readgrp

Penn Reading Groups in Literature, Theory and Cultural Studies

American Literature Seminar

The American Literature Seminar meets four or five times each semester, to read work-in-progress by graduate students and faculty. Occasionally a visitor from outside Penn is invited to share work with the group. For information contact the Faculty Advisor of the American Literature Seminar, David Eng (deng at english.upenn.edu) or the Graduate Student Coordinators for the Seminar, Phillip Maciak (maciak at english.upenn.edu) and Emma Stapely (stapely at sas.upenn.edu).

Eighteenth-Century and Romantics Reading Group

The Eighteenth-Century and Romantics Reading Group at the University of Pennsylvania brings graduate students and faculty together to discuss the cultural productions of the long 18th century--from the Restoration through Romanticism. Although we primarily concentrate on the literary culture of England, Scotland and Ireland, past meetings have taken up other cultural forms (trial transcripts, visual art, music) and other regions (North and South America, the Caribbean, India, Africa). Group activities range from lecture events and works-in-progress to dramatic readings and discussions of texts. The group seeks to provide an informal forum for scholars within the Penn community and beyond to present new work. We are also dedicated to seminar-style reading of primary texts, particularly those not commonly taught despite their popularity and influence in the period. For a list upcoming events, please see our current schedule. For more information, including how to subscribe to group's listserv, contact any of the group organizers for 2007-2008: Anna Foy (afoy at english.upenn.edu), Scott Enderle (enderlej at english.upenn.edu), and Kate Bennett Gustafson (bennettk at english.upenn.edu).

Film Studies Group

The Film Study Group is a new reading group aimed at exploring and discussing the history and theory of cinema and other related media, as well as providing a forum for graduate students to present and get input on their own work-in-progress.  Since students working on film are spread across a number of departments, we also hope to foster connections between departments and raise awareness of a community of students with shared interests.  Meetings will be every-other week, on Wednesday nights. Please contact us with any questions or suggestions.  If you would like to be added to the group's listserve to receive information about upcoming meetings, send an e-mail to Matthew Hubbell (hubbell at english.upenn.edu).

Gender and Sexuality Studies Reading Group

If you would like to join the gen/sex mailing list, please e-mail Melanie Micir (micir at english.upenn.edu), Greta Lynn (gll at english.upenn.edu) or Benjy Kahan (kahan at english.upenn.edu).

Latitudes

Latitudes is an interdisciplinary reading group that focuses on issues of empire, postcolonialism, race, transnationalism, and globalization.  We meet on Wednesdays at 5:30pm to discuss presentations by scholars (Penn faculty, students, and visitors from other institutions), readings that have been suggested by group members, or films that we watch together. In addition, Latitudes often collaborates with other reading groups to foster exciting discussions across a wide variety of issues.  Information about meetings and related events as well as group readings are posted on our website at the link above.

The Latitudes faculty advisor is Josephine Park (jnpark3@english.upenn.edu).  For more information or to be added to the group listserv, please contact the 08-09 coordinators Christen Mucher (mucher at english.upenn.edu) and Chris Taylor (chtaylor at sas.upenn.edu).

The Medieval/Renaissance Discussion Group

The Medieval/Renaissance Seminar meets approximately every other week during the academic year. Med/Ren, as we call it, aims to foster lively conversations about the historical materials and cultural traditions central to our fields, and seeks to encourage dialogue about the critical perspectives and methodological practices that we bring to bear upon them. Scholars (from Penn graduate students and faculty, to visiting scholars from other institutions) share drafts of article-length works-in-progress with the Med/Ren group, offering participants a chance to make significant contributions. Our meetings foster an atmosphere of shared intellectual vigor, with conversations ranging in form and tone from Q&As, to brainstorm sessions, to rigorous, constructive critiques of the articles themselves. Med/Ren will meet on scheduled Wednesdays in the Graduate Lounge (on the fourth floor of Bennett Hall); meetings run from 5:00 to 6:30. Our listserv address is medren at dept.english.upenn.edu, and those wishing to may subscribe using majordomo commands; alternately, you may contact one of this year's co-coordinators, Ian Cornelius (icorneli at english.upenn.edu) and Cristina Pangilinan (cristinp at english.upenn.edu), to be subscribed to the list, or to request more information.

Modernism and Twentieth Century Studies Group

"Mods" is devoted to the discussion of advanced work-in- progress on cultural and literary problematics pertinent to the study of modernity and postmodernity. Mods discussions are rarely limited to literary modernism, recent papers having touched on topics as diverse as Late Victorian Ethnology and contemporary South African fiction. Papers are presented by Penn graduate students and Penn professors, with occasional outside presenters. For more information, or to be placed on the Mods listserv, please contact any of the Mods Coordinators: Andy Gaedtke (agaedtke at english.upenn.edu), Benjy Kahan (kahan at english.upenn.edu) or Josh Schuster (jnschust@english.upenn.edu).

Poetry and Poetics

The Poetry & Poetics reading group will be meeting every Friday this semester at Kelly Writers House. We're a flexible, conversation-based discussion group focused mostly on twentieth-century poetry in English, although we've been known to read outside that scope. Our group is grounded in the English department but also includes poets and poetry readers from Temple, other schools in the area, and visiting poets.

To be added to our email list, email Julia Bloch (blochj at english.upenn.edu) or Jessica Lowenthal (jalowent at writing.upenn.edu).

Science and Literature Reading Group

If you would like to be put on the Science and Literature Reading Group listserv, please contact Joseph Drury (drury at sas.upenn.edu).

Workshop on the History of Material Texts

The workshops on the History of Material Texts are now in their 14th year.  Participants (including faculty, librarians, graduates, booksellers and anyone else interested) come from a very wide range of disciplines and all are welcome to attend.  The usual format of the seminar is a presentation of approximately thirty minutes, followed by discussion, based if possible on handouts or other visual materials.  Unless noted otherwise, workshops will be held at 5:15 in the Lea Library on the sixth floor of Van Pelt Library.  If you would like to receive announcements about upcoming workshops, please sign up for our listserv.  For more information, please contact Jared Richman (richman at english.upenn.edu).