Daytona State College Faculty and Staff and other members of the Center for Interdisciplinary Writing and Research disseminate their writing and research to the wider Daytona State College community through lectures, readings, symposia, and other presentations. We welcome anyone to attend these events.
Fall 2010 Events:
The CIWR Fall Speakers Series kicks -off with our own artistic celebrity-in-residence, Gary Monroe, at 11am in Bldg. 150 Rm. 101 on September 8th, as described below:
A symposium, presented by the Center for Interdisciplinary Writing and Research (CIWR) at Daytona State College, "Florida Self-Taught: A Look at Outsider Artists," will take place Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Bldg. 150 Rm. 101 on the Daytona Beach Campus.
The PowerPoint presentation highlights "outsider" artists in Florida and will be presented by Senior Professor Gary Monroe of the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies at Daytona State College.
Self-taught, these artists' works generally fly in the face of tradition. It is not their point to be unconventional; convention to them is simply beside the point. Distinguished by maker’s unfettered expression, these artists work on the fringes of art and life with little, if any, support. A diverse lot, from retirees to the emotionally disabled to blue-collar workers, their imagery challenges the accepted notions about the visual arts. In all their variety, these Sunshine State “outsider” artists contribute to the national dialog about contemporary folk art.
Mr. Monroe has authored seven books with University Press of Florida about "outsider" art, including the seminal books, Extraordinary Interpretations: Florida's Self-taught Artists and The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters.
Please join us for a spirited presentation. An open discussion will follow. The event is free and open to all.
Also note that the Series will include:
Sept. 24th--Julian Chambliss, African-American Studies, Rollins College on "Iron Man, Corporatism, and American Military Defense"
Oct. 22nd--Ram Nayar, School of Physical, Biological, and Marine/Environmental Sciences, Daytona State College, "Marvels of Genetic Engineering"
Nov. 3rd--Gajendra Tulsian, School of Physical, Biological, and Marine/Environmental Sciences, Daytona State College, "The Mechanics of Quantum Mechanics: A Primer for the Non-Specialist" - Location: 1200/Ballroom
Nov. 19th--Leslie Poole, Environmental Studies, Rollins College on "The Changing Nature of Conservation in Florida: Women, Birds, Forests, and the Everglades, 1900--1947"
*Unless otherwise noted, all of these will be from 11am-12:15pm. in the Madorsky Theater, in cooperation with the SE Museum of Photography.
Past Events:
Spring 2010 Colloquium Series
Unless otherwise noted, the following events will be held on the Daytona Campus at the Madorsky Theater (Building 1200) on Tuesday nights from 6:00 - 7:20 pm. A wine and cheese reception will follow.
February 2
Poets, Playwrights, and Lovers Evermore: The Women of Michael Field
presented by Dr. Michelle Lee, Daytona State College
Abstract:
One hundred and twenty-five years ago, a new playwright named Michael Field created a buzz among London literati with the print debut of two poetic dramas in a single volume: the ancient Greek Callirrhoë and the English historical Fair Rosamund. United under the pseudonym Michael Field, Katharine Bradley and her niece Edith Cooper would collaborate on a canon that includes more than twenty-five closet dramas and eight volumes of poetry. Field would become a literary figure whose "existence" would extend beyond a canon of little-read, but beautifully printed, dramas and poetry to a transformative space where two women could speak through a multitude of voices. These voices would allow them to access worlds they could not enter, transcend gender boundaries, and experience a unique (and possibly scandalous) love as well as a working partnership that, to this day, defies a name.
February 16
Unmasking the American Way: An Investigation of the Dual Ideological Identity of the New Wave of Superhero Films
presented by Seth Blazer, Daytona State College
Abstract:
This presentation examines the recent explosion of superhero films within American cinema in the past decade. Some critics argue that responsibility for the influx of these films lies in large part to advances in cinematic special effects, while some film scholars write off these films as little more than box office fluff at best and ideological state apparatuses at worst. This presentation, however, posits that this “new wave” within the superhero genre of film stems from America’s current anxieties regarding its national character in the face of the “War on Terror.” This point now seems obvious to most. However, the cultural and ideological meaning behind these films remains debatable. Some film critics claim these films champion conservative ideology, and some left-wing scholars decry them as the same. This presentation seeks to synthesize these views while couching them within a close textual reading of “The Dark Knight” to reveal the dual ideological aspect of this movement—a duality that has been present in our shared conception of what it means to be an American since the nation’s founding and that continues to be purposefully shaped by American myth-makers across mediums to inform our national identity, particularly in times of crisis.
February 26 - 11:00am
Ditch of Dreams
presented by Steven Noll, University of Florida and David Tegeder, Santa Fe College
Abstract:
Environmental historians Steven Noll and David Tegeder will be discussing their recently published book, Ditch of Dreams: The Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Struggle for Florida’s Future. Funding for a canal to bisect the Florida peninsula was authorized in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Construction began twice, but was never completed, and the project was canceled for good in 1991. The Cross Florida Greenway State Recreation and Conservation Area was established in its place, and in 1998 became the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, named after the environmentalist who led the struggle to end the canal project. Ditch of Dreams is a fascinating and complex tale of competing interests and political intrigue which continues to this day—the fate of the Rodman Reservoir, a remnant of the original barge canal project, remains unresolved.
