Newsnet News of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies

NewsNet News of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies

March 2021 v. 61, n. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Plots against Russia, 3 An Interview with Eliot Borenstein

Building a Network of Support 7 for Undergraduate Students of Color Interested in REEES

Uncomfortable Conversations: 11 On Preparing BIPOC University Students for Study in Russia

“You’re doing it all wrong:” 15 Course Revision and Planning in mid-career – True Confessions

19 Publications ASEEES Prizes Call for 21 Submissions

25 Institutional Member News

28 Personages

29 In Memoriam

30 Affiliate Group News

Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) 203C Bellefield Hall, 315 S. Bellefield Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15260-6424 tel.: 412-648-9911 • fax: 412-648-9815 www.aseees.org

ASEEES Staff Executive Director: Lynda Park 412-648-9788, [email protected] Deputy Director/Director of Membership: Kelly McGee 412- 238-7354, [email protected] NewsNet Editor & Program Coordinator: Trevor Erlacher 412-648-7403, [email protected] Communications Coordinator: Mary Arnstein 412-648-9809, [email protected] Convention Manager: Margaret Manges 412-648-4049, [email protected] Administrative Assistant: Jenn Legler 412-648-9911, [email protected] Financial Support: Roxana L. Espinoza NEWSNET March 2021 1 412-648-4049, [email protected] PLOTS AGAINST RUSSIA, An Interview with Eliot Borenstein

Excerpts from an interview with Eliot Borenstein (New York U) on his book, Plots against Russia: Conspiracy and Fantasy after Socialism (Cornell U Press, 2019), winner of the 2020 Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize, by Diana Dukhanova (College of the Holy Cross). The interview appeared on New Books Network, April 16, 2019. Diana Dukhanova: In the preface to your book, you state the following: “This is an uncomfortable book to write. It is also the book that I’ve been preparing to write my entire adult life. Although there is no way I could have known it.” Could you talk about what you meant here and how this book represents, if I understand correctly, the culmination of your scholarly work so far? Eliot Borenstein: Sure. When I said that it was what I’d been working on my entire adult life, part of it was an acknowledgement that I have an attraction to fringe phenomena and to news of the weird in my own life. I try to develop a kind of healthy distrust of that instinct of my own when it comes to my scholarly work in Russia, because I get concerned that I’m just chasing after something very strange. But it is also the case that since I was in Moscow during the last couple of years of my graduate work or writing my dissertation in 1992, 1993, I was there at this perfect time to start watching some of the most interesting phenomena of post-Soviet culture developed, which led to my second book.

But along the way, I kept reading fringe newspapers, reading the extreme, right-wing red- brown coalition newspapers from the 1990s, buying all of these very strange pamphlets and books and so on, and then eventually following these phenomena online and of

