Fashioning the Body: Versions of the Citizen, the Self, and the Subject
The Evergreen State College | Fall 2007-Winter 2008
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Student Blogscut-up excersizeDrink thought, urge body off circle, circulation disclosed to be close enough for comfort. Psychiatric visions of prostatic break-downs on the mantle. Piercing photographic layaways of limbs. Climbing mayhem. Telling stories from sorts, and over sores. Tearing muscles into bones. Washed treading “The question often asked of the heart is here asked again. Whence this rhythm, whence these hearings, wince these waves that on occasion swell to billows? Is it the regulation all within the parts that deal with breathing?” The skill-less sink, fortune handcuffs against the outline of a cycling thought. Carried from sight to side shot. Colorful mixed giving’s promised to hierarchies, redirect into blisters by glazed skin. Sough this premise. “In that next breath of that old sinner caught at last, order” Such low whip intensity, caught by tape. “Act fits to act, part fits to part, the total creature fits the total world.” Mixing vessels, rain written in lower case. To be exposed, to filled floor path way to excess. Can’t hold clarity, caught between a balance of conversion. “Known and unknown keep regulated this highly regulated force.” Rising orthopedic function. Sat-down and cooled-off. Sight of motion, picking up broken lines, sticking sharply from broken doorways, meditations of lack. Visions of uninspired pressings. Corners leading to outside, bubbles taking rocks, circled by the odorless form. Dumping -cycle grounds.
Submitted by kathleen on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 4:35pm. kathleen's blog
Scott -Mini PlaySetting- Outside a party, 3 AM a Saturday night. Cast and costumes- Me- lady wearing girl clothes, Minnie skirt. Man #1- manly guy, drunk, friend of mine. Man #2- another pretty manly guy, a friend, kina drunk as well. Man #1- I can’t believe that guy didn’t punch me! I wanted to get punched tonight. Man #2- I’ll punch you, if you punch me. (They punch each other) Me- My turn, punch me. Man #1- I can’t punch you in the face, id feel too bad. Me- fine, then I’ll slap you across the face if you slap me across the face. (We slap each other equally hard) Me- (to Man #2) Trade slaps? (We slap each other equally hard)
Submitted by kathleen on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 3:52pm. read more | kathleen's blog
Paper one
Concept Rhyming paper #1Foucault and Discourse Foucault argues that the topic of sex and sexuality have not been repressed through the last few centuries by being forced to be silenced. In his History of Sexuality he explores the ways that sexuality has been talked about and represented through the western past. Foucault focuses on the word discourse to depict an action of sex being construed into speech to show the way sexuality has always been talked about through the past. He uses examples of discourse being encouraged simultaneously with demonstration of the notion of repression to human sexuality. In Foucault’s writing the word discourse seems to carry ample baggage. It stands to be augmented by the surrounding words that serve a function of implying power dynamics in speech or writing. He is not interested talking about the way members of society talk about sex with one another, but with speech that serves to imply a hierarchy. Foucault lays out his the meaning behind his use of the word when he writes. “But more important was the multiplication of discourses concerning sex in the field of exorcize of power itself: an institutional incitement to speak about it, and to so more and more; a determination on the part of the agencies to of power to hear it spoken about (Foucault, 18).” Here he explains that his interest in discourse is in its relationship to institutional power. Thinking of dialogue in this way allows Foucault to explore the way that society is fashioned by language from the way the society itself is structured. In Foucault's discourse on discourse power is always in the mixture. This quote acknowledges the presence of a difference in implication between the standard use of the word and in his own. He shows this by pointing out what was important to his own unique exploration of the discourses of sex. Foucault also demonstrates the power of this discourse he writes of. Using speech in these institutionalized ways reinforces the implied hierarchal structures. “Trough the various discourses, legal sections against minor perversions were multiplied; sexual irregularity was annexed to mental illness… (Foucault, 36). Foucault is describing ways that the “repression” of sexuality that Foucault argues was erroneously associated with a notion of sexual censorship, is in reality perpetuated by the discourses already installed in societal power structures. This repression through discourse seems to be a foreign idea regarding the everyday use and associations of these to terms. The word discourse in many settings brings about images of dialogue and exchange, an exchange meaning that there is a possibility for both parties involved to share equally. Leaving room for verbal exchanges seems to be an idea traditionally opposed to repression, from the direction that repression is perpetuated through one-sided exposure maintained by lack of opportunity for dialogue or discourse. Foucault uses the term discourse to show something purposefully placed in society to allow repression by using the word to in many cases exclude dialogue that has anything to do with equal reciprocation due to the hierarchal structure already in place that Foucault's discourse is touching diving into. This monitored form of dialogue that Foucault is writing about can only be allowed to maintain to the established order of its society it is operating within. The acceptance of discourse into power is maintained in these societal structures. Foucault talks about confessions being one such form. “To be more precise, it has pursued the task of producing true discourse concerning