In this series, the Intimate Readings Research Group discusses how narratives in different media establish a sense of identity and community through shared emotional experiences, how they mobilize publics and counterpublics, and how they create potential affective worlds that allow readers and audiences to question dominant ideas of gender and sexuality.
The 3-part series “Gender, Affect, and Politics” is a feature for the monthly queerfeminist magazine “genderfrequenz” (Gender Frequency) at the Graz-based free radio station Radio Helsinki (92,6 MHz). You can stream the episodes on Sundays at 5 p.m. or listen to them later on the website of the Cultural Broadcasting Archive (CBA).
Episode 1 | Feb. 21st, 2021 | Public Feelings and How to Study Them
Episode 2 | March 21st, 2021 | Literature, Social Media, and Affective Worldmaking
Episode 3 | April 18th, 2021 | “Feeling Bad? It Might Be Political!” – Interview with Ann Cvetkovich
Streaming: https://helsinki.at/program/shows/gender-frequenz-sozialpolitisch-feministisch-unbeugsam
Episode 1 – Public Feelings and How to Study Them
In the first episode, Silvia Schultermandl and Dijana Simić give an introduction to the academic field of affect studies in order to illustrate the potentials of studying emotions as political phenomena. By introducing different creative writing tools, affect studies scholar Ann Cvetkovich invites us to reflect on how certain historical and political events feel. Furthermore, May Friedman and Ahmet Atay explore particular public feelings of loneliness and fear by discussing the heightened struggles already marginalized communities face in times of a pandemic.
Hosts: Silvia Schultermandl, Dijana Simić
Music: Planningtorock – “Let’s Talk About Gender Baby”, K. Flay – “Sister”
Literature: Rita Felski – “Beyond Feminist Aesthetics”, Nancy Fraser – “Rethinking the Public Sphere”, Michael Warner – “Publics and Counterpublics”, Brian Massumi – “Parables for the Virtual”, Deborah Gould – “On Affect and Protest”, Ann Cvetkovich & Karin Michalski – “The Alphabet of Feeling Bad”