NEWSNET March 2021 3 course reading the popular fiction. And more on the side of discourse, right? but it’s manageable to read basically all of when I was working on my last book, it. What you see as a certain set of trends, EB: Absolutely. I feel like, for the past 20 Overkill, I had included a chapter called a certain set of controversies that you years or so, I practically started every talk “Plots against Russia” about conspiracy really have to skirt around. And one of by saying that I’m not talking about real and paranoia, and was advised that the big ones is the connection between life or real people. I’m not doing surveys. it didn’t really fit the book, which was conspiracy and paranoia. And conspiracy In a sense the view that I have is not fine with me. I really didn’t think I was here being a bunch of people or entities really a bird’s eye view. I have a kind of going to be writing a conspiracy book working together to do something internet couch potato surfer view on for quite some time, largely because I in secret and that presumably is not things. That is, if you ask yourself what was concerned that I might actually be something that you would want. People view you would get of a culture simply by distorting Russian reality or even Russia’s point out that surprise birthday parties are consuming media and not necessarily by media reality, but enough time passed, conspiracies, but no one calls them that going out inside and talking to people, and sadly I no longer had that concern. because people don’t tend to be upset by that’s the material that I’m looking at. a surprise like this. I think this connection DD: You’re very cautious to avoid And I’m aware that there’s a whole world is an easy one to make because paranoia, simplistic, demonizing, or orientalizing outside of the internet, apparently, if you set aside its most extreme clinical views of Russia, which the study of these but that’s not a world that I’m actually version, is a tendency to over-interpret, topics might suggest. You describe it as the studying. to make too many connections, and to dangers of exoticising the Other. Can you assume that nothing is random. But the talk a bit more about how your caution DD: This connects to the process of birth of all this, the primal scene of all of around this issue informs your work and assembling the research for this book, and this is Richard Hofstadter’s famous essay especially your research in this book? the process that you’re using now for your next book, which started out as a blog. Can and book, On the Paranoid Style, a lecture EB: Well, for one thing, when I’m you talk a little bit about the development of he delivered on the day that Kennedy encountering a phenomenon, in this this project and how it took its present form? was shot, actually. This essay, which was case related to conspiracy, that strikes hugely influential in fact, and has gotten me as particularly bizarre or hard to EB: The blog thing—even though it’s a a real revival in the Trump age for, I think, credit, I then go back and remind myself public-facing thing, and I like to think obvious reasons, talks about how there is of something equally strange in my own that some people are reading it—is a paranoid style in politics and American native context here in the United States largely about setting up a device that politics in particular that comes around to get in the habit of reminding myself disciplines me and makes me work. rather cyclically, and how understanding that that strangeness in an extreme Because what I discovered when I started the paranoid style could help you to thought and belief in things that one the All the Russias blog was 1) that I really, understand what’s going on with the might think are impossible to believe really liked doing it; and 2) that this was politics. in are hallmarks of most cultures. I’m a format that works very well for me and trying to be very careful about that. seems really natural for me. This is an argument he made in Harper’s, And then also, to the extent that I can, originally. It is one of those arguments gauge how prominent a particular DD: Let’s get into some of the key that immediately makes sense—you phenomenon or idea is. That’s a problem terminology here. The first one, of course, don’t need to be a scholar to follow it— because I don’t really engage in that is conspiracy and conspiratorial thinking. which is exactly the sort of argument kind of empirical research and I don’t go How do you define it? You’re very careful to that scholars then immediately want looking for statistics. I don’t particularly specify that conspiratorial thought lies on to take apart, in part because it looms trust statistics in general and in Russia a spectrum. so large, and in part because, quite in particular. But I do try to keep in mind EB: Yes. That’s a really complicated rightly, a lot of scholars felt that this what’s out there that’s not strange and one because there is a large body of connection between conspiracy and conspiratorial. conspiracy scholarship, starting roughly paranoia pathologizes people who believe in conspiracy theories and DD: And you talk about your work being around the post-World war II era. It’s large,