sex, and this by adapting – not without difficulty – the ancient procedure of confession to the rules of scientific discourse (Foucault 67-68).” Foucault looks at confession as being a part of the cycle of discourse in the form of a mechanism ingrained in our society that gives us relief through discourse. If something is talked about out of hiding it becomes truth. When Foucault talks about discourse through confession it is the listener of the confession that is taking the more active role in the exchange. “where certain major mechanisms had to be found for adapting them to one another (the listening technique, the postulate of casualty, the principle of latency, the rule of interruption, the imperative of medicalization) (Foucault, 68).” The confessor is only a passive part of this ingrained cultural process of confession. There is this idea of confession being a honed machine to reinstate oppressive positions by learning about sexuality. Foucault looks at a part of society that we take for granted as the need to confess and examines it along with the role of the person monitoring the confession. He uses words like technique and rule that show the pointedness of this position. These words are able to break down and show a sterilized process that serves to further the operative device it comes from. Foucault shows the listener as serving this machine. This confuses the common thoughts surrounding the terms of confessing and listening. The words listen cannot be passive in Foucault’s use nor can confessing be active. Confession is an ingrained process that the listener can use to control and enable discourse on sex. There is a understanding in his language that, like repression, discourse is something you are to be subjected to. Effects of discourse such as sexuality to be constricted by laws or confined to terms and separations of mental illness are things because of one’s sexuality one can be confined by. These are terms once again that oppose the connection of discourse and liberation. A question that comes to mind is: why might Foucault turn common uses and notions of these words and their relations to one another on their sides? One possible answer that comes to mind is for the reason of complicating the way use and hear words might also complicate our acceptance of easy binary ways we see these concepts depicted in society. Works CitedFoucault, Michel. The history of Sexuality. New York: Random House, 1978.
Submitted by kathleen on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 3:31pm. kathleen's blog
BodiesBodies to show for. Obesity, deformity, and perfection. The standard and the ideal, the fictional. The promise of beauty’s fulfillment. Healthy and unhealthy bodies. Successful and unsuccessful bodies. Wanted and unwanted bodies. Clothes made for selling, on bodies made for sale. Bodily advertisements show investments. Money, perfect for the perfection of bodies. revealed playgrounds of self-esteem. Who wore their class best, best to body.
Submitted by kathleen on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 3:26pm. kathleen's blog
Form of a FormWritten for interpretation from the voice of a checkmark. The less is more rule. Directions in the direct concept guidelines. A box to fit an entire family, recreated on spreadsheets, spread around in circulation, and out of circulation. Confessor. Form staples- numbers and names. Sex and age, demonstrating to a point, how this world could fit you in. best use of a flat page, determined to manufacture you to form.
Submitted by kathleen on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 3:03pm. kathleen's blog
Thoughts from "Latino Dolls"
Thoughts, Connections, Questions from Reading "Latino Dolls"
This is an ode… An ode to Chelsea where the light is bright grey-white by day and amber-colored at night. An ode to all the Barbie dolls I played with two summers ago. And an ode to the animator/filmmaker dearest to me. 1. What is a gay toy store? In the beginning pages of “Latino Dolls” I really wasn't sure what would constitute a gay toy store. Does Quiroga mean a sex shop? No? Does he mean something like Toys R Us except somehow more gay? No? It suddenly occurred to me that I knew exactly what was being described because I used to live in Chelsea (the sort of lower westside in Manhattan) which is the floral/photo/fashion part of town and not unrelatedly the rich, gay, white, male capital of the east coast. I could never find anything I wanted to buy in Chelsea. Every other store seemed to be a snobby, overpriced little den selling semi-whimsical printed tank tops, t-shirts, notecards, and endless snarky, queeny, brightly colored knickknacks. Here I am, three years later realizing that half my neighborhood was and is composed of gay toy stores. My limited (read: not important) gay consumer dollars go to buying all of those impossible-to-find-new Sarah Schulman books. Now… does that make me a less evolved consumer? 2. Would somebody save up (their money) to buy a gay doll? Yes! Fortunately and unfortunately. The 2000 $50 price of a Billy or Carlos doll was rather prohibitive, but not so much so that a few sacrifices wouldn't be made for a trendy, joyful, way to recreate a piece of childhood. This makes me think of the character David in Sarah Schulman's Rat Bohemia (which is the book of my life, my favorite book). David's childhood is marked by rather cruel parental enforcement of gender normativity -- no skipping, no singing, no giggling, no limp-wristed gestures. He's the type of kid always getting a football instead of the Barbie doll he might really want. In my mind that kind of childhood supersedes, overwhelms even a very clear understanding of the marketing schemes behind something like the Billy doll. You're buying something you couldn't have in childhood. You're trying to find a way to rename, reclaim, recapture something not possible in the past. It's awful, but how do you separate those feelings? (It's not possible to be completely separate from culture.) Working on gay guilt and pain is the best (worst) marketing plan ever.
