for understanding how words, places, and experiences shape human knowledge.When all else is equal, I have developed the academic practice of using keywords in my literary works since they provide structure and serve as the fundamental ideas and vocabulary that characterize my discourse. Crucially, they serve as "digital fingerprints" and operate at the nexus of accessibility and clarity.Five Ws; Etymology; Orchid Habitat; Journalism; Media Studies; Cultural Theory; Ecology; Theology; Knowledge Production; Communication Studies; Environmental Humanities; Interdisciplinary Research.This formulation is appropriate for a scholarly book, doctoral lecture, conference presentation, or academic journal proposal under your authorship credentials. Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D.Podcast 295 Episode Title:The Five Ws on the Word's Etymology and the Orchid's HabitatCopyright © 2026 ISBN: 978-976-97942-8-3 By Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D. Devgro Media Arts Services Publishing®2015 In collaboration with iMovie present Podcast 295 Episode Title:The Five Ws on the Word's Etymology and the Orchid's HabitatCopyright © 2026 ISBN: 978-976-97942-8-3 By Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D. RECOGNITIONSAs I take a moment to reflect on my journey, I am filled with profound gratitude for the Creator's guiding hand that has led me every step of the way. Life has brought me countless blessings, and at the forefront of these blessings is the immeasurable debt of thanks I owe to my late parents, Charles and Ira Gittens. They bestowed upon me their wisdom and creative spirit, which have been a consistent source of inspiration throughout my life. Their counsel and encouragement continue to resonate within me, shaping my path and purpose. To my beloved wife, Magnola Gittens, your unwavering support has been my anchor in turbulent seas. Your love and understanding provide the strength necessary to navigate life's complexities. I am eternally grateful for your presence, which comforts and uplifts me. To my brothers—Shurland, Charles, Ricardo, and my late brothers Arnott and Stephen—as well as my sisters, Emerald, Marcella, and Cheryl, thank you for being my steadfast companions along this journey. Each of you has contributed uniquely to my narrative, reminding me of the importance of family ties in shaping who I am today. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my cousins: Joy Mayers, Kevin and Ernest Mayers, Donna Archer, Avis Dyer, and Jackie Clarke. Your love and camaraderie have enriched my life beyond measure. To my uncles, Clifford, Leonard Mayers, David Bruce, and Collin Rock, your support has been invaluable, strengthening the bonds of our family. To my children, Laron and Lisa, grandson Elijah you are my pride and joy, the motivation behind my work, fuelling my desire to create and inspire.Moreover, I am equally grateful to all who have believed in me and wanted nothing but the best for my growth. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Platizky, Mr. Matthew Sutton, Mr. Juan Arroyo, Mr. and Mrs. David Lavine, and many others have played pivotal roles in my development, encouraging me to pursue my passions relentlessly. During my time at New Jersey City University (NJCU), I had the privilege of receiving guidance from exceptional mentors, including the late Dr. Joseph Drew, Merline Mayers, Mrs. Ellen Gordon, Dr. Nicholas Gordon, Rev. Dr. Scofield Eversley BSS, and many others. Conversations about enhancing my writing skills after graduating were integral to my growth, providing the foundation for my future endeavours. Over the past three decades, my experiences in the leisure activities industry have significantly shaped my journey. From 1995 to 2026, I have devoted myself to writing, resulting in 469 E-Publications and 295 podcasts that resonate within the community. In recognition of the profound impact Dr. Joseph Drew had on my academic and personal development, I dedicated my 66th publication, "A Tribute to Culture" Vol. 1, to him—a small token of gratitude for his enormous influence on my life.As I look forward to what lies ahead, I remain thankful to all who have contributed to my story and to the Creator for the endless possibilities this journey holds. Each person's presence has left an indelible mark on my life, guiding me toward a future filled with hope and potential.Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D.ReferencesAristotle. (2007). The art of rhetoric (H. C. Lawson-Tancred, Trans.). Penguin Classics. (Original work published ca. 350 B.C.E.)Chase, M. W., Cameron, K. M., Freudenstein, J. V., Pridgeon, A. M., Salazar, G., Van den Berg, C., & Schuiteman, A. (2015). An updated classification of Orchidaceae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 177(2), 151–174. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12234Crystal, D. (2010). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.Dressler, R. L. (1993). Phylogeny and classification of the orchid family. Cambridge University Press.Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage Publications.McHugh, S. (2016). How podcasters built a new kind of radio. NPR.Newton, J. H. (2001). The burden of visual truth: The role of photojournalism in mediating reality. Routledge.The Holy Bible, King James Version. (1611). Matthew 6:28; Hebrews 11:3.Support the showCultural Factors Influence Academic Achievements© 2024 ISBN978-976-97385-7-7 A_MEMOIR_OF_Dr_William_Anderson_Gittens_D_D_2024_ISBNISBN978_976_97385_0_8Academic.edu. Chief of Audio Visual Aids Officer Mr. Michael Owen Chief of Audio Visual Aids Officer Mr. Selwyn Belle Commissioner of Police Mr. Orville Durant Dr. William Anderson Gittens, D.D En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning Hackett Philip Media Resource Development Officer Holder, B,Anthony Episcopal Priest,https://brainly.com/question/36353773https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning#cite_note-19https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning#cite_note-:2-18https://independent.academia.edu/WilliamGittens/Bookshttps://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=william+anderson+gittens+barbados&oq=william+anderson+gittenshttps://www.academia.edu/123754463/https://www.buzzsprout.com/429292/episodes. https://www.youtube.com/@williamandersongittens1714. Mr.Greene, Rupert
Dr. Eric C. Rath is a professor of history at the University of Kansas where he teaches courses on food history and premodern Japan. A leading specialist in Japanese food culture, Dr. Rath has authored more than thirty articles on Japanese food culture from ancient to modern times covering the history of food rituals, heirloom vegetables, confectionery, restaurants, tableware, and eating competitions. His books include Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan (2010), Japanese Foodways Past and Present coedited with Stephanie Assmann (2010), Japan's Cuisines: Food, Place and Identity (2016), and Oishii: The History of Sushi (2021). He is on the editorial board of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia for Food Studies and is a founding member of the editorial collective of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. He has written for the popular publications Sake Today and The Sake Times. His recent monograph, the topic for today's conversation, Kanpai: The History of Sake (Reaktion Books, 2025), is the first history of sake in English, exploring its evolution from homebrew to flavored varieties, and its cultural significance and global rise—including its growing popularity and production in North America and Europe.
