Department of Comparative Literature New York University Intersections Spring 2012 Lucretius and Modernity Conference by Liza Blake Jacques Lezra began the new light on Sir Isaac Newton’s conference by musing on the discussion of the Lucretian tricky nature of the “and” link- “swerve” in his scientific ing “Lucretius and Modernity.” thought. Papers such as Phil Mitsis’s The influence of the Lu- “How Modern is the Question cretian tradition on philosophi- of the Freedom of the Will?” cal modernity was another and Joseph Farrell’s “Lucretius pressing topic for many speak- and the Symptomology of Mod- ers. In the opening keynote, ernism” provocatively took up “Lucretius and the Speculative the question of what was at Sciences of Origins”, Catherine stake in attempting to consider Wilson reconsidered Lucretius Conference organizer Jacques Lucretius as modern. Keynote speaker Catherine Wilson and the Epicurean tradition to Lezra on “The Nature of Marx’s from the University of Aberdeen Other papers considered posit a new way of considering Things” the connections between Lu- the narrative we tell about On October 26-28, 2011, ties Initiative, the Gallatin cretius and modern scientific Kant’s philosophical career and speakers from around the School of Individualized Study, practices. David Konstan ar- his transition from anthropol- world and from all disciplines the Medieval and Renaissance gued that Lucretius’s notions of ogy to critical philosophy. Katja converged on the Lucretius Center, Poetics and Theory, infinity actually correspond to Vogt considered Lucretius’s and Modernity Conference, the Classics, English, French, and modern scientific thought in his argument for the “truth” of Annual Ranieri Colloquium on Philosophy, Lucretius and Mod- “Lucretius the Physicist and sense perception from a mod- Ancient Studies. Co-sponsored ernity featured three days of Modern Science” and Jerry ern analytical standpoint in her Passannante’s paper “Newton’s principally by the Department talks about the Roman poet “All Sense Perceptions Are of Comparative Literature and Lucretius and his relationship, Swerve” reviewed the seven- True: Epicurean responses to the Center for Ancient Studies, however problematic or de- teenth century reception of Skepticism and Relativism.” Epicureanism in order to cast and additionally by the Humani- bated, to modernity. (Lucretius cont. page 2) Poetics and Theory: Anachronic Shakespeare and Flirtations by Daniel Hoffman-Schwartz Housed within the Depart- Co-directed by Anselm annual conference usually tied Inside the Issue: ment since the 2010-2011 aca- Haverkamp of the English de- to the theme of one of the Faculty Highlight: Kristin Ross 3 demic year, the Poetics and partment and our own Jacques core courses; a monthly read- Recent Grad Student Placement 3 Theory Certificate Program Lezra with generous help from ing group. reached new heights of inten- Martin Harries (also of English), (P&T cont. page 2) Mellon Translation Seminar 4 sity and activity in 2011-2012, the Poetics and Theory Pro- culminating in a veritable theo- gram takes an approach to the- Undergraduate News 4 retical frenzy in this year’s ory that is both historical and Alumnus Marc Caplan spring term, encompassing the transdisciplinary, aiming at once major international conference to work through the distinctly On Loving Academia 5 Anachronic Shakespeare, a work- literary prehistory of contem- Recent Grad Student Awards 6 shop entitled Flirtations: Rhetoric porary theory in rhetoric and and Aesthetics This Side of Seduc- aesthetics and to instigate en- Alumni News 7 tion, as well as a slew of other counters between literary stud- lectures and seminars (some co ies and other theoretically ori- New Faculty: Jay Garcia 8 -sponsored by Comp Lit itself) ented disciplines. The Program Update From the Comparatorium 8 from speakers such as Shira has three components: the New Faculty: Emanuela Bianchi 9 Wolosky, Dirk Quadflieg, actual certificate program, in- Kiarina Kordela, and Katrin volving both core and cross- Kordela & Spivak 9 Trüstedt. listed courses; events including lectures, workshops, and an Page 2 (Lucretius cont from page 1) “From Clinamen to Conatus: logued references to Lucretius litical ideal of “pleasure” over Yves-Charles Zarka in his “The Deleuze, Lucretius, Spinoza” in early modern poems based the dominant ideal of Aleatory: Lucretius and Some filtering his reading through on the seven days of creation “happiness” based on Rous- Modern Authors” posited Lu- Deleuze’s interpretation of described in Genesis in his seau’s thought. cretius as the father of an alea- Spinoza. Jacques Lezra’s “On “Lucretius and Renaissance Although this article has the Nature of Marx’s Things” Hexemeral Epic.” Anne Deneys tory tradition of