Hush! Practicing Silence in Literature and Culture

Odilon Redon, Silence (ca. 1911)
http://www.moma.org

Abstract

Silence has always been part of conversation, part of storytelling, and a part of speech. It constitutes an ambiguous presence that looms large in literature across space and time as well as in cultural products such as film, comics, and games, on digital platforms, and in political discourse. Silence (and its breaking) can draw attention to “silencings” in the form of oppression and censorship (exemplified by the women behind the #MeToo movement), the underrepresentation of minority groups, or the invisibility of systemic inequalities. However, silence also has positive connotations – for example, when it is utilized as a means of resistance or empowerment, as an alternative mode of expression, or as a tool for introspection and deceleration.

The conference starts from the premise that literature and other cultural products function as means by which silence materializes. As a result, its ambivalent effects are newly negiotiated. We seek to explore various forms and affordances of silence in Anglophone literatures and media, addressing the intentions, drawbacks, and potentialities, implicated in instances and mediations of silence. Paying close attention to the political dimension of silence and silencing, we also want to examine the potential cultural work silence can perform in literature and the arts. One way in which we aim to contribute to the current turn to silence is by bringing English and American literary and cultural studies into dialogue with perspectives from other disciplines (including visual and sound studies, religious studies, and psychology), thereby paving the way for novel cross-disciplinary approaches to silence. In addition, we will practice silence ourselves over the course of the conference, uncovering its potential for academic discourse through “silent discussions”, mindfulness exercises, and other “quiet” formats.

Organisation

How to get to Freiburg?

• By train: Long-distance train connections to Freiburg are available at bahn.de.
• By bus: Long-distance bus connections to Freiburg are available at Flixbus.
• By car: Motorway A5 brings you to Freiburg, either from the direction of Basel or Karlsruhe.
• By plane: Frankfurt Airport is an airport where a lot of international flights arrive. Upon arrival in Frankfurt Airport, Freiburg can be reached by booking a long-distance train connection (takes approx. 2,5 h). Airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (EuroAirport) is located in the South of Freiburg. An Airport Shuttle Bus can be booked here.