Talks
Forthcoming talks
LikeCultural Translation Conference
Where: Cultural Translation Conference Dates: 10th December 2009 - 11th December 2010 When: 11th December 2009, 10am - 7pm
Past talks
"All the girlies say I'm pretty fly for a white guy": Coercive Mimeticism and Cultural Studies
Where: Postcolonial Ethnicity, Visuality and Cultural Politics Conference Dates: 27th February 2009 - 27th February 2009 When: 27th February 2009
Theorizing Bruce Lee: Deconstruction, Postcoloniality and Political Subjectivization
Where: Swansea University, Department of Politics and International Relations When: 6th November 2008
Alterdisciplinarity Unplugged
Where: Amsterdam, Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis Dates: 3rd March 2007 - 5th March 2007
Enter the Derridean: The Martial Architecture of Taoism as Contemporary Cultural Theory
Where: The Architecture of Philosophy / The Philosophy of Architecture, Leeds University AHRC CentreCATH Conference, 2004 Dates: 7th July 2004 - 9th July 2004
Where: Leeds University, 'Warp/Woof: Aurality/Musicality/Textuality', CentreCATH (AHRC centre) Dates: 10th July 2003 - 13th July 2003
Writing To Reach You
Paul Bowman
{Warp/Woof: Aurality/musicality/textuality, Leeds University, July 11-13th 2003}
Abstract
This paper thinks through – it uses and abuses – the song ‘Writing to Reach You’ by Travis, in order to make sense of the situation of subjects like cultural studies, whose aims include ‘writing to reach’ something other. Given the problems such intentions harbour (problems of intentionality, at least), I argue that the such subjects cannot be understood outside of considerations of audibility, intelligibility and the voice.
As many have put it, sense is made, iteratively; audibility in this sense is structural, intelligibility is hegemonic. ‘Sense’ is, as it were, ‘beaten into’ things, as ‘making sense’ (the hegemonic logic of articulation) is forceful performative production. I argue that John Mowitt’s (2002) emphasis on temporal and aural iteration, in Percussion: Drumming, Beating, Striking, supplements and should transform our conception of intentionality and agency, and hence of how and to what cultural studies should respond.
But what difference does this make to us or our pop song? I argue that the fates of both are intertwined, and call to each other, conjure each other up. In both, it is uncertain who the ‘you’ is or should be that we are writing to reach, as is the reason we are doing so. I would like to drum up even more uncertainty, not only because it is too often drowned out, but because, ultimately perhaps, the question always demanded and/yet always already answered (silenced) is that of why we bang away at what we do as we do; or, alternatively: what is it that ought to be beaten?
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