Remnants of Resistance: Queering the Page and the Nature of Disruption

November 17, 2023

As part of the One Institute's Circa Queer Histories Festival, CSUN's University Library and Queer Studies Program have partnered to produce a limited podcast series called Remnants of Resistance. Episodes will be hosted by Queer Studies faculty, and will delve into the unique and hidden stories in queer history contained within the Vern and Bonnie Bullough Collection on Sex and Gender and beyond.

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About the Episode

The notion of “Queering the page” transcends topics of gender and sexuality to include instances of hegemonic or heteronormative disruption that push back against dominant ideologies of power. This episode begins with an analysis of two legal documents, an Affidavit from the Free Status Affidavits Collection and a Summons from the Legal and Financial Documents on Slaves and Slavery in the United States Collection, especially how the first of these two documents queers kinship to secure agency for an otherwise marginalized body. Episode hosts reflect on what it means to challenge the praxis of historical record keeping through student-created restorative metadata that heightens the visibility of identities relegated to commodities through legalese. That discussion is followed by interviews with distinguished colleagues Lauren Byler, Nicole Solis, and Leilani Hall, who speak about their formative experiences with queer theory, how it impacts their own work in "queering the page," and how they define disruption that destabilizes oppressive systems and conventions.

About the Hosts

Jennifer Sams is a graduate student pursuing her MA in literature at the California State University of Northridge, where she received her BA in the English Subject Matter Program. Her current area of emphasis is contemporary Gothic American literature and pop culture. She aspires to become a professor of literature, delve further into archival studies, and pursue a Ph.D. in the field as she furthers her academic career.

Danielle Spratt (she/her) is a professor of English and the Director of The Office of Community Engagement at CSUN. Her research includes eighteenth-century literature, the history of medicine and science, and public humanities and archival justice.