Submitted by christine on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 1:03pm. read more | christine's blog
Concept Rhyming Paper #2
Scott Turner Schofield & Kate Bornstein
(with a little Bertolt Brecht) Through two very different modes of teaching Bornstein and Schofield discuss issues of gender, identity, and power in an interesting and involved manner. In order to better understand why each chose to fashion their lesson plan the way they did I created an exercise similar to ones in My Gender Work Book and I built a fort! Each had created difficulties within my analysis because of time constraints but in the end enriched my understanding of the reasons behind their decision to utilize their chosen medium. Schofield's approach was to bring his audience into a space that was comfortable enough to discuss sensitive issues in a humurous way by inviting the audience to participate in the experience. By means of building a fort in which to perform Schofield took control of our general expectations for the performance's outcome. By inviting his audience to participate in the action he added a little bit of unpredictability. In building my own fort I learned that when you invite others to join you it only adds to the experience and brings up things you may have never thought up on your own. On the other hand, you are inviting them into a space that you own because you created it. That ownership gives you license to guide the discussion any way you see fit. Schofield's detailed examination of his own gender offers up a unique understanding of gender and identity. In an interview on the topic of his performance he says: "Transbodies can do things that other bodies can't...When I take off my clothes...I go from being this cute young man to an adult female to both of those things and more in a single moment. To me it's the moment of beholding a human body that contains so many complexities that really drives it home. Of course not every queer theorist wants to get naked to prove thier point!(homofactuspress.com). His comfort or willingness to put himself into a pretty vulnerable situation is assuring to the audience and creates a sense of intimacy while shocking them into thoughtful consideration of his story. From my own experience with fort building I found that the structure of the fort became something of a conductor in the sense that it allowed conversation and ideas to pass through. In view of this experience Schofield's performance becomes the tangible version of this particular type of conductor.
Submitted by Cerise on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 5:05am. read more | Cerise's blog
Concept Rhyming Paper #1
Foucault: The History of Sexuality
"Discourse" would seem to be a rather simple and easily defined word. In the context of Foucault's The History of Sexuality, it is not. Wading through the murky waters of Foucault's alternative word meanings has been mentally exhausting. However, I found an enlightening bit of information in the Pocket Oxford English Dictionary; The definition of the word "discourse" reads: "Discourse: 1. Written or spoken communication or debate;2. A formal discussion of a topic; 3. to write authoritatively about a topic." It goes on to describe the latin origin, "discursus," which means, "running to and fro." Visualizing the movement is what brought me a better understanding of Foucault's usage of the word. Discourse is a mobile term; it shifts and is molded by Foucault's writing style. Throughout the majority of the seventy-three pages I have read so far, Foucault utilizes the word discourse to describe the ongoing discussion of sexuality. Early on he informs the reader that, "...the essential thing is the existencein our era of a discourse in which sex, the revelation of truth, the overturning of global laws, the proclamation of a new day to come, and the promise of a certain felicity are linked together"(7). This tells me that discourse, as he describes it, is a movement of human sexuality, bringing it back to the place it once held in the seventeenth century. This is where he begins his discussion of this particular topic. At this time, he says, "Codes regulating the coarse, the obscene, and indecent were quite lax compared to those of the nineteenth century"(3). All of which describes discourse as it moves throughout time. In the nineteenth century sexual discourse became a "screen-discourse"(53). In this form of discourse one had to become selective when speaking about sex or sexuality. The language chosen or not chosen was of the utmost importance.
Submitted by Cerise on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 2:25am. read more | Cerise's blog
Ellie Schoenfeld's Barbie PoemsAfter all of this stuff feat. Barbies, I figured I would toss out some poems by my friend Ellie Schoenfeld. She is a native of Duluth, MN. and still resides there, doing social work, reading her poetry with music, and being an adult. One thing that made Ellie better-known was her Barbie poems.
One day about 20 years ago I was sitting around UMD with some friends and one friend had brought snacks – little bar cookies. They were very tasty and when I asked her what they were called, she said “Sesame Dream Bars.” That cracked me up because it sounded so much like a Barbie accessory but not really Barbie, maybe some alternative-minded, vegetarian relative about whom we’d never heard. I thought maybe her name would be Aurora. “Barbie’s Little Sister” was the first Barbie poem I wrote. I think I wrote the rest over the next year or two. I haven’t written a Barbie poem in about 15 years, I can’t remember exactly .
So, so Ellie poems that should be better known than they are: Barbie's Little Sister Barbie's little sister, Aurora got sent away to reform school when she was thirteen. Mattel brought her back complete with wheat germ, a VW love bus and a recipe for sesame dream bars. But she never caught on. Didn't go for the vanity table or the bubble head. Thought Barbie was repressed and Ken was a nerd so she hit the road with his cousin. They went to demonstrations wore love beads and got matching tattoos. Finally, Mattel stopped marketing her. Didn't think she's make a good role model.
Winona Winona is Barbie's walleye warrior friend, comes complete with a boat
Submitted by ranthe21 on Wed, 11/28/2007 - 11:05pm. read more | ranthe21's blog
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