There was no funnier sight gag in early cinema than the catastrophe of epidemic contagion. Habitual tics such as yawning, laughing, sneezing, hiccupping, itching, coughing, barking, sobbing, and blinking spread like wildfire when too many nervous bodies found themselves together in close quarters. Associate professor of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature discusses this phenomena in an article featured in Los Angeles Review of Books.

The Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (CSCL) stands in solidarity with the Black Midwest Initiative in condemning the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police Department custody. 

Thank you to all students who submitted essays to the 2020 contest.

Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature alumnus, P. Carl recently published his memoir Becoming a Man: The Story of Transition. This New York Times book review introduces P. Carl and highlights striking moments from the memoir.

“The myth that women aren’t funny is perpetuated by all of the countless times that funny women have been erased from history.” Maggie Hennefeld brings attention to the female comedians of silent movies in her book Specters of Slapstick and Silent Film Comediennes.

A public memorial will be held on Saturday, Sept 28 (1:00-3:30 p.m., with program at 2:00) in Room 135 of Nicholson Hall, 216 Pillsbury Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 on the main campus of the University of Minnesota. Memorial donations to the Animal Humane Society MN in Gary’s name.

Senior Elizabeth Schleisman is the recipient of 4 scholarships this semester. The College of Liberal Arts, The Tower, and the University of Minnesota Press all helped towards making her dreams come true. “It’s going just fantastic so far, I’ve definitely learned more than I could have just by sitting in a classroom, so I’m really grateful for that opportunity,” says Schleisman about her internship experience.

A history of film class changed the direction of Dylan Mohr’s dissertation, leading to a search for information about the creators of a lantern slideshow in a prisoner of war camp in Siberia in World War I. The search has led him to archives across the US and Europe and made him reflect on previous experiences as an archivist.

The role of culturally appropriate food practices and traditionally practiced indigenous and immigrant gender roles are Madeline Brennan’s focus for research in American Studies. She is a senior in her final semester and is pursuing a career that helps enact change to support these populations.