In lieu of an abstract, here is the beginning of the article… One of the most striking things about speculative literature of the twenty-first century has been its increasingly focussed interest in imagining impending disaster: from the escalating likelihood of biblical deluge on a planetary scale to looming ecocatastrophes of drought and…[Read more]

This article explores an emerging cluster of ecocatastrophe narratives that locate utopian possibility within the Earth’s sub-crustal lithosphere. Texts such as N. K. Jemisin’s “Broken Earth” trilogy (2015–2017), J. G. Ballard’s The Crystal World (1966), Lars von Trier’s film Melancholia (2011), Irene Solà’s Catalan novel When I Sing, Mountains…[Read more]

Forest conservation is a very important concept across the world. It is not only crucial for climate change but also very critical for the survival of humanity. In Africa, forests have always been an important aspect of nature that is regarded with uttermost reverence and
care. Importantly, discussions on health, healthcare, culture, economics…[Read more]

The introduction to a special issue of New Literary History titled “Culture, Theory, Data,” which explores the consequences of computation for cultural theory—and vice-versa.

The introduction begins by explaining how we came to a historical juncture where “culture” and “data” seem to be opposed terms. Then it offers some reasons for believing t…[Read more]

Essay on Daud Kamal’s Ghalib translations.

1. Gergen argues that situations which human beings didn’t understand or deal with appropriately would inflict painful lessons – providing a conditioning or predisposition for learning. “In the Darwinian sense, the ability to conceptualize has survival value. To be more specific, concepts are valuable tools in problem solving.” (p.23) “In ess…[Read more]

There is no doubt whatsoever that emotions are very important and highly significant in the processing of data and information, as well as in the day-to day functioning of the human being. Eric Klinger, whose expertise is in personality psychology and motivation theory, focuses on the influences of motivation and emotion on cognition. Klinger…[Read more]

Data plays an ever-expanding role in our daily lives: we collect personal data through smart watches, feed algorithms with clicks and shares, and platforms monetize our every move.
In this course, students will explore how data is collected, analyzed, and used, critique the systems of power that shape and are shaped by data practices, and…[Read more]