Can the Subaltern Speak? Reflections on the History of an Idea March 2, 2011

Can the Subaltern Speak?
Proshansky Auditorium
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s seminal essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” was written for and delivered at a conference in 1983 on 'Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture'. A source of inspiration for feminists and post-colonialists, it quickly became the focus of a heated debate that continues to this day. Join Professor Spivak (Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University) and a host of distinguished scholars to explore this debate and celebrate the impact of her work. Participants include Meena Alexander (English, Hunter College & The Graduate Center, CUNY); Judith Butler (Rhetoric,University of California Berkeley); Patricia Clough (Sociology, Women’s Studies, Intercultural Studies, Queens College & The Graduate Center, CUNY); Drucilla Cornell (Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey); Rosalind Morris (Anthropology, Columbia University) and Robert Young (English, Comparative Literature, New York University). Moderated by Kyoo Lee (Philosophy, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY).