Gender theorist & historian Susan Stryker to speak Oct. 18
Event is part of the Center for Ethics' fall programming focusing on "Troubling Truth."By: Alessandra Halperin '18 Monday, October 9, 2017 11:53 AM
The Muhlenberg College Center for Ethics will continue exploring the theme of “Troubling Truth” on Oct. 18 with a lecture by gender theorist and historian Susan Stryker.
The 7 p.m. talk, based upon Stryker’s forthcoming book, is entitled “What Transpires Now: Transgender History and the Future We Need.” It will take place in Seegers Union 111-113, and is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Department of Women's & Gender Studies.
Stryker, who has been working at the intersections of academia, the arts and social change activism for more than 25 years, will examine the trans-temporal dimensions of what gets labeled “transgender” today, but which can be thought of as a more general capacity for life to exceed whatever current configurations it might have. At stake, Stryker contends, in vexing contemporary conflicts over pronouns and public toilets, is a deeper ontological struggle over which fantasies of past and futurity have the ability to ground themselves in materiality and come to count as real.
Stryker has authored a number if publications including: “Gay by the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area” and “Queer Pulp: Perverse Passions from the Golden Age of the Paperback.” In 2014, she became founding co-editor of the academic journal TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. Stryker is also known for her multimedia work such as her Emmy Award winning 2005 documentary “Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria.”
Subsequent fall Center for Ethics events include:
Stephen Prothero lecture, “A Cloud of Unknowing in American Religion and Politics”
Oct. 25, 7 p.m., Moyer Hall’s Miller Forum
Prothero will examine the political effects of religious ignorance in an era of “fake news” and “agnotology” and suggests ways to improve our civic life by fostering greater religious literacy. Prothero’s talk is co-sponsored by the chaplain’s office, Department of Religion Studies, Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Muhlenberg Interfaith Community.
Woodrow Wilson Fellow Achy Obejas lecture and reading
Nov. 1, 7 p.m. in Moyer Hall’s Miller Forum
Critically acclaimed author and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Achy Obejas will introduce her newest book of short stories, the “Tower of the Antilles,” with a book signing to follow. These stories of contemporary Cuba explore how history and fate intrude on even the most ordinary of lives. Obejas’ visit is being held in conjunction with the Multicultural Center.
Conversation with Hip Hop Theatre Pedagogy Pioneers
Nov. 16, 6 p.m., Moyer Hall’s Miller Forum
Rickerby Hinds, Dreamscape creator, professor of playwriting in the Department of Theater Film & Digital Production at the University of California, Riverside and the only tenured Hip-Hop theater playwriting professor in the country will join Kashi Johnson, an accomplished actress, director and Professor of Theatre at Lehigh University, in a conversation about hip hop theatre. The event will be moderated by Sharrell Luckett, assistant professor of theatre.
Performance of “Dreamscape” and Talk Back
Nov. 17, 2:30 p.m., Baker Theatre
Created by Rickerby Hinds, “Dreamscape” is a riveting hip hop theatre play that is loosely based on the true story of a young woman who was shot to death by officers while sitting in her car unconscious. The play is central to conversations surrounding situations like Ferguson, as it explores policing and surveillance and the devastating effects this phenomenon has had on communities of color. This event was co-organized by theatre & dance and Sharrell Luckett, assistant professor of theatre.
In addition to the Center for Ethics, the 11/16-17 events are co-sponsored by Muhlenberg’s Department of Theatre & Dance, Lehigh University’s Africana Studies Program, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Lehigh University’s Department of Theatre, Lehigh University’s Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program and Lectures & Forums. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this (program) do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Through thematic lectures and events, the Center for Ethics serves the teaching and study of the liberal arts at Muhlenberg College by providing opportunities for intensive conversation and thinking about the ethical dimensions of contemporary philosophical, political, economic, social, cultural, and scientific issues. In service to its mission, the Center for Ethics hosts special events and programs, provides faculty development opportunities, and provides support for student programming. The Center for Ethics and thematic programs are directed by full-time faculty members.
Chris Sistare, professor of philosophy and co-director of philosophy and political thought, serves as director; Maura Finkelstein, assistant professor of anthropology, and Laura Taub-Pervizpour, associate dean for digital learning and professor of media & communication, serve as program directors.
During the spring 2018 semester, the Center for Ethics will continue to explore the theme of Troubling Truth. Confirmed events for spring 2018 include a Feb. 1 visit by Sa'ed Atshan, an expert on peace and justice studies and social movements in the Middle East; a Feb. 22 visit by filmmaker, educator and social justice advocate Chinonye Chukwu; and a March 27 visit by Elaine McMillion, filmmaker of “Hollow,” an interactive documentary that examines the future of rural America through the eyes and voices of Appalachians. More spring events will be confirmed as the academic year progresses.