Dr. Lauren (Robin) Derby's research has treated dictatorship and everyday life, the long durée social history of the Haitian and Dominican border, and how notions of race, national identity and witchcraft have been articulated in popular media such as rumor, food and animals. Her publications include the prize-winning The Dictator's Seduction: Politics and the Popular Imagination in the Era of Trujillo, the co-authored Terreur de frontière: le massacre des Haïtiens en République dominicaine en 1937 (Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2021) and the co-edited Dominican Republic Reader (Duke University Press, 2014). She is Bradford Burns Chair of Latin American history at UCLA where she teaches courses on modern Latin America and Caribbean history, cultural history and food studies. The focus of today's conversation is her latest monograph, Bêtes Noires: Sorcery as History in the Haitian-Dominican Borderlands (Duke University Press, 2025). In this work, Dr. Derby examines storytelling traditions in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, centering on shape-shifting spirit figures known as baka or bacá, and exploring how they embody layered histories of race, religion, repression, and resistance.
Dr. Chelsi West Ohueri is a sociocultural anthropologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She has conducted extensive ethnographic research throughout Albania and the Balkan region, and in the US South. In today's conversation, we explore her book Encountering Race in Albania: An Ethnography of the Communist Afterlife. Through the unexpected lens of Albania, a small, formerly communist country in Southeast Europe, the work offers powerful insights into broader understandings of race in a global context.
Dr. Samuele Collu is an Assistant Professor of Medical and Psychological Anthropology at McGill University. His research examines the entanglement between psychic life, therapeutic practices, and digital devices. He is currently completing Dreams I Scroll Through, an experimental ethnography immersing the reader in a (mildly psychedelic) social media binge-scroll. Collu is also working on a project titled “Force and Form,” which focuses on learning, trauma, and internal alchemy practices in Montréal.The topic for today's conversation is his first book, Into the Loop: An Ethnography of Compulsive Repetition, came out with Duke University Press this year (2026). Written in an experimental and literary style that moves fluidly between the academic, the personal, and their uncanny in-betweens, Into the Loop offers a unique window into the repetitive cycles that shape our most intimate relationships and the possibilities for transformation within them.
Is everything getting worse? Well, yes! Julia and Nick break down enshittification, planned obsolescence, and the long history of things being made worse on purpose. From disposable culture to Facebook AI slop, they break down how we've all been conditioned to waste our time and money while being trained to expect basically nothing in return. Digressions include the implications of boyfriends entering the girls' rag hang unannounced, a brief stay in frog paradise, and the AI fridge that watches your baby. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES Enshittification by Cory Doctorow How the Deadly 1918 Flu Pandemic Brought Dixie Cups to Easton Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America by Giles Slade OFFICIALS EXPLAIN WAR SAVINGS PLAN; McAdoo and Vanderlip Open $2,000,000,000 Campaign at "Frugality Dinner." DIRECTORS THEIR GUESTS Speakers Predict National Response to the Appeals of These Patriotic Business Leaders. Pierre Bourdieu, Distinction, A Social Critique on the Judgement of Taste, 1984 Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk Pushbutton Magic - 1948 The Age of Enshittification The Waste Makers Toward a Throw-Away Culture. Consumerism, 'Style Obsolescence' and Cultural Theory in the 1950s and 1960s Understaffing as a form of enshittification 1956 Frigidaire Refrigerator ice box Commercial
This is John Drabinski and you're listening to Conversations in Atlantic Theory, a podcast dedicated to books and ideas generated from and about the Atlantic world. In collaboration with the Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy, these conversations explore the cultural, political, and philosophical traditions of the Atlantic world, ranging from European critical theory to the black Atlantic to sites of indigenous resistance and self-articulation, as well as the complex geography of thinking between traditions, inside traditions, and from positions of insurgency, critique, and counternarrative.Today's discussion is with Don Deere, who teaches in the Department of Philosophy at Texas A&M University. He has published a number of articles in key journals and edited collections, is the co-translator of Santiago Castro-Gómez's Zero-Point Hubris: Science, Race, and Enlightenment in 18th-Century Latin America, and is the author of The Invention of Order: On the Coloniality of Space, published in 2026 on Duke University Press as part of their series Radical Américas, which is the occasion for our conversation today. In this conversation, we explore the importance of Latin American theorists for philosophy and philosophers, the challenge of thinking across multiple geographies, and the legacy of colonialism in our understanding of spatiality, place, and the meaning of modernity.
Dr. Jonathan Howard is an Assistant Professor of Black Studies and English at Yale University. His research and teaching broadly interrogate western ideas about race and nature while also exploring black expressive culture as an alternative site of ecological thought and practice. His first book, Inhabitants of the Deep: The Blueness of Blackness, undertakes a black ecocritical study of the “deep” as the diffuse subtext of African American literature. It argues that blackness dawns in Middle Passage as an ongoing inhabitation of the deep, which is most fully apprehended not as social death but ecological life.
Along with dozens of scholarly articles and a handful of edited books and journal issues, he is the author of seven books: Sensibility and Singularity (2001), Godard Between Identity and Difference (2008), Levinas and the Postcolonial (2012), Glissant and the Middle Passage (2019), and three recent books that are the occasion for our conversation, Atlantic Theory (2025), So Unimaginable a Price (2026) and At the Margins of Nihilism (2026). He is also the co-editor with Michael Sawyer of Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy and co-host of both The Black Studies Podcast and Conversations in Atlantic Theory.In today's conversation, we explore Dr. Drabinski's three latest monographs: In Atlantic Theory, where he traces the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism while offering a comparative account of critical thought across the Atlantic world. In So Unimaginable a Price, he turns to James Baldwin, situating his work within a broader mid-century Atlantic context and placing it in dialogue with thinkers across the Caribbean and Africa.Finally, in At the Margins of Nihilism, he develops a theoretical framework through a comparative reading of Jacques Derrida and Orlando Patterson, drawing on figures such as Richard Wright, Frantz Fanon, and Baldwin to examine how different forms of nihilism operate as closed systems, and how they are unsettled through vernacular practices of life and refusal.