philosophy divided the papers schemati- other than that sketched by examined a passing reference -Tunney in her “Lucretius and th cally in an attempt to show the Louis Althusser in his late to Lucretius in one of Marx’s French Libertinism in the 18 range of topics and approaches work. Other conference speak- early notebooks, and Alain Century” described an erotic covered at the conference, Gigandet analyzed the form novel that featured, among ers focused on the influence of each paper, like Lucretius’s and content of Leo Strauss’ other characters, talking bijou Lucretius on specific modern poem, swerved across discipli- philosophers. Both Brooke analysis of Lucretius in his (you had to be there to know nary boundaries as well. A con- Holmes and Warren Montag “’Notes on Leo Strauss’ ‘Notes what that stands for). Thomas ference volume is in the works, offered readings of Deleuze’s on Lucretius.’” Kavagnagh’s “Epicureanism so the papers presented may Across the Revolution” posited essay on Lucretian naturalism, Finally, another set of pa- yet avoid the fall straight into with Holmes’s “The Evolution the Epicurean tradition as the pers tracked Lucretius into still the void of oblivion. of Lucretius” focusing on the more genres of writing and philosophical backbone of a book on gastronomy, and read Liza Blake is a fifth-year graduate student in revisions Deleuze made to the thought. Philip Hardie cata- English, writing a dissertation on early modern essay over time, and Montag’s it as offering an alternative po- literary physics. ‘Hamlet theories’ of Goethe’s Natalie Nagel, and Lauren Shi- Wilhelm and Joyce’s Stephen zuko Stone from German. Pa- (Plock), and of Walter Benja- pers addressed flirtation in min and Carl Schmitt (Weber). Simmel as a gestural mode to The conference was organized be distinguished from the ex- by Elizabeth Bonapfel (English), plicit discursivity of love Martin Harries (English), (Fleming), a practice of mimetic Anselm Haverkamp, and Daniel self-expenditure theorized by Hoffman-Schwartz. sssssssss Freud and Caillois (Hamilton), sssssFlirtations (March 3rd, the movement from rhetoric 2012), sponsored by a grant to poetry in ancient epideictic from the NYU Humanities Ini- oratory (Campe), an aesthetics Visiting Professor Barbara Vinken, Jacques Lezra, Natalie Nagel, and Erica tiative, explored the somewhat of perception oriented towards Weitzman presenting at Flirtations undertheorized terrain of flirta- the “sweets of life” in Thomas tion, understood as a phe- Mann’s Felix Krull (Strowick), a nomenon distinct from that of form of virtual bestiality requir- (P&T cont. from page 1) Northwestern University and a seduction. Flirtations gathered ing animal mediation in Freud’s Inspired loosely by Alex- longtime friend of both Comp six prominent scholars, from reading of Jensen’s Gradiva ander Nagel (NYU, IFA) and Lit and Poetics and Theory, the NYU and beyond, to each give (Lezra), a threat to republican Christopher Wood’s recent conference included lectures a short talk on the topic. virtue and a deconstruction of Anachronic Renaissance (Zone by John Archer (English, NYU), Speakers included old friends masculine subjectivity (Vinken). Books, 2010) as well as Anselm Stuart Elden (Geography, Dur- John Hamilton (now of Har- Daniel Hoffman-Schwartz, Bar- Haverkamp’s recent Poetics ham), Vike Plock (English, Exe- vard) and Paul Fleming (now of bara Natalie Nagel, and Lauren and Theory seminar on Shake- ter), Jacques Lezra, Anselm Cornell), Barbara Vinken Shizuko Stone conceptualized speare and Philosophy, the Haverkamp, and Julia Lupton (Visiting Professor of German and organized the workshop. Anachronic Shakespeare Confer- (English, Irvine). These treat- at NYU), Rüdiger Campe sssssFuture plans include col- ence (February 24th and 25th, ments of Shakespearean (German, Yale), Elisabeth laboration with the Interna- 2012) brought together major anachrony touched as well Strowick (German, Johns Hop- tional Center for Critical The- scholars from a range of disci- upon the animal (Archer) and kins), and Jacques Lezra. In ory, a program run by Xudong plines in order to think through life as such (Haverkamp) in the keeping with the workshop Zhang as a partnership be- Shakespeare’s challenge to con- Sonnets; the linguistic machin- format, each presentation was tween Peking University, NYU, ventionally linear concepts of ery of Midsummer Night’s followed by a brief response East China Normal University, history and the consequences Dream and Schlegel’s transla- from a graduate student or and the University of Tokyo. of this challenge for the hu- tion thereof (Lezra); the ter- postdoc from NYU, including Details about Poetics and The- manities today. Featuring a rors of the earth in King Lear Sage Anderson, Daniel