Here we go.

Hey campers,

Sorry for the delay. No internet at the new house yet. Got a moment of pirate time, so here is the final vote:


The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs

A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit

Reassembling the Social, Bruno Latour

The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property, Lewis Hyde

The Solnit was actually the highest vote, but we can all pick up a copy of The Death and Life of Great American Cities just about anywhere. Since camp starts June 1, I wanted to make the first book an easy acquisition.

For those in Chicago, the first meeting will be TUESDAY June 9th, 10:30 AM at Backstory Cafe (6100 South Blackstone) We will discuss the first 1/4 of the book. If I could find my copy , rather than know it is just out of reach in one of the many many boxes scattered about, I would give you exact chapters. That is just something we can look forward to.

For those on Skype, let get together on Tuesday June 9th at 8pm (Chicago time). Or, find a friend near by and meet for tea and chats once a week. Post your questions or comments on the blog and folks will respond.

Happy reading and we will chat soon.

Time for the final vote on books

So I usually make my picks in a nice quiet spot and announce the winners. This year there are too many good suggestion. I think a bit of voting is in order. Please vote on the five books listed below. The four with the highest rating will be the final choice. Rank by preference 1-4, 4 being the book you most desire to read. The vote closes Monday, May 25th. We will begin the first book June 1. That gives us a week to get the first book. It is a bit tight, but manageable. Happy choices.


The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property, Lewis Hyde

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs

A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit

In Defense of Lost Causes, Slavo Zizek

Reassembling the Social, Bruno Latour

Art Theory Summer Camp-SUMMER READING SUGGESTION TIME

Art Theory Summer Camp, while aspiring to run all year long, is destined to be a summer time activity.

Below are a list of possible readings for the summer. Now is an excellent time to propose books and voice preferences. We will choose 4.

The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property
Hyde, Lewis
The Quality of Life Nussbaum, Martha and Sen, Amartya
The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs, Jane
A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Solnit, Rebecca
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Goffman, Erving
Conversation Pieces: Community and Communication in Modern Art Kester, Grant
Everyday Aesthetics Mandoki, Katva

Amber

Long time no post

So, this summer, Camp Theory focused on Skype meetings and very little substantive commentary made it to the blog. The good news is that we have decided to extend summer creating more chances to read and chat and/or post.

From Bourdieu, the group decided to keep reading about gift economy. Our next book is:

The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property by Lewis Hyde.

Skype meeting announcement coming soon.

Outline of a Theory of Practice-Chapter 2

The next Skype meeting will be Sunday, August 24th on chapter 2.

I read chapter one in two parts. During the first part, I was engaged and interested in Bourdieu’s critiques of the biases we bring to questions based on our profession or perspective. The questions an ethnographer asks, frames the nature of the answer. He also questions the answers. The answers may reflect an ideal rather then the lived experience.

I had a very hard time concentrating to the second half of the chapter. I kept hoping Bourdieu would give a hint as to why I should care about the specificity of his research and how he, outside of talking about (but not showing) statistical analysis and game theory, questioned his own biases.

New Chat Time

Dear readers,

The next Skype meeting will be Sunday 10 AM, yes, that is the morning folks, Chicago time. We will talk about the first chapter of Outline of a Theory of Practice, as I had to cancel the last meeting.

It think it is interesting that this book has the typographical "look" of Agamben and address many of the issue of what is mean to being working "now" that Arendt poses. These books seem to know each other.


Amber

Last book of the summer

Dear campers,

It is time for the last book of the summer. Outline of a Theory of Practice
by Pierre Bourdieu. We will Skype about the first chapter on Sunday 8 pm Chicago time.

Happy reading.

Amber