Professor Alejandro Luis Madrid is the Walter W. Naumburg Professor of Music at Harvard University. He is a cultural theorist of sound and music working in Latin American and Latinx studies. Among other honors, he has received the Humboldt Research Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Dent Medal, the Premio de Musicología Casa de las Américas, and awards from the American Musicological Society, the Latin American Studies Association, ASCAP, IASPM, and the Society for Ethnomusicology. Professor Madrid is sought after as an expert commentator by national and international media outlets, including Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Agence France-Presse, the BBC, Public Radio International, and Radio Uruguay (SODRE). He acted as music advisor to Welsh filmmaker Peter Greenaway, whose movie, Eisenstein in Guanajuato, is set in early 1930s Mexico.In today's conversation, we discuss his latest monograph, The Archive and the Aural City. Sound, Knowledge, and the Politics of Listening (Duke University Press, 2025) where he examines sound archives and the production and circulation of knowledge at the aural turn.
Dr. Akane Kanai is a feminist cultural studies scholar, currently based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick. She researches the relational politics of identity, with a focus on how the emotional life of social media informs cultures of everyday knowledge. Her previous book, Gender and Relatability in Digital Culture, contributed a critique of relatability in theorizing the everyday regulation of emotion for young women online. Prior to joining Warwick in 2025, she was a senior research fellow at Monash University in Melbourne (Naarm), Australia. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph The New Politics of Online Feminism, where she argues that for young feminists online culture often poses more dilemmas than it solves. Dr. Kanai foregrounds the importance of moving beyond the polarities of correct and incorrect feeling to enable the everyday practices of listening to and learning about experience and difference.
Dr. Marisa Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she teaches courses in feminist intersectional science studies, environmental humanities, Black geographies, feminist theory and queer of color critique. She is currently the director of Barnard's Interdisciplinary Race and Ethnic Studies Minor (ICORE/MORE), an editorial board member of Women's Studies Quarterly (WSQ) and Scholar and Feminist Online. She has written a number of articles on the relationship between waste and Black life in the U.S., including, “The Ghetto is a Gold Mine” for the Journal of Labor and Working-Class History and “Ecologies Elsewhere” for GLQ: A Journal of Gay and Lesbian Studies. Her work also appears in a number of edited volumes such as, Waste as Critique (Oxford University Press), Black Environmentalisms (forthcoming with Duke University Press) and The Politics of Disposability (Duke University Press). One of her essays, “The Edge of the Usual,” also appears in a compilation of essays for the 2023 Venice Biennial on Everlasting Plastics. In today's conversation, we discuss her new book, The Elsewhere is Black: Ecological Violence and Improvised Life (Duke University Press 2025), which received Duke University Press's Scholar of Color First Book Award, considers ecological politics from the position of Black dispossession. In so doing, The Elsewhere Is Black points us to the durability of racism and its many material forms: toxicity's movement through soil and bodies, the placement of landfills, waste infrastructure, and the technocratic planning and management of Black life and death.
Dr. Kathleen "Kat" Cruz Gutierrez (Ph.D. Southeast Asian Studies, Berkeley) is Assistant Professor of Southeast Asian history and the history of science at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She writes on the history of botany, botanical taxonomies, and the recent scholarly "plant turn." Her research has been generously supported by the Social Science Research Council, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her previous affiliations include De La Salle University, Manila, the Humanities Institute of the New York Botanical Garden, and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. She presently serves as co-Principal Investigator for a community-engaged research initiative on Filipino agrarian labor and migration titled "Watsonville is in the Heart." For her work, she was awarded in 2024 the Richard E. Cone Award for Emerging Leaders in Community Engagement by LEAD California, a biannual honor that recognizes a single individual in higher education evidencing steadfast commitment to community engagement in their early careers. In today's conversation we discuss her latest monograph Unmaking Botany: Science and Vernacular Knowledge in the Colonial Philippines where she traces a history of botany in the Philippines during the last decades of Spanish rule and the first decades of US colonization. Through this history, she redefines the vernacular, expanding it to include embodied, cosmological, artistic, and varied taxonomic practices.
Dr. Joseph M. Pierce (Cherokee Nation citizen) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature and the Founding Director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Stony Brook University. In today's conversation, we discuss Dr. Pierce's latest monograph, Speculative Relations: Indigenous Worlding and Repair (2025, Duke University Press) where he analyzes a range of materials—from photography, literature, and sculpture to film and ethnography—revealing how speculation, as a form of situated knowledge production, can repair and reimagine the worlds that colonialism sought to destroy.
Dr. Deborah A. Thomas is Chair and the R. Jean Brownlee Professor of Anthropology, and the Director of the Center for Experimental Ethnography at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also core faculty in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, holds secondary appointments with the Graduate School of Education and the Department of Africana Studies, and is a member of the graduate groups in English, Comparative Literature, and the School of Social Policy and Practice. She is also a Research Associate with the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Johannesburg. Prior to her appointment at Penn, she spent two years as a Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for the Americas at Wesleyan University, and four years teaching in the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. In today's conversation, we discuss Dr. Thomas' latest monograph, Exorbitance: A Speculative Ethnography of Inheritance, where she calls for new approaches to political sovereignty grounded in the embodied forms of autonomy and relation created in daily life.
