Memory Bloggers of the Wor(l)d Unite

I just submitted grades, which means that the spring semester is now over! It's time to party!

Well, not exactly...

I will now begin studying for quals and resume writing my article on Jose Vasconcelos, the Mexican philosopher who created a vision of "la raza cosmica".

Last summer, I took a course on Latin American philosophy, which introduced me to Samuel Ramos and Leopoldo Zea, two of many key philosophers who created and defined the corpus of Latin American philosophy, which is now widely taught at American universities. Vasconcelos is not necessarily my idol; his ideas and works, especially his autobiograhy Mexican Ulysses, speak to me within a rhetorical context. I'm thinking of posting a tribute to "La Raza Cosmica" with some excerpts from the essay, followed by a series of photographs that will present Vasconcelos at differing times during his life. Think of it as a memorial to his ideas.

On the topic of memory, I'm currently enjoying "The Forgotten Canon," Kathie Gossett's blog which features lots of great information on memory. Gossett is a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the Center for Writing Studies.

At this year's 4 Cs, she presented "Illuminating Memory: Imagines Agentes and Image Texts," which you can listen to as an audio on her blog, along with audio from the other presentations, which include:

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Angela Haas, Michigan State U, "On Material Rhetorics and the Canon of Memoria: Rethinking the History (and Future) of Rhetoric"

Matt Weiss, Penn State U, "Ephemeral Monuments: The Physicality of Memory Technology"

John Walter, Saint Louis U, "Social Memory Studies and The Canon of Memory"

Julia Romberger, Old Dominion U, "Teaching Students to Leave Breadcrumbs: The Canon of Memory Recaptured for Digital Rhetoric"

Stewart Whittemore, Michigan State U, "Mnemonics as mediating texts: What the ars memoria can tell us about complex knowledge work"

***

I listened to John's presentation, which I encourage you to lend an ear. I like what he says in terms of ethos, pathos and logos being governed by social memory! John's blog is equally engaging--check it out "Machina Memorialis".

It's great to know that there are other scholars in Rhet/Comp that are keeping the scholarship on memory alive!

So before I dive into studying for the quals, I'm going to keep enjoying Machina Memorialis, Mixing Memory, Sites of Memory, as well as Gossett's "The Forgotten Canon".


Hasta la proxima...


PS.


Currently listening to:


"Black Celebration", Depeche Mode

&

"Speak and Spell," Depeche Mode

Both albums remind me of high school. (Is that good or bad?)