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://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/?p=PASSPORTPLUS >all
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>


      
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