Reflections on the School of Criticism and Theory, Summer 2024

For the six weeks from June 9 to July 18, I attended Cornell’s School of Criticism and Theory (SCT). This was one of the most remarkable experiences since beginning my graduate studies. This year, SCT hosted more than 60 participants from different parts of the world, including the US, India, the UK, China, Canada, and Cuba, and from a wide array of disciplinary backgrounds, including literature, philosophy, art history, media studies, political science and my own field, human geography. It was a privilege to meet and interact with this wonderfully intellectual and fun cohort.

SCT is designed around four seminars. Mine was on environmental humanities, taught by Dr. Stephanie LeMenager (University of Oregon), Climate Humanisms, Fictional Futures. My hope was that the course would advance my research, which examines the relationship between US settler colonialism and the ocean. Since this research idea is relatively new, and I am still new to critical theories of the environment, I aimed to enhance my critical engagement with human-environmental interactions through this course. This wish was clearly fulfilled.

The seminar explored a variety of insights into climate change articulated within humanities and arts, including Indigenous and multispecies theories. We read Max Liboiron, Sylvia Wynter, Dona Haraway, Anna Tsing, Dominic Boyer, and Kathryn Yusoff, among many others. As someone not accustomed to reading literature, I was initially nervous about taking this course, knowing we would be reading several novels like Cheri Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves and Liz Jensen’s The Uninvited. However, I soon realized there was nothing to worry about; the group was collaborative and quickly became a team under the professor’s exceptional facilitation skills. We focused on addressing the intersection of the ecological crisis and the construction of humanism. I particularly enjoyed my exposure to critical discussion on how the extraction of so-called natural resources and that of humans are co-dependent. This insight has made me curious about how certain kinds of humans are dehumanized when oceanic resources are exploited; this question is now part of my research.

One benefit of SCT is that its participants can have informal conversations with globally renowned scholars. Indeed, conversations with Dr. LeMenager outside the seminar were equally helpful in developing my research. In observing Israel and its allies escalate the genocide in Palestine last year, I learned about the ocean’s role as a significant infrastructure that sustains global warcraft as well as anti-war resistance. Intrigued by this, I was pondering how this links to my interest in settler colonialism within the US. Dr. LeMenager, by discussing the relationship between militarism and ecology and providing some references, helped me figure it out.

In addition to critical theory, the program’s highlight was meeting my fellow participants. Our diverse backgrounds from different disciplines from around the world fostered insightful exchanges. These interactions broadened my scholarly perspective and led to valuable friendships, as we probably engaged in non-academic conversations way more than academic ones. We had parties, hikes, and hangouts. These fantastic times with wonderful friends reminded me that graduate students deserve fun times and that it helps us think. During SCT, I met a scholar who had participated in SCT 20 years ago. He shared that he met many of his closest friends there. I genuinely hope the friendships I built with my SCT fellows will also last for decades.

SCT is suitable for individuals at all levels of advancement. This year, there were master’s students, one undergraduate student, artists, faculty members, and Ph.D. students. Some of the Ph.D. students had completed their coursework requirements, while others, like myself, had just finished their first year. As a junior Ph.D. student, I gained a wealth of knowledge from the seminars, lectures, and informal conversations with fellow participants and faculty. I highly recommend that all eligible UIUC students consider this fantastic opportunity regardless of their level of study.

In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to the Unit for Criticism & Interpretive Theory for awarding me the Nicholson Fellowship. None of these amazing experiences would have been real without the fellowship. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. Thank you.