“Can Killing be a Form of Play?”: Contemporary Ekphrastic Writing
Location
FA-160a
Department
English
Abstract
“Can Killing be a Form of Play?”: Contemporary Ekphrastic Writing The Poetry Foundation defines Ekphrasis as “a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.” Ekphrastic practice has applications for creative writing, personal writing, and even technical writing because responding to a work of art, such as a photograph or oil painting, requires careful observation and skill. Specifically, the presenter will discuss how contemporary writers often use this form as a technique to observe the social response of violence against vulnerable populations. Ekphrasis can serve particularly well to mediate the erasure of victims of violence for vulnerable populations such as children, enslaved people, undocumented people and many others. Ironically, if a member of one of these groups falls victim to physical assault or to murder, they are quickly relegated as bizarre cultural footnotes if remembered at all. To illustrate this current presence in Ekphrastic writing, the presenter will discuss two contemporary poems: Aubade with Burning City (2016) by Ocean Vuong and Cut from Darkness: [After Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something) by Kara Walker] by Michael Spence. Spence, upon observing the Brueghel-esque chaos and brutality of Walker’s antebellum plantation scene asks a ghastly question: “Can killing be a form of play?” With these texts, the presenter will discuss how Ekphrastic writing can be used as a tool for meaningful remembrance and as a call for justice for the forgotten. The presenter will then introduce an Ekphrastic writing exercise where attendees will collectively observe a piece of art and respond in whatever creative or technical manner the writer choses. Attendees will have the opportunity to share and discuss their written responses to the visual image.
Faculty Sponsor
Marcia Buell
Faculty Sponsor
Timothy Barnett
“Can Killing be a Form of Play?”: Contemporary Ekphrastic Writing
FA-160a
“Can Killing be a Form of Play?”: Contemporary Ekphrastic Writing The Poetry Foundation defines Ekphrasis as “a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.” Ekphrastic practice has applications for creative writing, personal writing, and even technical writing because responding to a work of art, such as a photograph or oil painting, requires careful observation and skill. Specifically, the presenter will discuss how contemporary writers often use this form as a technique to observe the social response of violence against vulnerable populations. Ekphrasis can serve particularly well to mediate the erasure of victims of violence for vulnerable populations such as children, enslaved people, undocumented people and many others. Ironically, if a member of one of these groups falls victim to physical assault or to murder, they are quickly relegated as bizarre cultural footnotes if remembered at all. To illustrate this current presence in Ekphrastic writing, the presenter will discuss two contemporary poems: Aubade with Burning City (2016) by Ocean Vuong and Cut from Darkness: [After Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something) by Kara Walker] by Michael Spence. Spence, upon observing the Brueghel-esque chaos and brutality of Walker’s antebellum plantation scene asks a ghastly question: “Can killing be a form of play?” With these texts, the presenter will discuss how Ekphrastic writing can be used as a tool for meaningful remembrance and as a call for justice for the forgotten. The presenter will then introduce an Ekphrastic writing exercise where attendees will collectively observe a piece of art and respond in whatever creative or technical manner the writer choses. Attendees will have the opportunity to share and discuss their written responses to the visual image.