The European Studies Council Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies presents Jeff Eden, Northwestern University:
“Rebels and Runaways: Slaves’ Pathways to Emancipation in Central Asia.”
The war in Ukraine has precipitated many troubling inquiries for scholars of Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies. The tragedy has led to a critical reassessment of the scope and extent of our scholarly endeavors, and the adequacy of our contributions both as academics and as engaged individuals. Despite diverse methodologies we grapple with similar questions about the limitations of our disciplines, the (ir)relevance of our epistemologies, and the ways we could or should read our sources after February 2022 - against or with the grain. Many scholars have called for new concepts and frameworks capable of redressing inadequacies and injustices. The Slavic Colloquium ‘23-24 approaches these challenges as an opportunity to redefine the contours of our field and rethink the nature and scope of our inquiries. It seeks to be a forum for dialogue, exploration, and critique, featuring the insights of thinkers whose research probes the boundaries of Russian, East European, and Central Asian literary and historical studies, as well as the humanities at large. The array of topics that we will address this year is exceptionally broad, ranging from rewilding initiatives in Siberia to queer aesthetics in Central Asia and post-Soviet adolescents. Our invited speakers will discuss, among other themes, racial biopolitics in the Russian Empire sleeplessness in Nabokov and Proust, and Ukrainian anti-war literature. In addition, the Colloquium of 23-24 will feature the launch of two extraordinary books: I love Russia: Reporting from a Last Country by Russian journalist Elena Kostiuchenko, and Insulted, Belarus by Belarusian playwright Andrei Kureichik.