NEWSNET March 2021 4 defines them as essentially mentally ill. enabled by the general lack of reliable I can certainly see why there’s been a information in the Soviet Union, and the hygienic impulse to separate the two, widespread assumption that you’re not but I argue that there’s no reason to being told everything. And in fact, every separate conspiracy and paranoia that time there is a revelation of some past carefully as long as you realize that you crime that is finally doled out, instead are using the word paranoid in no way of letting you know, finally, the truth, it as a medical or psychiatric diagnosis, just reminds you of these other things but in what I’m calling a mode, like irony, being kept from you. So the restriction or a point of view that you could have on information in late Soviet times or not your entire life. That distinction conspiratorial thought as a symptom of a facilitated conspiratorial thought. Then between a long-term paranoia and what complete conspiratorial worldview, that with Glasnost, with the opening up of the I call the paranoid subject position is the in fact we all adopt conspiratorial modes flood gates, that did a couple of things: it theoretical contribution that I’m hoping and drop them back and forth over reinforced the idea that this information other scholars of conspiracy end up the course of our day. And that’s what is being held from you, and it also made noticing. makes it possible for some to believe in actual conspiratorial tracts, novels, and conspiracy in a much more committed films available for mass consumption. DD: Could you say a little bit more about By the time you get to the post-Soviet the paranoid subject? and sustainable fashion. But again, I think one of the mistakes that intellectuals era, you have these longstanding habits EB: I start off, first of all, with the notion make—and people talk about this a of conspiratorial thought, but you have that our entire worlds are constructed by lot lately, particularly with regard to it in an informational ecosystem that is narrative. It makes psychological sense politics—is thinking of everything in almost the opposite of the one you had to be constantly constructing a narrative terms of rationality. And then when you in late Soviet times, and much more because narrative is about taking a bunch see a breakdown of rational explanation, like the informational ecosystem that of things that might not seem connected you show how something is not working. facilitates conspiracy here in the United and seeing how they’re connected so But this is really a matter of affect, States. There’s so much information out that everything is part of one big story. emotion, and habits of thought. And the there, so many competing sources and Paranoia certainly fits in with that quite fact that you can be conspiratorial for a narratives, that each one relativizes the well. When I’m talking about a paranoid little while and not be conspiratorial right other and makes it possible to pick and subject position of conspiracy, I argue afterward just seems to me very human choose or assume that they’re all wrong. that in fact, it is fiction about paranoia and and discursive. DD: That feeds into Russia’s perceived stories about conspiracy that condition DD: What is it about post-Soviet Russia role of a world leader on the vanguard of us to be able to imagine conspiracy as traditional values. something that’s really possible. So the that makes the conspiratorial subject very fact that you can watch an hour of, position one that is so often taken up? EB: That is a quite recent one, but say, The X-Files and for the course of that EB: That is a great question. And I would it’s a variation on a longstanding hour suspend disbelief and live in a kind of say that it’s part of a longer process that conspiratorial nationalist trope that sees epistemological mindset in which aliens has made Russia and the Soviet Union Russia as surrounded by enemies that and conspiracies are possible, and then, of the past several decades a great want to destroy it. The traditional values in the next hour, you’ll watch something hope for conspiracy theory. Again, I’m thing works on multiple levels. For one, else that’s not possible suggests that we saying that not to suggest that other it can actually serve as a way for Russia are always able to adopt a conspiratorial places are not; certainly, the United to find allies in the world, but it can also mindset when it’s necessary or when States is a great breeding ground of justify why Russia should reasonably it’s useful or handy, and then dispose conspiracy theory. But I’m coming out perceive of itself as a target, and why of it a minute later. There’s no need to of different sources and for different people hate Russia so much. diagnose someone as paranoid. There’s reasons, at least initially. In the post DD: Would you say that the rise and no need to see every manifestation of Stalin era, conspiratorial thought was conspiratorial thinking in Putin’s third