Is cybersecurity just a technical problem, or a human one?In this episode, we debut our new format: bridging the gap between deep academic research and boots-on-the-ground security practice. We dive into Zoe M. King et al., 2018 paper, "Characterising and Measuring Maliciousness for Cybersecurity Risk Assessment," to uncover why we need to stop looking at code and start looking at intent.From the "Dark Triad" of personality traits to the rise of the "patriotic hacker" in global geopolitics, we peel back the layers of the human onion to understand what actually drives a person to cause harm.In This Episode, We Discuss:The Maliciousness Assessment Metric (MAM): Why traditional risk assessments fail by ignoring "intent to harm" and how to integrate human factors into your security posture.The Four Layers of Maliciousness: A deep dive into the Individual, Micro, Meso, and Macro levels—from personal psychology to national narratives.Hacking as Patriotism: How cultural contexts in the US, Russia, and China dictate whether a hacker is seen as a criminal or a hero.The "War Games" Effect: How 80s cinema shaped US cybersecurity legislation (CFAA) and continues to influence public perception.Insider Threats & Organizational Hygiene: Why disgruntlement is a security vulnerability and how the "Principle of Least Privilege" is your best defense.Risk as a Moral Construct: Why the risks your company chooses to mitigate reveal your organisation's true values and concept of justice.Show NotesCharacterizing and Measuring Maliciousness for Cybersecurity Risk Assessment by Zoe M. King et al., featured in the journal Frontiers in Psychology (2018)Risk and Blame: Essays in Cultural Theory by Mary DouglasRisk and Culture: An Essay on the Selection of Technological and Environmental Dangers by Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky
Dr. Bimbola Akinbola is an artist and scholar currently based in Chicago. Working at the intersection of African diapora studies, performance, and visual art, her scholarly and artistic work is concerned with the complicated and nagging nature of belonging, queerness, and the concept of family. Dr. Akinbola's newly published book, Transatlantic Disbelonging: Unruliness, Pleasure and Play in Nigerian Diasporic Women's Art examines anti-respectability, queer kinship, and diasporic homemaking in the creative work of contemporary Nigerian diasporic women artists. Her essays have also been published in Text and Performance Quarterly and Women Studies Quarterly.
The good, the bad, and the transgressiveIs the transgression of norms and rules what brings history forward and allows for creativity and change? OR is the fetishization of transgression an ever-present danger that breaks down all structures of meaning and becomes totalizing in of itself?The limits and potentials of transgressiveness have been long debated, especially in rule-breaking Modernity. Listen to this lively conversation between three unlikely and profound thinkers - provocative cultural theorist Catherine Liu, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, and psychoanalyst Josh Cohen - to hear what role transgression should, and should not, play in our societies. Hosted by philosopher Barry C. SmithPlease do email us at podcast@iai.tv with any of your thoughts or questions on the episode!To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/the-failures-of-liberalismYou can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dr. drea brown is a queer Black feminist poet-scholar whose writing has appeared in journals and anthologies such as Stand Our Ground: Poems for Marissa Alexander and Trayvon Martin, the Smithsonian Magazine, Southern Indiana Review, Bellingham Review and About Place Journal. drea is the author of dear girl: a reckoning, winner of the Gold Line Press 2014 chapbook prize, and co-editor of Teaching Black: The Craft of Teaching on Black Life and Literature (U Pittsburgh 2021). In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph Conjuring the Haint: The Haunting Poetics of Black Women where she argues that for Black women, haunting is both a condition and a strategy in lived experiences and literary productions.
Dr. Atiya Husain is Associate Professor of Africana Studies and a faculty affiliate in Anthropology/Sociology at Williams College. Her work has been published in scholarly journals such as Ethnic and Racial Studies, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, as well as popular outlets including Boston Review, Slate, and Adi Magazine. She is a founding co-editor of the University of Toronto Press series “Dimensions: Islam, Muslims, and Critical Thought,” a founding board member of Communication and Race, and has also served as Associate Editor of Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. She has a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a BA from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph No God but Man: On Race, Knowledge, and Terrorism, where she traces the origins and logics of the FBI wanted poster and argues how this logic continues to structure wanted posters, as well as much contemporary social scientific thinking about race.
Dr. Celina de Sá is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the SF Bay Area, she received her PhD with distinction at the University of Pennsylvania in Africana Studies and Anthropology. Outside of her professional life, she is also a capoeirista and training to be a flamenco dancer. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph Diaspora Without Displacement: The Coloniality and Promise of Capoeira in Senegal, (published by Duke University Press July 2025) where she analyzes a capoeira network across West Africa, de Sá shows how urban West Africans use capoeira to explore the relationship between Blackness, diaspora, and African heritage.
Dr. Julia Elyachar is an author, anthropologist, and political economist. She was trained in anthropology, economics, history of political and economic thought, political economy, social theory, Middle Eastern Studies, and Arabic language. At Princeton, she is an associate professor of anthropology, and associate professor at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies. She received her BA in Economics from Barnard College, Columbia University and her MA and PhD in Anthropology and Middle East Studies from Harvard University. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph On the Semicivilized: Coloniality, Finance, and Embodied Sovereignty in Cairo. Drawing on thirty years of ethnographic research in Cairo, family archives from Palestine and Egypt, and research on Ottoman debt and finance to rethink catastrophe and potentiality in Cairo and the world today, Elyachar theorizes a global condition of the “semicivilized” marked by nonsovereign futures, crippling debts, and the constant specter of violence exercised by those who call themselves civilized. Looking at the world from the perspective of the semicivilized, Dr. Elyachar argues, allows us to shift attention to embodied infrastructures, collective lives, and practices of moving and acting in common that bypass lingering assumptions of territorialism and unitary sovereign rule.
Dr. Élika Ortega is assistant professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Ortega writes about the intersection of digital and print publishing, digital literature, cultural hybridity, digital humanities, and multilingualism in academia. Her work on these topics has been published in venues like ASAP Journal, PMLA, Hispanic Review, Debates in the Digital Humanities, EBR, and others. She is currently one of the editors for the Electronic Literature Collection Vol. 5. Today we discuss Dr.Ortega's monograph Binding Media. Hybrid Print-Digital Literature from across the Americas , published by Stanford University Press in March 2025, where she proposes the notion of “binding media” and provides us with an essential account of contemporary book history and highlights the way binding media help illuminate processes of cultural hybridization that have been instigated by the expediency of globalized digital technologies and transnational dynamics.
Dr. Margaret J. Wiener is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her book Visible and Invisible Realms: Power, Magic, and Colonial Conquest in Bali (University of Chicago Press) won the 1995 Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing, awarded by the Society for Humanistic Anthropology. Her publications have been grounded in many years of field research on the island of Bali, Indonesia's most famous province, as well as foraging in colonial archives and libraries in The Netherlands. She considers herself an empirical philosopher, who brings an ethnographic sensibility to the clashes involved in colonial encounters while asking broad questions about practices of knowing and making worlds. Inspirations from thinkers in the interdisciplinary field of science, technology, and society (STS) inform her recent book Magic's Translations: Reality Politics in Colonial Indonesia (Duke University Press, 2025), the topic of today's conversation. Dr. Wiener examines how the category of magic traveled from Europe through the imposition of colonial rule and the birth of anthropology. Her current research extends her longstanding interest in the worlds different practices produce to multispecies entanglements and conflicting visions of the future.
