Duke's Center for Philosophy, Arts, and Literature

 

What is PAL ?

PAL stands for Philosophy, Arts, and Literature. “Arts” includes theater, painting, film, music, and other arts. PAL exists to encourage and promote work that places literature, theater, painting, film, and other arts in conversation with philosophy without reducing them to mere illustrations of philosophical paradigms. It seeks to foster conversation between writers and artists and scholars and critics by organizing or co-sponsoring conferences, symposia and more informal working groups.

PAL welcomes all kinds of philosophical perspectives on literature and the arts, and on questions in aesthetics and literary theory. The inspiration to start PAL came from the "Working Group on Ordinary Language Philosophy and the Aesthetic" organized by Sarah Beckwith and Toril Moi, and funded by Duke's English Department from 2007 to 2009. PAL will continue to encourage exploration of ordinary language philosophy in the tradition after Wittgenstein, J. L. Austin and Stanley Cavell.

To see a summary of our first year, download a pdf of our Annual Report.

 

News

Cora Diamond and Jim Conant to PAL!

PAL is pleased to announce that two distinguished philosophers Cora Diamond (University of Virginia) and James Conant (University of Chicago) will come to Duke’s Center for Philosophy, Arts, and Literature some time in the academic year 2011/12. This is great news for PAL, and for the Duke community interested in the intersection between philosophy and literature and other arts. More information will be forthcoming on the PAL website in due time.

Events at Duke

The 2nd Annual PAL Young Scholars Workshop Part II

Writing is Thinking: Writing as a Way of Life in the Academy

Friday, April 8th
Perkins Library 217
10am - 12pm

A 2-part writing series and workshop sponsored by the Center for Philosophy, Arts and Literature (PAL), The Thompson Writing Program and the Graduate School at Duke University

This 2-part writing event and workshop in spring 2011 is designed to help graduate students and new PhDs in the humanities and social sciences with the perennial problems of crafting research topics and writing in a sustainable (and pleasurable!) manner. The two-part event and workshop is the 2nd annual PAL workshop for younger scholars. It will provide a unique opportunity for young scholars at Duke to develop their craft and to get inspiration for their future life of writing and thinking.

On Friday April 8, Dr. Joan Bolker, author of Writing Your Dissertation in 15 Minutes A Day will conduct the second session of this program, beginning with a talk that will be free and open to the public, followed by a workshop and individual conversations with the 15 students who participated in January. Those among the 15 who wish ongoing consultation may arrange to do that via email.

Dr. Bolker is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with writers. She has helped hundreds of doctoral students and many academic writers at other stages in their careers. She has taught writing at several colleges, cofounded the Harvard Writing Center and consulted to physicians and scientists writing at the MDAnderson Cancer Center.

See photos from PART I of The 2nd Annual PAL Young Scholars Worshop here.

Also, check out the March Graduate School Newsletter to read the text of Professor Toril Moi's "Writing as a Way of Life in the Academy" presentation from Part I.

 

Simone de Beauvoir Now: A Symposium to Mark the 25th Anniversary of Simone de Beauvoir's death

Co-sponsored by PAL and the Department of Women's Studies, Duke University

An All-Day Symposium
Friday September 23, 2011
Women's Studies Parlors, Duke University

Confirmed Speakers:
Emily Apter (French, New York University)
Stella Sandford (Philosophy, Kingston University, UK)
Ursula Tidd (French, University of Manchester, UK)
Linda Zerilli (Political Science and the Center for Gender Studies, University of Chicago)

Respondents:
Nancy Bauer (Philosophy, Tufts University)
Toril Moi (PAL; Literature, Duke University)

There will also be two graduate students/young scholars panels featuring exciting new voices speaking on Beauvoir

Other Events

Keep checking back for more information!

Also Check the Ordinary Language Philosophy and Literary Studies Blog!