NEWSNET March 2021 5 term is connected to this desire to reinforce well-established in the literature on much to do with each other. One is Russia as a threat? anti-Semitism. It is particularly Jews, as liberalism as economic policy, which boundary-crossing people, connected is the Washington consensus or neo- EB: I think that the Putin regime’s use with the institutions of modernity that liberalism, Thatcher and Reagan, and of conspiratorial discourse is related to make them a great target for this kind it’s not a liberalism about procedural that. It’s remarkable how much of this of conspiratorial narrative, which is democracy or equality of rights. That stuff has gone from margin to center in particularly well and stupidly embodied liberalism also appears at the same the past several years. It was happening in The Protocols, which is just so badly time, but there’s no reason to expect any slowly over the first decade of the 21st written, it’s just lots of fun if it weren’t for average or even well-educated person century, but really kicked into high gear the fact that it was so destructive. The who’s being exposed to both these things with Putin’s reelection. The embracing master text of conspiracy for the 20th at the same time to be able to distinguish of a conspiratorial worldview is hugely century and beyond is The Protocols. The between the two. And neither of them useful politically. For years they had been result is that structurally, if a conspiracy is popular. Economic liberalism led to talking about the need for a national idea. has an international enemy, even if it’s the destitution of a huge portion of the If you take together traditional values, not named the Jews, it is homologous to population. And at the same time, you the notion that Russia is under attack the role that Jews played in The Protocols. suddenly have this attention being paid from all sides—that’s not an idea, but it to LGBT people, which a lot of people is enough. Those things are enough of a DD: I wanted to transition to the idea wouldn’t even think of as something to national story to be a unifying fantasy, or of “gender ideology” featuring so be concerned about, and this change in at least I think that’s what the regime is prominently in conspiracy thinking. Can values really disturbs people. So you end hoping, and it does seem to work fairly you talk a bit about why homosexuality up with this kind of liberal bogeyman well. is considered an attack Russian culture that is bad on just about every front. DD: Thinking about the roots of a and values, and how it’s used to frame this Everything about the 1990s becomes lot of these conspiracies and key inimical relationship with the West? associated with liberalism and whatever liberalism means. And one of the things adversaries, anti-Semitism plays a large EB: I mean, the short answer is actually that Putin and people around him did role, particularly the source text of The now homosexuality and Judaism for a lot extremely successfully was use the 1990s Protocols of the Elders of Zion. But it goes of the conspiratorial world are the same as a reminder of how bad things can get back much further. Could you talk a little thing. In terms of structural homologies, and how bad things will be if you don’t bit about the role that anti-Semitism plays, the LGBT people are in a sense the new let the leaders do what they’re doing, as well as its limitations, in understanding Jews, the new internal enemies. Russian conspiratorial thinkers? because the liberals will come back and DD: In terms of the idea that America is ruin our culture and economy. […] EB: Anti-Semitism is foundational trying to make Russia gay, there’s also this to a lot of Western conspiratorial critique of liberalism, that over in America Listen to the full interview to hear thought, going back in particular to The and the West, they have this liberal Borenstein and Dukhanova discuss Protocols, which is a wonderful Russian approach to politics that then creates conspiratorial thinking and the plagiarized contribution to the world of these really harmful social trends. Can you weaponization of information in the conspiratorial lore. But there are obvious talk a little bit more about this critique or conflict in Ukraine, the zombification reasons why Jews would be a group that fear of liberalism and particularly how it’s metaphor, the downing of Malaysian would be particularly useful for this kind used by the current administration? Airlines Flight 17, and Donald Trump and of narrative. They are a group of people the Mueller Report. who can look sort of like you, but not EB: The fate of liberalism in Russia has entirely like you; a state within a state; a some parallels with what’s happened group of people who won’t eat with you and been happening with liberalism in Diana Dukhanova is a Visiting Assistant and won’t eat the same foods as you; the United States and Western Europe. professor of Russian at College of the Holy but are everywhere and therefore don’t As we know, liberal can mean at least Cross. Eliot Borenstein is Professor of Russian have local loyalties. All of this is really two things that don’t have to have very and Slavic Studies at New York U.

