A Queer Turn [AQT]

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Comment by Monalesia Earle on January 17, 2014 at 22:01

I was asked to circulate notice of this conference. If any of you are interested in attending or submitting work, please check out the below link. It looks like a fantastic conference.

http://violentworldofdifference.wordpress.com/cfp-homophobia-rewrit...

Comment by Monalesia Earle on November 14, 2013 at 8:45

I am off work on the 18th and 19th of November, so either of those dates (anytime after 1:00 p.m.) works for me. The other dates are also good, but it would have to be after 5:00 p.m. I would also need enough notice of who can attend so that I can book a room. I know that people are getting quite busy with research and writing, but this group was formed to offer support and chill-out time. It would be unfortunate if we don't manage to get it off the ground.

Comment by David Miller on November 13, 2013 at 20:48

Hi Anil

I certainly don't have any problems with MA students being involved! As Monalesia says, we've not yet managed to organise a date for the next meeting. I think there was some discussion about meeting next week - I can make the 18/19/20th if that suits anyone? Or alternatively the following week (25/26/27th) if people prefer?

Comment by Monalesia Earle on November 13, 2013 at 19:36

Hello Anil,

Not sure what to say at this point, as there seems to be "radio silence" on people agreeing a date for a meeting. Any decision about the make-up of the group would have to be discussed.

Comment by Anil Akyol on November 13, 2013 at 13:31

Hello, everyone!

After having struggled with the ISA team on whether I would be granted a visa till the latest day of registration, I joined Birkbeck on the very same day Monalesia and Abigail met, which was also the last day a student would be accepted.

Please, accept my sincere apologies if this group is meant for only PhD students, because I am pursuing a Master degree in Modern and Contemporary literature. I am interested in gay history and queer theory. In better words, I am a novice in both fields and it would be great to meet academicians like you who are well ahead of me.

I am considering to do my Master dissertation on an Iris Murdoch novel focusing on her treatment of masculinity. If I ever dare to do it, my PhD topic will be a comparative study on Ottoman and British Literature.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind me tagging along.

Many thanks.

Anil

Comment by Monalesia Earle on October 31, 2013 at 17:41

Hello everyone!

Abigail and I met this afternoon and had a great chat about lots of interesting things, to include what we both hope to get out of AQT. It was a little disappointing that it was just the two of us, although I know that some people were out on the picket line fighting the good fight, so my hat is off to them.

Abigail and I came up with some ideas about the form the group might take, but since we all need to come to a consensus about this, none of this is unchangeable.

1. We all need to discuss what we want from the group and what we are willing to put into it.

2. How much of what we do will focus on theory? Will it be just a theory reading group?

3. Will people be up for organising interdisciplinary work-in-progress panels or any other types of panels?

4. Are we going to be strictly a queer focused group or will we occasionally step outside of that and discuss and write about other things?

5. How often should we meet?

6. Should we remain open to PhD students outside of Birkbeck joining us?

7. Will we have the time or the inclination to turn AQT into a group that eventually produces a queer literary journal?

8. Will we each submit pieces of our PhD work for informal feedback from the members of the group?

I will book the next meeting for one month from now, but in the meantime, please feel free to jump in with ideas!

Comment by Abigail Williams on October 25, 2013 at 22:07

that works for me! :)

Comment by Monalesia Earle on October 25, 2013 at 18:44

I'm up for meeting at a nearby cafe on the 31st. We can always meet in front of Pret (across from the Russell Square Tube Station and next to Tesco) at the originally agreed time of 3 p.m. We can then decide where to go from there. I think there's a Ping Pong restaurant nearby, but there are also places at the Brunswick Shopping Centre which is also across the road from the Russell Square Tube Station or down Marchmont Street where Gay is the Word bookstore is located.

Please let me know if this works for everyone. I will also go ahead and cancel the room booking at Gordon Square.

Comment by Abigail Williams on October 25, 2013 at 12:14

thanks for organising this for us, monalesia. would it be possible for us to meet in a nearby pub or cafe on the 31st, so that we can get things going without interfering with the strike? we could always have our future meetings on campus.

Comment by Monalesia Earle on October 25, 2013 at 7:19

Hi Rees,

Sure, I think we can change the date to show solidarity with the strikers. As for the location, at some point it will have to be held on campus, as we have easy access to bookings and we may as well use the facilities that we help to pay for with our fees.

Does anyone else have a comment on this? I can try to reschedule our first meeting for early November, so please let me know your thoughts (and ideas for another venue) as soon as possible, as I would need to cancel the room booking at Gordon Square.

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