>Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 18:49:27 -0700 (PDT) >From: Juergen Hahn <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: Fwd: Nota de Lisa Vollendorf: Coloquio cervantino -Respuesta de > Juergen Hahn > >I am glad that Prof. Vollendorf has joined the debate, >though I regret it is under a cloud of displeasure. > >Let me say first that her 4. paragraph :("Since my >name.......") totally answers my original question at >the conference. It is a fine, balanced statement of >principle which, if practiced, can surely only yield >the finest of results. > >I regret that Prof. Vollendorf's answer comes wrapped >with animus. I never intended my original question to >be a personal assault at all. (Why do so many >theorists identify hard questioning with attacks ad >hominem--or "feminam"--, of "lese majesté"?) Rather, >my concern was about an IDEA, namely that, as an >outsider, I might have been listening in on a >ghettoized presentation. At a time when cultural >studies have become so ghettoized and politicized >surely my fear was not unfounded! Let me say that I >gratefully accept her somewhat reluctant reassurance. > >I also hope she will note that our forum discussion so >far has not at all been disrespectful of her person. >Because this is a forum dedicated to IDEAS rather than >personalities, thanks to the tone that Robert and Kurt >have set, a very open and fair one. I also hope that >she will feel comfortable to express herself in it in >the future. And if she feels that she has topics >worthier of attention than those that we have humbly >offered up, we should all sincerely encourage her to >voice them. > >Best regards, > >Juergen Hahn > > > > > >--- "A. Robert Lauer" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > >Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 15:36:48 -0700 (PDT) > > >From: Lisa Vollendorf <[log in to unmask]> > > >Subject: Coloquio cervantino > > >To: [log in to unmask] > > > > > >Dear Colleagues, > > >I have been informed of the recent discussion > > >about the Pomona Cervantes Symposium held in > > >April. Now that I have been added to this list, > > >I write to say first and foremost that the > > >event, beautifully organized by José Cartagena > > >Calderón, was educational and eye-opening in > > >many respects. All of the ponentes brought a > > >high level of professionalism to the fore, and > > >the exchange was tremendously collegial. It is > > >therefore disillusioning to learn that, in the > > >face of this open exchange of ideas, > > >perspectives, and approaches to Cervantes > > >studies, an ongoing discussion of my purported > > >'hermetic silence' and lack of scientific bent > > >has become the focus of the follow-up discussions. > > > > > >Fundamentally this is a waste of our efforts, as > > >there were and still are infinite other follow > > >up discussions that would benefit us all: about > > >the possibilities for new understandings of > > >Cervantes, new means of engaging with his > > >poetry, plays, and his place in the Mediterranean > > world, for example. > > > > > >The innumerable that have remained sidelined > > >would have been and still are possible precisely > > >because scholars of all different stripes were > > >present in Pomona and we were able to talk > > >across ideological lines to learn from each > > >other. Yet it seems the dialogue that has > > >occurred on this listserve has focused more > > >specifically on negative reactions to some > > >people's approaches and also included a very > > >specific ad feminem attack on me personally as > > >well as an attack on my 'unscientific' approach to > > early modern studies. > > > > > >Since my name has been trotted about for several > > >weeks now, I would like to respond by saying > > >that I did indeed answer all questions asked of > > >me, including the one about whether working > > >within an approach of gendered readings implies > > >that I believe (a) that women write and read > > >differently from men and (b) that gender > > >includes only women. The answer to both > > >components of the question is no, as I stated on > > >that day. I do not believe that men and women > > >are essentially different, neither as readers > > >nor as writers. Gender includes of course > > >femininity and masculinity, as well as all the > > >queer constructions of sexuality and gender that > > >human beings might possibly conjure. My focus, > > >as I stated in my response to the question, was > > >on women in Don Quijote and on new knowledge > > >about women in the Iberian world during > > >Cervantes' day, but this does not preclude other > > >kinds of gendered readings from being done. As I > > >tried to make clear in my contribution to the > > >colloquium and as I try to make clear in my > > >scholarship on the topic, historicized early > > >modern gender studies offers innumerable > > >possibilities for rehistoricizing our thinking > > about Cervantes and his era. > > > > > >It seems clear that I did not answer in a way > > >that was satisfying to the colleague who > > >initiated this discussion. This lack of > > >satisfaction has led to a numerous statements > > >about my intentionality and supposed hermetic > > >silence. For the record, I want it to be clear > > >that I believe in professional scholarly > > >exchange. If I aggressed an audience member on > > >that day, that I would welcome the opportunity > > >to discuss that with him to set the record > > straight. > > > > > >I would like to urge the list to shift the focus > > >away from personal attacks in the future and to > > >invite all subscribers to work together in this > > >electronic forum to think through the > > >complexities of traditional and emerging > > >scholarly approaches to the subject we all know > > >and love: Cervantine studies. In the end, we do > > >share at least this common goal. Perhaps we can > > >refocus our attention on that goal--by > > >initiating dialogues about any number of topics > > >mentioned here--as a way to work more > > >collaboratively toward enriching our scholarship > > and teaching. > > > > > >It is my fundamental belief that, as proponents > > >and practitioners of humanistic inquiry, we > > >should aspire to maintain a high level of > > >respect and humanity in our treatment of each > > >other. If any of us falter in practicing utmost > > >respect, then I hope we can have the > > >collegiality to approach each other personally > > >to clear any misunderstandings that may result > > >from our interactions rather than taking such > > >complaints to electronic fora that involve > > >people across the globe in what may be, in some > > >cases and what is, I would suggest in this > > >particular case, something best resolved on an > > >interpersonal level. This will free up the > > >listserves and other technological wonders of > > >the 21st century to exchange ideas and advance > > >our body of scholarly knowledge. > > > > > >Respectfully yours, > > > > > >Lisa Vollendorf > > > > > > > > > > > >Lisa Vollendorf, PhD > > >Associate Professor of Spanish > > >California State University, Long Beach > > > > > >President, GEMELA > > >(Grupo de Estudios sobre la Mujer en España y las > > Américas) > > >http://www.aeeahome.org > > > > > > > > >Building a website is a piece of cake. > > >Yahoo! Small Business gives you > > > ><http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48251/*http://small > business.yahoo.com/webhosting/?p=PASSPORTPLUS>all > > > > >the tools to get online. > > > > > >____________________________________________________________________________________Get >the free Yahoo! toolbar and rest assured with >the added security of spyware protection. >http://new.toolbar.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/norton/index.php Prof. A. Robert Lauer The University of Oklahoma Dept. of Modern Langs., Lits., & Ling. 780 Van Vleet Oval, Kaufman Hall, Room 206 Norman, Oklahoma 73019-2032, USA Tel.: 405-325-5845 (office); 405/325-6181 (OU dept.); Fax: 1-866-602-2679 (private) Vision: Harmonious collaboration in an international world. Mission: "Visualize clearly and communicate promptly" <http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/A-Robert.R.Lauer-1/vita.html>VITA / <http://www.peterlang.com/all/>IBÉRICA /<http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/A-Robert.R.Lauer-1/AITENSO.html>AITENSO / <http://www.ou.edu/bcom/>BCom / <http://www.comedias.org/>AHCT / <http://www.mla.org/>MLA / <http://www.ou.edu/cervantes/coloquiocervantes.html>Coloquio <http://www.ou.edu/cervantes/coloquiocervantes.html>Cervantes / <http://www.ou.edu/teatro/coloquioteatro.html>Coloquio Teatro de los Siglos de Oro