NEWSNET March 2021 6 The project, “Building a More Inclusive students can participate in the from faculty and administrators across Future: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program. We allowed beginning the U.S. We therefore held a meeting in Russian, East European and Eurasian students to participate, as long as they with Howard alumni, faculty from MSIs, Studies,” which is described in detail showed up and put in the effort. Last, representatives from several Title VI below, is an innovative undergraduate but not least, lots of faculty are willing National Resource Centers, and a few mentorship program designed to tackle to help mentor these students if you others at Howard U in February 2020 this issue. Generously funded through ask. And ask we did. We ended up with to review best practices, the state of a grant from the U.S. Russia Foundation, over seventy undergraduates from the field, and how we could coordinate this initiative has been composed of eight universities participating in both across campuses. We had no idea three parts. In October 2019 students programs. that a month later we would rapidly from the U of Arizona, U of Puerto transition to fully online teaching in Rico, and Howard U participated in a We also saw some of the disturbing the wake of Covid-19, but the meeting two-day professional and academic national trends reflected in the group helped set the groundwork for a major workshop in Washington, D.C. They that worked with us. A considerable outreach campaign to bring students visited institutions that engage with number of the faculty members that of color to REEES through a mentorship Russian, East European, and Eurasian volunteered (including myself and program, a support network, and a Studies (REEES) beyond academia, a fellow Co-PI) are not tenure-track comprehensive project that included a learned about different types offaculty. Hopefully the success of a research stipend. professional graduate programs, and program like this will indicate to our listened to more traditional research institutions the vitality and importance At the beginning of the Fall 2020 presentations. of REEES, and that our respective semester, when it became clear that in- disciplines are alive, attracting new person meetings would not be possible In February 2020 we had an cohorts of students, and worth for some time, the four of us reached administrative conference where investing time, energy, and funds to out to a number of faculty at MSIs and faculty and administrators continue growing. institutions with large populations of contemplated how to innovate underrepresented students to help outreach programs for our field.Best of all, though, were the final recruit a cohort of undergraduates Summer 2020 was supposed to end projects: the performance on the who would take part in two concurrent with us traveling to Russia with a day of the Cybersecurity Simulation digital programs: 1) “Undergraduate group of students and administrators and the digital research projects Think Tank: Advancing Diversity, Equity, from the three participating Minority- first presented at ASEEES that will and Inclusion in REEES”; and 2) “U.S. – Serving Institutions (MSIs). soon be on display on the Howard U Russia Cybersecurity Simulation with Russian Minor homepage. With these Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins.” Thanks Then the pandemic hit, and we successes in mind, I feel confident that to the hard work of the following unfortunately had to cancel our trip this generation will not be alone. faculty, our team was able to recruit to Russia; however, we found new 33 students for the Think Tank and possibilities in virtual programming. II. Project Design and Learning 38 for the Cybersecurity Simulation: We developed two initiatives, a Outcomes – Colleen Lucey and Kelly Johanna Bockman (George Mason U), Cybersecurity Simulation and a Think Knickmeier Cummings Choi Chatterjee and Timothy Paynich Tank, where students worked in teams “The whole Think Tank group felt more (Cal State LA), Natalie McCauley (U with academic mentors to produce like a community and not just peers of Richmond), Sunnie Rucker-Chang research projects based on the and faculty working together.” –Jessica (U of Cincinnati), Rachel Stauffer students’ interests. We found out a few Diez, undergraduate from U of Miami (Virginia Tech, James Madison U), and important details. First, there are a lot After the October 2019 student Julia Vaingurt (U of Illinois, Chicago). more students of diverse backgrounds workshop at Howard U, we realized Together with students from Howard interested in REEES than we thought. that coordinating our efforts to bring U, U of Miami, and U of Arizona this Second, reaching out to them should more undergraduate students from diverse undergraduate cohort came not promote traditional exclusionist underrepresented backgrounds to together with the tremendous help and elitist practices such as requiring REEES would require broader support of the above faculty. Zachary Kelly, three or four years of Russian before

NEWSNET March 2021 8 Assistant Director of Berkeley’s now and in the future. “ASEEES was a were able to study podcasting with Institute of Slavic, East European, and unique experience that allowed me to Sean Guillory, host of the SRB Podcast. Eurasian Studies, has likewise offered see the range of possibilities that are Student feedback illustrated that invaluable support over the years and available to me in the future,” reflected such projects were one of the most continues to assist with outreach and Marilyn Robles Valenzuela, a freshman profound aspects of the program. programming. at U of Arizona. “I learned how to Aissa Dearing, an undergraduate from adapt to the circumstances and work Howard U, reflected, “I gained more Students who took part in the as a team with my group members,” skills in writing concisely, presenting Think Tank were grouped together she explained. The Think Tank also online, and crafting a podcast episode! based on similar interests and over successfully brought students together I also was able to practice converting a two-month period prepared a with mentors who are specialists in their difficult climate-related biological research presentation for the ASEEES topics of interest. Damian Cabrera, an concepts into a presentation that was Convention. To help guide their undergraduate at U of Illinois-Chicago, easy to understand.” research and acclimate them to the reflected that “one of my favorite field, a generous group of scholars parts of this program was being able III. Lessons Learned and Next Steps emerged to assist the undergraduates to connect with all sorts of fellow – Krista Goff and Colleen Lucey in their preparation for ASEEES (see students and mentors/professors from As an undergraduate student- list of faculty mentors below). Without all over the country, spanning many centered program that incorporated their efforts and countless hours of different ethnicities. This allowed me research projects and mentorship, the work with students, the project could to gain new perspectives through Think Tank could become a regular not have gotten off the ground and collaboration.” occurrence at the ASEEES Convention we are immensely grateful for their and other conferences as well. It dedication. The incredible support Working together with their groups, brought together a diverse cohort of from ASEEES staff, particularly Lynda students integrated feedback from students from across the country and Park, made it possible for this first their mentors and created a final helped them connect not only with cohort of undergraduates to take part digital humanities project. These other undergraduates but also with in the convention; not only did ASEEES projects will be posted on the Howard expert mentors, graduate program staff accommodate a quick turnaround U website in March 2021. The wide representatives, REEES professionals organizing panels, they also offered a range of presentation topics—from who provided career advice, and warm welcome to this new generation the African American experience in ASEEES members who attended their of REEES scholars. the USSR, to LGBTQ+ literary works, to conference panels. It was important to climate change in Russia—showcase Individual mentorship combined with us that we foster student autonomy, the variety of interests and expertise the experience of taking part in a be flexible, and provide guidance the students gained. In addition to national conference offered students and resources—including student developing research skills, students stipends—to empower students a unique opportunity to explore the who wanted to complete podcast participating in this inaugural Think disciplines of REEES, and hopefully episodes based on their research Tank initiative. As De’Vonte Tinsley, inspired them to continue their studies

