Literature Program and American and Indigenous Studies Program Present
"Stand Still and See": Linking Ability and Captivity in Early America
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
RKC 103
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Professor Nicholas Junkerman, Skidmore College
Captivity narratives are built around the drama of the individual's temporary incapacity: the captive is variously unable to move, speak, or behave in the ways he or she would choose. In early American captivity narratives, this restriction is often contrasted with a vision of God as totally, unchangeably able and unrestrained. In addition, captivity narratives often narrate the event and the effects of disabling violence. This talk will discuss the ways in which the religious content of early American captivity narratives informs these depictions of able and impaired bodies. In so doing, it will consider how contemporary disability studies might (or might not) help us to reconsider the genre of the captivity narrative.For more information, call 845-758-7284, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Location: RKC 103