March 2
Economic Crisis and Focalization in Ellen Glasgow's Vein of Iron
presented by Dr. Ashley Lear, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Abstract:
This presentation will examine the relationship between economic crisis and focalization patterns in Ellen Glasgow’s Vein of Iron to show how the nature and frequency of Ada Fincastle's inner thoughts, as detailed by a third person narrator, become more compatible with the dialogues of the narrative once she begins to contribute to the financial well-being of her family. In “Vein of Iron,” the narrator initially focalizes through Ada to show how her inner thoughts clash with her actions and dialogue in the novel, then change, as Ada becomes an adult helping to support her family. As Ada steps outside her role in the home to work in a department store, the narrator begins focalizing through her less often, and those passages begin to accent, rather than challenge, the dialogue she has with other characters. This narrative style indicates a parallel between the need for focalization to reveal the inner thoughts of a subjugated character and that character's level of dependence or subjugation. The increased autonomy experienced by Ada frees the narrator from having to constantly detail her inner thoughts in the narrative.
April 6
A Roundtable Discussion
presented by Dr. Perry Ballard, Daytona State College and Chris Whitaker, Daytona State College
Abstract:
November 9 marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which led Francis Fukuyama in 1989 to famously declare "the end of history" in an essay in the National Interest and later in a book titled The End of History and the Last Man. The general assumption in Western academic minds after reading Fukuyama's essay was that the world would in one way or another become more westernized. The real question is whether other theories and/or systems of governance have emerged since 1989 that challenges Fukuyama’s hypothesis. This roundtable discussion will attempt to address this issue by examining what has transpired in Eastern/Central Europe, Russia, and other parts of the world since 1989.
April 20
Marketing Fictions: Product Branding and Late 19th-Century American Literature
presented by Dr. Ben Graydon, Daytona State College
Abstract:
Two milestones in American cultural history occurred in 1890: the J. Walter Thompson Company became the first advertising agency to surpass one million dollars in annual billings, and William Dean Howells published A Hazard of New Fortunes, the definitive novel of American literary realism. The Thompson Company’s achievement reflected rapid growth in product branding and a decisive shift in conceptions of value. Prior to branding’s emergence in the economic rebuilding that followed the Civil War, product value derived from physical characteristics and practical utility. By 1890, however, widespread branding had relocated product value in abstraction—the images, slogans, and social expectations associated with the product. American literary realism developed at least partly as a response to this shift. Emphasizing character study, detailed description, and objective renderings of social and economic issues, realism emerged as the leading mode of narrative discourse in the late nineteenth century because of its suitability for puncturing the cartoonish and often misleading cultural representations branding produced. Using A Hazard of New Fortunes as a central example, this presentation will tell the story of how branding and realism helped usher each other into existence, a story that concludes with realism—initially conceived as branding’s opposite—becoming itself a prominent brand.
Fall 2009
Friday, September 4
The "Science" of CSI
presented by Richard Doolin, Daytona State College
Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm Location: Madorsky Theater
Friday, October 23
We Must Adapt: A Colloquium on Scholarship, Publishing, Library Services and Teaching Research in (or at the beginning of) the 21st Century
symposium panel: Jim Newell, Daytona State College; Shawn Friend, Daytona State College; and Dustin Weeks, Daytona State College
Abstract:
The panel presentations will focus on the dramatic changes that are occurring in scholarly publishing and research. During the talk, panelists will address the following questions: How are technological, cultural, and economic factors changing the research landscape? With the huge and exponentially expanding amount of information available from both traditional and non-traditional sources, what type of challenges are faced by today's students and researchers? What strategies can faculty employ to help students deal with these changes and effectively meet their research needs? Please join us as we explore this very important and timely subject. An open discussion will follow.
Time: 11:00am-12:20pm Location: Madorsky Theater
Friday, October 30
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen - Medieval Emperor, Modern Mind - The Norman Kingdom of Sicily
presented by Vincenzo Piazza, Daytona State College
Time: 11:00am-12:20pm Location: Madorsky Theater
Friday, November 6
America on the Economic Decline? And other Useful Topics for Integrating International Business into the Curriculum
symposium panel: Fred Block, UC Davis (Keynote Speaker); Eric Breitenback, Daytona State College; Julian Chambliss, Rollins College; Renata Serra, University of Florida
Time: 8:30am-1:00pm Location: Hosseini Center's Main Room
Friday, November 20
The Feminine Gaze and the Other in Victorian Travel Writing
presented by Casey Blanton, Daytona State College
Time: 11:00am-12:20pm Location: Madorsky Theater
Friday, December 4
In Defense of Deconstruction
presented by Harun Thomas, Daytona State College
Time: 11:00am-12:20pm Location: Daytona Campus / Bldg. 410 Rm. 131
