abstracting

The proposal deadlines for CCCC (Conference on College Composition and Communication) and ISHR (International Society for the History of Rhetoric) are within a week of each other, and they are coming up f a s t. My proposed panels just--just--came together. I'm going to propose brand new work for both of them, on animals in the history of rhetoric.

For CCCC, we are going to coalesce around past educational practices, and for ISHR, around performance and theater. For both, I'll likely be looking at ancient fable assignments, particularly the request that students write in the "voices" of animals. My preliminary research question is: what's that about?

But hopefully that question will be refined as I work.

Comments

[midmodern]

I'm begging you to put me on the panel. BEGGING. I will do my whole paper about how we shouldn't ask for that writing assignment and I'll do it in an Elmer Fudd voice. Seriously. That rabbit has pushed me too far.

[Michele K.]

As an undergraduate, I translated a little Latin number called "A Pig Makes a Will." I'll root around and see if I can find this truffle for you.

[caraf]

A sabbatical-era colleague of mine from Islamic studies told me about a whole set of stories from the 14th century in which animals put humans on trial. I will definitely put you in touch with him. Cool stuff!

[bonnie kyburz]

Marilyn Cooper is doing some interesting "animal" work. Do you know it?

[dave's not here]

Sounds cool. After all, we have never been human. Can't help but also bring up Deleuze and wonder if you're thinking that direction at all -- moments of becoming-other; midmodern's becoming-Elmer? Sophistic trickster animals?

[dhawhee]

MMS: heh.

MicheleK and Caraf: yes, please!

Bonnie: yep, if I'm thinking of the same project (ecology and writing?) And D.N.H: a point about 'others' is definitely emerging from the study, even at this early stage. Though I don't really use Deleuze to get there: the ancients work just fine!

I'm toying with the idea of posting both abstracts--together they provide an interesting commentary on the two very different conference cultures. I know a few people who are working on abstracts for both simultaneously; it's a little head-spinning.