Recommended:
Michel de Certeau, “Spatial Stories”: SPATIAL STORIES SS 330
bell hooks, “Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness”:CHOOSING THE MARGIN AS A SPACE OF RADICAL OPENNESS SS 330
On Andrea Zittel: EMANCIPATED USAGE SS 330
Cornelia Butler on Andrea Zittel, LIVE WORK SPACE SS 330
Jean Baudrillard, “Structure of Interior Design”: STRUCTURES OF INTERIOR DESIGN SS 330
de Certeau’s General introduction to “The Practice of Everyday Life,” available at UBUWEB (a fantastic site); defines his project and introduces vocabulary of “strategies” and “tactics.”

Link to this site for fabulous advice on writing essays: research & writing.

And here’s a sample project checklist you might want to consult after you’ve done some writing: writing checklist

See this MIT site, City as Stage, City as Process for inspiration.

Read “Subculture and Style” by Dick Hebdige, available here: SUBCULTURE AND STYLE SS 330 Discussion will be led by Olga Stroubos.

Read “History-Spectacle-Resistance” by Russell Porter, available here: HISTORY SPECTACLE RESISTANCE SS 330

RECOMMENDED
Watch Style Wars, a documentary on hip hop culture in the early 80s, focusing on graffiti. Available in 4 parts.

View Stuart Hall’s Lecture, “Race: The Floating Signifier”

Read bell hooks, “Postmodern Blackness”
Read Paul Gilroy, “The Crisis of ‘Race’ and Raciology”

View and read about Kara Walker’s Work at the following sites:
1. Walker Art
2. PBS: Art 21
3. The Whitney
4. The New York Times Topics

Your essay will be graded on your understanding of the theoretical concept(s) you are using as well as your ability to use it for detailed, sustained analysis of a cultural object. Please make sure that you reread any of the essays you plan to use in your midterm. As you read, write down quotes that seem relevant to your analysis. This will help you to maintain focus.

Send your midterm as a word attachment to my pratt email address and include your last name and the word “midterm” in the subject line, eg. “smith_midterm.” Remember that the essay should be in MLA format.

For the following week (Nov 3), please read Judith Butler “Subversive Bodily Acts” and Eve Sedgwick “Axiomatic,” both available for download below or through the library’s electronic reserve. Please also read Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel “Fun Home,” which you should have purchased by now (available via amazon and other book stores).

Angela Hoang will start our discussion on Butler, Joseph Kaiser will start our discussion on Sedgwick.

As you read “Fun Home,” think about how Butler and Sedgwick can be used to discuss the book. Jot down any concepts from their essays that are relevant to your reading.

SUBVERSIVE BODILY ACTS SS 330-1
AXIOMATIC SS 330

THE INSTITUTIONAL MATRIX OF ROMANCE
BANALITY IN CULTURAL STUDIES SS330
ENCODING, DECODING SS330

Reading is available here or through Pratt’s electronic reserves:

Find your reserve items by going to our online catalog PrattCatt and selecting the “Reserves” tab and searching for your course either by my name or the course name. Essays are available for download as PDFs.

Please post your proposed midterm topic as a comment here no later than Mon eve 8 pm. Topics needn’t be firm–I just want a sense of what you’re thinking.

And this is what MLA format looks like.

Required:
Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”

Katelyn Gannon will lead our discussion on Benjamin.

Recommended:
Excerpts from Chomsky, “Manufacturing Consent”

“The Politics of Gay Marketing”