This seminar explores the "elemental turn" in the humanities, drawing on foundational works in literature, film and media studies. Elemental thinking links media studies to infrastructural and ecological phenomena, including mines, oceans, and the clouds, underscoring the fact that media, whether analog or digital are not essential but relational and transformative; media create bonds, transmute, and affect change. Our discussions in this seminar will underscore that the strength of elemental thinking lies in its ability to destabilize and expand existing environmental thinking, offering new perspectives on infrastructure, hardware, and molecular transitions.
Taught by Professor Negar Mottahedeh
TH 8:30 – 11:00am, Classroom Building Room 106
Program in Literature