Dr. Mary Poole is a historian of U.S. and African history, with an emphasis on histories of social movements, racial capitalism, colonialism, feminist and other critical social theory, and Indigenous decolonizing research methods. She has served on the faculty of Prescott College in Arizona since 2003. In the 1980s, she served as a fiscal analyst for the Washington State Senate Ways & Means Committee overseeing welfare policy during a period of federal dismantling of the U.S welfare state and rapid prison expansion and the corresponding increase in racially discriminatory drug laws. She later served as Executive Director for Early Options for Unintended Pregnancy, a non-governmental organization established to teach family practice doctors techniques of early abortion. She earned her PhD at Rutgers, which led to her first book, The Segregated Origins of Social Security: African Americans and the Welfare State (UNC: 2006) which demonstrates how the U.S. welfare state operates as a mechanism of racial capitalism, producing economic security as a property of whiteness. She has worked closely for over two decades with Meitamei Olol Dapash on land rights, environmental justice and decolonizing research, and has co-directed through that time the Institute for Maasai Education, Research & Conservation (MERC) and the Dopoi Center. In today's conversation, we discuss Decolonizing Maasai History: A Path to Indigenous African Futures, (Zed Books/Bloomsbury, 2025), co-authored with Meitamei Olol Dapash, where they offer a new version of Maasai history based on Maasai memory and concerns. Meitamei Olol-Dapash is the founder and Executive Director of the Maasai Environmental Resource Coalition (MERC) a registered community-based organization in Kenya. MERC is a network of grassroots organizations and activists promoting the rights of the Maasai community and the environment.
Dr. Wendell Marsh is an Associate Professor of African Literature and Philosophy at Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique in Morocco. His work bridges Global Black Studies, African Studies, and Islamic Studies, with a focus on how African and diasporic intellectual traditions and expressive cultures reshape our understanding of knowledge, religion, and the humanities. In today's conversation, we discuss his latest monograph, Textual Life: Islam, Africa, and the Fate of the Humanities, (Columbia University Press, 2025), where he recasts the role of knowledge in the making of a colonial and postcolonial nation. It makes a case for a new literary and intellectual-historical approach to Islam in Africa.
Dr.José Miguel Palacios is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts at California State University Long Beach. His work explores the relations between transnational histories of radical cinemas and questions of migration, solidarity, networks of cinematic exchange, and archival practices He has published in journals like Film Quarterly, Screen, The Moving Image, Jump Cut, and [in] Transition. In today's conversation, we discuss his book, Transnational Cinema Solidarity: Chilean Exile Film & Video after 1973 (UC Press, 2025) where he offers a politicized understanding of world and transnational cinema that emphasizes geopolitical relations and cinematic alliances based on solidarity. He is currently working on a second book devoted to the archives of exile filmmaker Raúl Ruiz, which was awarded a Project Development Grant by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) in 2025.
Dr.Caroline Fowler is Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program at the Clark Art Institute. In this conversation, we discuss her most recent book, Slavery and the Invention of Dutch Art was published with Duke University Press, 2025. In this project, Dr. Fowler examines the fundamental role of the transatlantic slave trade in the production and evolution of seventeenth-century Dutch art.
Dr. Anna LaQuawn Hinton is an Assistant professor of Disability Studies and Black Literature & Culture in the English Department at the University of North Texas. Dr. Hinton is a disabled-queer-momma Black feminist, who “Loves music. Loves dance. Loves the moon. Loves the Spirit. Loves love and food and roundness. Loves struggle. Loves the Folk.(and striving to) Loves herself. Regardless.” She has published in the Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies (JLCDS) and CLA Journal, as well as The Cambridge Companion to American Literature and the Body, The Cambridge Companion to the Black Body in American Literature, and The Palgrave Handbook on Reproductive Justice and Literature. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph, Refusing to Be Made Whole: Disability in Black Women's Writing, which approaches themes in Black feminist literary studies such as aesthetics, spirituality, representation, community, sexuality, motherhood, and futurity through a Black feminist disability frame.
A 2024 Guggenheim Fellow, Tavia Nyong'o is the William Lampson Professor of American Studies at Yale University, with award-winning books including The Amalgamation Waltz: Race, Performance, and the Ruses of Memory (University of Minnesota Press, 2009), and Afro-Fabulations: The Queer Drama of Black Life (New York University Press, 2018) . His work in critical theory and performance studies explores the intersection of history, imagination, and Black aesthetic life through the lens of performance. Tavia Nyong'o's public-facing writings have appeared in prominent publications such as Vogue, them, The Nation, n+1, Artforum, Texte Zur Kunst, Cabinet, Triple Canopy, The New Inquiry, and NPR. and has been recognized with fellowships from prestigious foundations such as the Ford Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He serves on multiple editorial boards and co-edits the Sexual Cultures book series at NYU Press with Ann Pellegrini and Joshua Chambers-Letson. Currently curating public programs at the Park Avenue Armory, Nyong'o is completing groundbreaking research on topics ranging from digital technology's cultural history to racial and sexual dissidence in art and culture. In today's conversation, we discuss his latest monograph Black Apocalypse: Afrofuturism at the End of the World (University of California Press, 2025), where he shows that the end of the world is crucial to afrofuturism and reframes the binary of afropessimism and afrofuturism to explore their similarities.
