Inaugural Meeting: The Story of Joy
“Joy,” writes Adam Potkay, “is the experience of reunion or fulfillment, of desire at least temporarily laid to rest. Joy is what we feel, and as self-reflective beings know we feel, in situations, real or imaginary, in which what was lost is found; what was missed restored; what constrained is lifted; what we desire arrives; or what arrives satisfies a desire we hadn’t known we’d had.” In his book, The Story of Joy, Potkay traces the cultural and linguistic history of the word “joy” from the Bible through the twentieth century, with special focus on joy in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature, art, and philosophy. Emerging from “the affective turn” in the humanities and social sciences, Potkay’s study raises important questions regarding the relationship between affects, emotions, and ethics; between religious and secular accounts of the subject/object dichotomy; and between the various ways that British and American writers use joy in specific social, historical, and aesthetic contexts. This inaugural symposium aims to investigate joy through discussion of Potkay’s book as well as participants’ own experiences of joy—in texts, in the classroom, and in life. Some questions we will consider: How does joy figure in the affective turn? What is the relationship between joy and transcendence? How does joy relate to ethics? What role does ideology play in theories of joy? What distinctions can we draw between joy, love, happiness, and ecstasy? How do British and American writers approach joy in different ways? How can such attention to joy help us teach texts in the classroom?
This symposium is divided into two parts. Part 1 is a roundtable workshop on joy and shared primary readings. The discussion will be based on Potkay’s book and participants’ response papers. Part 2 consists of two presentations of works-in-progress by Keya Kraft and Samantha Webb. There will be time for questions and discussion after each presentation, which will allow us to think about ideas outside of the context of joy. One overarching goal of the symposium is to forge professional relationships for future collaboration, correspondence, and workshops; it is my hope that we can all make such connections in both parts of the symposium.
“Joy,” writes Adam Potkay, “is the experience of reunion or fulfillment, of desire at least temporarily laid to rest. Joy is what we feel, and as self-reflective beings know we feel, in situations, real or imaginary, in which what was lost is found; what was missed restored; what constrained is lifted; what we desire arrives; or what arrives satisfies a desire we hadn’t known we’d had.” In his book, The Story of Joy, Potkay traces the cultural and linguistic history of the word “joy” from the Bible through the twentieth century, with special focus on joy in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature, art, and philosophy. Emerging from “the affective turn” in the humanities and social sciences, Potkay’s study raises important questions regarding the relationship between affects, emotions, and ethics; between religious and secular accounts of the subject/object dichotomy; and between the various ways that British and American writers use joy in specific social, historical, and aesthetic contexts. This inaugural symposium aims to investigate joy through discussion of Potkay’s book as well as participants’ own experiences of joy—in texts, in the classroom, and in life. Some questions we will consider: How does joy figure in the affective turn? What is the relationship between joy and transcendence? How does joy relate to ethics? What role does ideology play in theories of joy? What distinctions can we draw between joy, love, happiness, and ecstasy? How do British and American writers approach joy in different ways? How can such attention to joy help us teach texts in the classroom?
This symposium is divided into two parts. Part 1 is a roundtable workshop on joy and shared primary readings. The discussion will be based on Potkay’s book and participants’ response papers. Part 2 consists of two presentations of works-in-progress by Keya Kraft and Samantha Webb. There will be time for questions and discussion after each presentation, which will allow us to think about ideas outside of the context of joy. One overarching goal of the symposium is to forge professional relationships for future collaboration, correspondence, and workshops; it is my hope that we can all make such connections in both parts of the symposium.