Course presentations have, for me, constituted a significant portion of classroom learning, offering an ideal opportunity to pursue topical tangents that augment my core studies (whether I am presenting or receiving). I have enjoyed a generous sense of latitude in my pursuit of presentation topics, and have found that frequently these topics generate valuable, spontaneous discussion that further fosters the interdisciplinary connections so vital to this program.
Presentations showcased here take multiple forms. Some are text-based, according to the guidelines of the original assignment. Some are offered in response to, and/or in conjuction with an existing web-based resource (in these cases, a link is provided), text(s) or film. Others are multi-media presentations, incorporating text, image, video and sound, and drawing from multiple research sources in an effort to explore fully the interdisciplinary reach of the topic. The variety of presentation formats is also indicative of the dynamic nature of the MATX classroom environment.
Psychological Roots of Fiction
Radical Scatters: Emily Dickinson -- hypertext
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy/Theater of Totality
Bullfight: Ritual, Performance, Art
A multimedia presentation, which serves as a companion piece to the written project.
Community: being-with
Explores the theories of Jean-Luc Nancy ("Being Singular Plural") as they apply to various forms of community, including insect social groups.
Thanatopias
Explores cultural, historical, professional and occult perspectives concerning death, burial practices, and the quest for transcendence, as well as Ellul's cautionary approach to technological philosophy. Additional presentation text here.
Gadget Lover: McLuhan
A discussion of one segment of McLuhan's definitive work on media.
Blow Up: Cortazar & Antonioni
A comparative look at text and film from a hypertext perspective.
Clips from film: Model Photoshoot and Closing Tennis Match
Code & the History of Texts & Textuality
An exploration of Hayle's theories from "My Mother was a Computer," and a consideration of language versus code.
Bitch Fractal
Project still in development; link not currently viable.
A Cat Story
A light-hearted documentary project.
Rhetoric of Self-Help
A critical look at the self-help industry, and rhetorical devices used to promote it.