Note: This episode was originally uploaded to my Patreon Tier 3 in August 2025. It's now available as 'open access' for all followers!Speculative Frequencies: A Mixed Bag of Mysticism, Music & Mystery This ‘mixed bag' episode dives into four rich and provocative topics:*Occulture & Re-enchantment: A look at the Revenant Journal's editorial on “The Occult,” exploring how mystical practices challenge dominant paradigms and foster cultural resistance through feminist, queer, and neurodiverse lenses. *Lux Interna's Sonic Rituals: Reflections on a multimedia salon by the band Lux Interna, whose music and scholarship invoke desert mysticism, spiritual reckoning, and mythic storytelling. Includes themes of embodiment, wildness, and devotional resistance. *Feminist Witchcraft & Counter-Theology: A deep dive into Lolly Willowes and Satanic Feminism, examining how occult symbolism reclaims feminine autonomy and spiritual sovereignty. Plus, how rock music channels occult motifs for identity and transformation. *Forgotten Languages & Anomalous Cognition: A speculative exploration of the enigmatic website Forgotten Languages, its ties to CCRU theory-fiction, and psychological research on UAP witnesses. Themes include encrypted knowledge, post-human communication, and linguistic alienation. This episode has examined the intersections of sonic ritual, feminist resistance, and anomalous cognition through diverse cultural and theoretical lenses. From speculative philosophy to experiential narratives, these perspectives challenge dominant epistemologies and invite reconsideration of the boundaries between the real and the imagined. Future dialogues may benefit from interdisciplinary synthesis and critical engagement with the margins of knowledge. If you enjoyed this mixed bag, and would like to have more episodes like this, please let me know! I can certainly provide more content like this in the future. PROGRAM NOTESRevenantIntroduction : RevenantLux Internanews — Lux Internalux.interna | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree"From My Body Alone Do I Know This": Sacrament & Scripture as Technologies of the Self in the Work of Jacob BöhmeLolly Willowes | Project GutenbergSatanic Feminism: Lucifer as the Liberator of Woman in Nineteenth-Century Culture | Oxford AcademicSeason of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll: Bebergal, Peter: 9780399174964: Amazon.com: BooksForgotten Languages Full: Books 2022-2025The Deepest Internet Mystery You've Never Heard Of (and Why It's Now in the Congressional Record) - YouTubeCcru- cybernetic culture research unitCcru - CCRU WikiPsychological aspects in unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) witnesses | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Core Interviews with Bob Cluness and David Metcalfe can be found in the Rejected Religion Patreon Library. www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion All Music by Daniel P. Shea Production by Stephanie Shea
This is Fatima Seck and today's discussion is with Dr. Danielle Roper, an assistant professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago from Kingston, Jamaica. She is also the curator of the digital exhibit: Visualizing/Performing Blackness in the Afterlives of Slavery: A Caribbean Archive. She is from Kingston, Jamaica. In this conversation, we discuss her latest monograph Hemispheric Blackface: Impersonation and Nationalist Fictions in the Americas. Dr. Roper examines blackface performance and its relationship to twentieth- and twenty-first-century nationalist fictions of mestizaje, creole nationalism, and other versions of postracialism in the Americas.
2000s nostalgia is en vogue at the moment, so we decided to take a trip back in time to the golden era of the internet, and the time of 'New Atheism'. We talk Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens, and discuss how edgy attacks on religion swerved so seamlessly into right-wing populism and "defending Christian society". We then turn our attention to religion in Ireland, before spilling the proverbial on Mother Teresa and highlighting leftist currents of Catholicism in Latin America. Promise this episode is a lot more fun than the topic might suggest! Thank you again to all of our devoted followers who donated to the GoFundMe. This ep was recorded in person with brand new state-of-the-art equipment, so mucho thanks to ye xx"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:8. Support the show
ORIGINALLY RELEASED Feb 12, 2020 In this episode, Jon Greenaway and Brenden Leahy return to the show and join Breht to explore the life, thought, and revolutionary legacy of Antonio Gramsci—the Italian Marxist theorist who redefined how we understand power, ideology, and resistance. We break down Gramsci's key concepts, including cultural hegemony, the role of organic intellectuals, and the importance of building counter-hegemonic institutions. We also examine his fierce opposition to Italian fascism, his imprisonment by Mussolini, and how his prison notebooks continue to offer critical insights for revolutionary struggle today. This is an accessible yet deep dive into one of the most original Marxist thinkers of the 20th century—essential listening for anyone serious about strategy, ideology, and the long war of position. Find Jon's show (@HorrorVanguard) here: https://www.patreon.com/horrorvanguard Check out Brenden's punk band No Thanks here: https://no-thanks.bandcamp.com/ ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio HERE Outro Beat Prod. by flip da hood
Todd McGowan joins the show once again, this time to discuss his newest book "Pure Excess: Capitalism and the Commodity". Together, he and Breht discuss commodity fetishism, the tensions between Marxism and psychoanalysis, what a critique of the subjective aspects of capitalism offers anti-capitalist politics, the "superstructural malaise" of late capitalism, Desire and Lack, capitalism's death drive, how to resist becoming a neoliberal subject, and much more. "Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, McGowan shows how the production of commodities explains the role of excess in the workings of capitalism. Capitalism and the commodity ensnare us with the image of the constant fulfillment of our desires―the seductive but unattainable promise of satisfying a longing that has no end. To challenge this system, McGowan turns to art, arguing that it can expose the psychological mechanisms that perpetuate capitalist society and reveal the need for limits. Featuring lively writing and engaging examples from film, literature, and popular culture, Pure Excess uncovers the hidden logic of capitalism―and helps us envision a noncapitalist life in a noncapitalist society." Check out all our other episodes with Todd HERE Check out Todd's podcast Why Theory? on your preferred podcast app! Outro Song: I Want to Work Less by Grand Commander ----------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Rina Arya is a Professor of Critical and Cultural Theory at the University of Hull, UK. She started her academic career working on the role of the sacred in death of God culture, especially in the paintings of Francis Bacon and writings of Georges Bataille, resulting in her acclaimed book "Francis Bacon: Painting in a Godless World". Her work on Bacon led to research in abjection where she wrote a number of articles and books on the subject, notably "Abjection and Representation." Rina is completing her next book on the cultural appropriation of Hinduism. In this conversation, Rina and I explored the areas of intersection between contemporary art and theology, focusing on theological aesthetics, embodiment, abjection, and the role of materiality in religious practices. We also discussed how contemporary artists engage with religious motifs, the impact of digital culture on spiritual experiences, and the importance of contemplative spaces in art. Additionally, we spoke about the evolving nature of religious expression in art and considered the potential for interfaith dialogue through artistic practices.
