Xtra! Canada recently featured a Q&A with Lauren Berlant, George M. Pullman Professor in English, and 2013 Northrop Frye Professor of Literary Theory at University of Toronto's Centre for Comparative Literature. In the Q&A, Berlant discusses her most recent book, Cruel Optimism, as well as U.S. politics, same-sex marriage, and teaching.
In the February 2013 issue of Interview, William Pope.L, Associate Professor in Visual Arts, discussed his upcoming exhibition at the Renaissance Society and his "crawl" pieces. The most famous of these "crawl" works consisted of crawling on his hands and knees from the beginning to the end of Broadway street in Manhattan, a 22-mile journey that took him nine years to complete, "with each installment lasting as long as Pope.L could endure the knee and elbow pain (often about six blocks)." He also considered questions surrounding whether he defines his work as activism, his upcoming Pull! project (in which he and a group of local participants will pull an eight-ton truck through the streets of Cleveland by hand), and his thoughts on authorship in community-based art.
The community is, in fact, one of the most important parts of Pope.L's work. When asked whether he enjoys making the work he does, he responded:
No, I did not enjoy crawling. Overall, I enjoy making work with others. I enjoy the small moments of revelation that are only possible in the company of others. I enjoy making a clear puzzle. I realize more and more that making is unmaking. To make something is to undo it. To make something is to make it less mysterious, that is, in the process of removing a veil, one of many. You gain more intimacy, but it may not be very pleasant.
Pope.L's show at the Renaissance Society, titled Forlesen, will run from April 28 to June 23. It will be his first solo exhibition in Chicago since joining the University faculty.
We live in an era of convenience, and trying to make someone fall in love with you using only your personality is time-consuming. It might be time to try a different kind of charm: ancient Greek magic! The Core spoke with Chris Faraone, Frank Curtis Springer and Gertrude Melcher Springer in Classics, about the kinds of love spells described in his book Ancient Greek Love Magic. Faraone explained that men and women typically used different kinds of spells, an eros spell for men and a philia spell for women. The eros spell was used as more of a curse, designed to cause the woman an unbearable amount of torture which could only be relieved by the man who cast the spell. The philia spell was designed to bind the man closer to the woman, and was related more to healing magic than to torture (which presumably comes in the later stages of the relationship).
Augusta Read Thomas, University Professor in Music and renowned composer, was recently awarded the Order of Lincoln by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois for her many contributions to the world of music. The Order of Lincoln was established in 1964 to recognize Illinois natives or current residents for their professional achievements or public service, and in 1989 was declared the state's highest honor. Past recipients of the award include Maria Tallchief, Benny Goodman, Mahalia Jackson, Sherrill Milnes, and Ardis Krainik.
For more information on the Order of Lincoln, including past recipients, click here.