NEWSNET March 2021 9 an undergraduate at Virginia Tech participating students. Lynd (U of California Berkeley), Marintha explained, “During the course of Miles (George Mason U), Aaron Retish our research I learned the value of In planning the project, we sought (Wayne State U), Sunnie Rucker-Chang choosing the right topic, and knowing input from students, scholars, (U of Cincinnati), Valerie Sperling (Clark the limits of your skills and funding, and professionals of color in the University), Anika Walke (Washington U in which unfortunately can stop you field regarding what practicesSt. Louis), Emily Wang (U of Notre Dame). from doing certain types of research. I would improve the retention of also learned that it was okay to change underrepresented students in our direction in your research, as it happens disciplines. They consistently pointed B. Amarilis Lugo de Fabritz, PhD, is a Master Instructor of Russian at Howard U. to researchers fairly frequently.” to the need not only for more and better mentoring and networking Colleen Lucey, PhD, is Assistant Professor With the support of the U.S. Russia opportunities for undergraduates, but of Russian and Slavic Studies at the U of Foundation, we will organize another a reassessment of how we think about Arizona. Cybersecurity Simulation and Think programming, curricula, study abroad Tank in 2021. We plan to recruit preparation, access to resources, K-12 Krista Goff, PhD, is Assistant Professor of students from more universities, outreach, and much more. While Russian and Soviet History at the U of including undergraduates from considerable efforts are neededMiami. smaller programs who join not as to make REEES a more equitable, Kelly Knickmeier Cummings, PhD, is a part of an institutional cohort but diverse, and inclusive space, ongoing Lecturer in Russian at Howard U. independently to gain fellowship initiatives like this one can help solidify opportunities outside their home our field’s commitment to promoting institution. We also hope to build on and supporting new generations last year’s successes by maintaining of scholars and a lasting sense of community among professionals as undergraduates, graduate students, they embark on and career and academic mentors. their academic and Ultimately, we want to foster more professional careers in pathways between the Think Tank and REEES. further studies in REEES. We would like to express None of this would be possible if not profound gratitude to for the generous partnerships that the the following mentors program has benefitted from thus far. who worked with and Going forward, we would like to see supported this cohort of this initiative grow and intersect with undergraduates: Naomi Caffee (Reed College), CALL FOR SELF-NOMINATIONS other efforts to generate and support Joy Gleason Carew (U FOR 2021 ASEEES BOARD diverse cohorts of students in REEES. of Louisville), Emily CANDIDACY Building a robust network that will help Couch (Independent all students feel welcome, less isolated, Researcher), Leah We are accepting self-nominations and excited about the future of this Feldman (U of Chicago), field is essential for the continuation Thomas Garza (U for the 2021 ASEEES Board candidacy. of our disciplines. If you are interested of Texas at Austin), in participating in the Think Tank as a Sean Guillory (U of Please email at [email protected] with mentor, institutional sponsor, or as an Pittsburgh), Erik Herron questions or click through for more (West Virginia U), Julie undergraduate scholar, please email information. Krista Goff ([email protected]) or click Hessler (U of Oregon), here. We need DH and subject-matter Yvonne Howell (U of advisors for new student projects this Richmond), Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon (U of Nomination Deadline: year, but also professional mentors Pennsylvania), Hilary willing to offer career guidance to April 15

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