Episode #94 In this episode of the Awakened Heart Podcast, I sit down with Sean Bw Parker to dive into the complex world of cultural theory, exploring how universities shape societal values, and how groupthink and cancel culture have evolved. We discuss the role of feminism today, shifts in the political landscape, and why individualism and freedom of expression are crucial. We also touch on justice reform, the importance of truth in society, and the unique challenges young people face in navigating these issues. Throughout, we emphasize the need for open dialogue and the courage to speak one's truth in an increasingly polarized world. With over eight books, six albums, and a TEDx talk to his name, Sean's work spans cultural theory, art, media critique, and justice reform. For ten years, he lived in Istanbul, immersing himself in the music and culture scene, where he wrote for Time Out Istanbul and Louder Than War and taught English and cultural studies. Sean brings a centrist libertarian perspective, often tackling controversial topics like cancel culture, media, justice reform, and the nuances within progressive ideologies. His latest book, A Delicate Balance of Reason – Adventures In The Culture Wars, explores these issues in depth and was released this May, with an Audible version coming soon. Sean's thoughtful approach and diverse experiences make him the perfect guest for an eye-opening discussion today. Takeaways Cultural theory analyzes societal narratives beyond individual stories. Universities often promote a left-leaning agenda that influences students. Groupthink can lead to cancel culture and suppression of dissenting voices. Feminism is divided on issues related to gender identity and women's rights. The political landscape is shifting towards populism and individualism. Art and creativity are essential for expressing individual perspectives. Truth and honesty are crucial in navigating societal challenges. Justice reform is needed to address miscarriages of justice. The younger generation is malleable and needs guidance in critical thinking. Living with an awakened heart means embracing truth and individuality. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:59 Understanding Cultural Theory 05:51 The Rise of Cancel Culture 09:34 The Influence of Left-Leaning Ideologies 12:21 The Impact on Society and Education 16:24 The Role of Media and Propaganda 20:12 Censorship and Thought Police 22:42 Preserving Individual Freedoms 27:31 The Need for Feminists to Stand Up for Marginalized Women 33:07 The Threat to Individual Freedoms in the Cultural Wars 45:01 The Importance of Objectivity in the Justice System 50:46 The Power of Art in Reflecting and Challenging Societal Norms 56:56 end screen podcast 17.4 sec.mp4 Connect with Sean: X Delicate Balance of Reason Saatchi Art page Let's Connect! Website Instagram Facebook Youtube Rumble Keywords Cultural Theory, Cancel Culture, Groupthink, Feminism, Political Landscape, Individualism, Freedom of Expression, Justice Reform, Truth, Awakened Heart
On this Halloween, Jon Greenaway returns to the show to discuss his new book "Capitalism: A Horror Story (Gothic Marxism and the Dark Side off the Radical Imagination)". What does it mean to see horror in capitalism? What can horror tell us about the state and nature of capitalism? Blending film criticism, cultural theory, and philosophy, Capitalism: A Horror Story examines literature, film, and philosophy, from Frankenstein to contemporary cinema, delving into the socio-political function of the monster, the haunted nature of the digital world, and the inescapable horror of contemporary capitalist politics. Revitalizing the tradition of Romantic anticapitalism and offering a “dark way of being red”, Capitalism: A Horror Story argues for a Gothic Marxism, showing how we can find revolutionary hope in horror- a site of monstrous becoming that opens the door to a Utopian future. Check out Jon's Substack HERE Check out and Support the Horror Vanguard Podcast HERE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left HERE Follow RLR on IG HERE
In this episode, Dr. Kashunda McGriff talks about Relational Cultural Theory. RCT is a theory rooted in feminist and social justice that recognizes how people grow in and through connection. Dr. McGriff shares her experience as a counselor and professor using RCT as a conceptual framework for helping others. For more on our guests, links from the conversation, and APA citation for this episode visit https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast The Thoughtful Counselor is created in partnership with Palo Alto University's Division of Continuing & Professional Studies. Learn more at concept.paloaltou.edu
What you do as an artist is crucial. Do not abandon that for a desire to serve a kind of utilitarian purpose of ‘I'm gonna make sure people know more'. The faith in knowing more is the siren song of our society that constantly sees us leaping off of the vessel that can carry us through this, with this belief that we can suddenly transform society because we can provide information. Decorating climate policy with the arts is not transformative. What you know how to do as an artist is so fundamentally important.David Maggs defines his work as an attempt to integrate the core capacities of the arts with larger social challenges, sustainability, health, social justice, community development, etc. David grew up in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and spent much of his developmental years as a classical pianist. In 2002, he founded Gros Morne Summer Music (now Camber Arts) and continues to be active in cultural production and cultural theory. My first conversation with David was e30 maggs – art and the world after this recorded during an outdoors COVID era walk on March 25, 2021 in Vancouver. We talked about artistic capacity, sustainability, value propositions, disruption and recovery, including his Art and the World After This paper for Metcalf Foundation.Since then David has become Metcalf Fellow on Arts and Society, where he nurtures and supports the desire in Canada's arts sector to both move with, and shape ongoing patterns of transformative societal change. David and I were co-founders of SCALE along with Anjali Appadurai. Anthony Garoufalis-Auger, Kendra Fanconi, Judi Pearl and Robin Sokoloski in 2021 and have been corresponding ever since, including my March 16, 2024 posting on a calm presence david maggs' art and the climate crisis.Our second conversation focused on being and transformation. For example :My argument is that we are intuiting the ability of art to work at the level of being, to engage with transformative change. But what happens is we live in a culture that is so structured around problem solving at the level of information and knowledge that as soon as we think, OK, yes. course art has something really important to do with this, then, immediately, instead of allowing the arts to pull climate discourse into the realm of being, climate discourse pulls art into the realm of knowing. And it becomes a tool for knowing rather than something that allows us to start to engage with ourselves at the level of being.David also talks about the cultural gap in the climate crisis which he defines as ‘the difference between the imperative of transformation at the level of being and a particular society's capacity to do so. Ours is really low.'David's recommended reading is the work of Richard Powers and Don McKay's Vis à vis. *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHere is a link for more information on season 5. Please note that, in parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays for those frightened by the ecological crisis'. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.Also. please note that a complete transcript of conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 4 is available on the web version of this site (not available on podcast apps) here: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on April 2, 2024
In this episode of the Such a Nightmare podcast, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca put a coin in the pinball machine to discuss 2021's Willy's Wonderland. Episode Highlights: We talk about how Nicholas Cage is the reason for the season and, hands down, the best part of this film. We explore the film's brilliant practical effects with the puppets/animatronics. Katherine shares how the film builds on the carnivalesque aspects of the suspension of normality, the carnival king, the ambivalent nature of fire and laughter, and dualism of images. We discuss the lovely performances of the adult actors, but lament the teenage characters and how their scenes--which take us out of Willy's Wonderland--pull down the narrative. Ultimately, as Toni puts it, while the film might not have hit all the notes...we'd love to grab a beer with the fascinating and clever filmmakers. A Dose of Scholarship: For more on the carnivalesque, check out Mikhail Bakhtin's "Carnival and the Carnivalesque" in John Storey's 1998 Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. And be sure to check out the essay Toni referenced: Clark Collis's "'Nic Cage is into reptiles...': The insane, behind-the-scenes story of Willy's Wonderland." This podcast episode first aired on April 5, 2024. Shout-out to Jackson O'Brien; thank you for editing this episode! ALL LINKS Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com
The most exhaustive mapping of contemporary literary theory to date, Jeffrey R. Di Leo's book Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory: An Overview (Bloomsbury, 2023) offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field of contemporary literary theory. Examining 75 key topics across 15 chapters, it provides an approachable and encyclopedic introduction to the most important areas of contemporary theory today. Proceeding broadly chronologically from early theory all the way through to postcritique, Di Leo masterfully unpacks established topics such as psychoanalysis, structuralism and Marxism, as well as newer topics such as trans* theory, animal studies, disability studies, blue humanities, speculative realism and many more. Featuring accessible discussion of the work of foundational theorists such as Lacan, Derrida and Freud as well as contemporary theorists such as Haraway, Braidotti and Hayles, it offers a magisterial examination of an enormously rich and varied body of work. Arnab Dutta Roy is Assistant Professor of World Literature and Postcolonial Theory at Florida Gulf Coast University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
The most exhaustive mapping of contemporary literary theory to date, Jeffrey R. Di Leo's book Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory: An Overview (Bloomsbury, 2023) offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field of contemporary literary theory. Examining 75 key topics across 15 chapters, it provides an approachable and encyclopedic introduction to the most important areas of contemporary theory today. Proceeding broadly chronologically from early theory all the way through to postcritique, Di Leo masterfully unpacks established topics such as psychoanalysis, structuralism and Marxism, as well as newer topics such as trans* theory, animal studies, disability studies, blue humanities, speculative realism and many more. Featuring accessible discussion of the work of foundational theorists such as Lacan, Derrida and Freud as well as contemporary theorists such as Haraway, Braidotti and Hayles, it offers a magisterial examination of an enormously rich and varied body of work. Arnab Dutta Roy is Assistant Professor of World Literature and Postcolonial Theory at Florida Gulf Coast University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
The most exhaustive mapping of contemporary literary theory to date, Jeffrey R. Di Leo's book Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory: An Overview (Bloomsbury, 2023) offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field of contemporary literary theory. Examining 75 key topics across 15 chapters, it provides an approachable and encyclopedic introduction to the most important areas of contemporary theory today. Proceeding broadly chronologically from early theory all the way through to postcritique, Di Leo masterfully unpacks established topics such as psychoanalysis, structuralism and Marxism, as well as newer topics such as trans* theory, animal studies, disability studies, blue humanities, speculative realism and many more. Featuring accessible discussion of the work of foundational theorists such as Lacan, Derrida and Freud as well as contemporary theorists such as Haraway, Braidotti and Hayles, it offers a magisterial examination of an enormously rich and varied body of work. Arnab Dutta Roy is Assistant Professor of World Literature and Postcolonial Theory at Florida Gulf Coast University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory
The most exhaustive mapping of contemporary literary theory to date, Jeffrey R. Di Leo's book Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory: An Overview (Bloomsbury, 2023) offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field of contemporary literary theory. Examining 75 key topics across 15 chapters, it provides an approachable and encyclopedic introduction to the most important areas of contemporary theory today. Proceeding broadly chronologically from early theory all the way through to postcritique, Di Leo masterfully unpacks established topics such as psychoanalysis, structuralism and Marxism, as well as newer topics such as trans* theory, animal studies, disability studies, blue humanities, speculative realism and many more. Featuring accessible discussion of the work of foundational theorists such as Lacan, Derrida and Freud as well as contemporary theorists such as Haraway, Braidotti and Hayles, it offers a magisterial examination of an enormously rich and varied body of work. Arnab Dutta Roy is Assistant Professor of World Literature and Postcolonial Theory at Florida Gulf Coast University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Virginia Woolf's highly influential essay on women and literature, which considers both literary history and future opportunity. In 1928 Woolf gave two lectures at Cambridge University about women and fiction. In front of an audience at Newnham College, she delivered the following words: “All I could do was offer you an opinion upon one minor point - a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction; and that, as you will see, leaves the great problem of the true nature of woman and the true nature of fiction unsolved”. These lectures formed the basis of a book she published the following year, and Woolf chose A Room Of One's Own for its title. It is a text that set the scene for the study of women's writing for the rest of the 20th century. Arguably, it initiated the discipline of women's history too. With Hermione Lee Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford Michele Barrett Emeritus Professor of Modern Literary and Cultural Theory at Queen Mary, University of London and Alexandra Harris Professor of English at the University of Birmingham Producer Luke Mulhall
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Virginia Woolf's highly influential essay on women and literature, which considers both literary history and future opportunity. In 1928 Woolf gave two lectures at Cambridge University about women and fiction. In front of an audience at Newnham College, she delivered the following words: “All I could do was offer you an opinion upon one minor point - a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction; and that, as you will see, leaves the great problem of the true nature of woman and the true nature of fiction unsolved”. These lectures formed the basis of a book she published the following year, and Woolf chose A Room Of One's Own for its title. It is a text that set the scene for the study of women's writing for the rest of the 20th century. Arguably, it initiated the discipline of women's history too. With Hermione Lee Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford Michele Barrett Emeritus Professor of Modern Literary and Cultural Theory at Queen Mary, University of London and Alexandra Harris Professor of English at the University of Birmingham Producer Luke Mulhall
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