Jesse Cohn -- Vita

Jesse S. Cohn

Associate Professor of English

Purdue University North Central

1401 S. U.S. Hwy. 421

Westville, IN 46391

(219) 785-5328

jessecohn@verizon.net

jcohn@pnc.edu

www.oocities.org/jesse_cohn.geo

EDUCATION

Ph.D English, Binghamton University, 1999

M.A. English/Concentration in Creative Writing, Binghamton University, 1996

B.A. English (Honors)/Philosophy Minor, Earlham College, 1994.

DISSERTATION

"'I Have Set My Affair On Nothing': Literary Theory, Fiction, and the Politics of Antirepresentation." The dissertation demonstrates how both postmodern literary theory and contemporary American fiction engage in an "antirepresentational" politics, and argues for a reevaluation of the meaning of radical critiques of representation in novels by Paul Auster, Jane Smiley, and Tim O'Brien. Committee: Dr. Susan Strehle (Director), Dr. William Spanos, Dr. Lennard Davis, Dr. Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit (Dept. of Comparative Literature)

FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION

Political Literary Theory (Dr. David Bartine, examiner: May 1998)

Postmodern Fiction (Dr. Susan Strehle, examiner: March 1998)

English and German Romantic Theory (Dr. Frederick Garber, examiner: January 1998)

MASTER'S THESIS

Harmony Landscape. A verse narrative about the breakdown of an obsessive young engineering student, with imagery drawn from Indian philosophy and the computer science of neural networks (49 pp). Readers: Dr. Liz Rosenberg (Dept. of English), Dr. Frederick Garber (Dept. of Comparative Literature).

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Purdue University North Central, Westville, Indiana (Fall 2000-present)

English Composition I (ENGL 101)

English Composition II (ENGL 102)

The Nature of Literary Studies (ENGL 201)

Intro to Poetry (ENGL 237)

Introduction to Fiction (ENGL 238)

World Literature After 1700 (ENGL 267)

American Humor (ENGL 356)

Science Fiction and Fantasy (ENGL 373)

The Movies (ENGL 376/278)

Short Story (ENGL 379)

Studies in Literature & Language: The Graphic Novel (ENGL 396B)

Issues in Criticism and Theory (ENGL 469)

Capstone (ENGL 495)

Psychoanalysis and Popular Culture (ENGL 590)

Anarchism and Spatial Theory (ENGL 590)

Fontbonne College, St. Louis, Missouri (Fall 1999-Spring 2000)

Rhetoric I (RHET 101)

Rhetoric II (RHET 102)

Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York (Fall 1995-Spring 1998)

Utopian Fictions: From Paradise to Nowhere (ENG 114)

Science Fiction and the Slipstream (ENG 114)

Fundamentals of Creative Writing (CW 250)

Shakespeare (ENG 245)

Composition (RHET 102) (tutor)

TEACHING INTERESTS

Literary Theory
Anarchist Studies
Popular Genres (Science Fiction, Film, Graphic Narrative)
Contemporary American Fiction

PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS

Anarchism and the Crisis of Representation: Hermeneutics, Aesthetics, Politics. Selinsgrove, PA: Susquehanna University Press, 2006.

BOOK CHAPTERS

"'The Logic of Things': Meaning and Immanence in Proudhon’s De la Justice." Abstract accepted for proposed Proudhon bicentennial volume, ed. Alex Prichard (forthcoming).

"Mise en page: A Vocabulary for Page Layout." Approaches to Teaching the Graphic Novel. Ed. Stephen Tabachnik. New York: Modern Language Association (forthcoming 2009).

"What is Anarchist Cultural Studies? Precursors, Problems, and Prospects." New Perspectives on Anarchism. Ed. Nathan Jun & Shane Wahl. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009. 368-388.

"Anarchism, Representation, and Culture." Culture and the State, Vol. 4: Alternative Interventions. Ed. James Gifford and Gabrielle Zezulka-Mailloux. Edmonton, Canada: CRC Humanities Studio, 2003. 54-63. [Republished in NeMe, Jan 15, 2006.]

JOURNAL ARTICLES

"'I Revive, Renew, and Re-establish': Mimetic Catastrophe In Ben Katchor's The Jew of New York." Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction (forthcoming).

"Atwood's 'Uncles.'" The Explicator 66.3 (2008): 137-139.

"Breaking the Frame: Anarchist Comics and Visual Culture." Belphégor: Littérature Populaire et Culture Médiatique 6.2 (June 2007).

"What Is Anarchist Literary Theory?" Anarchist Studies 15.2 (2007): 115-131.

"Believing in the Disease: Virologies and Memetics as Models of Power Relations in Contemporary Science Fiction." Culture Machine 3 (March 26, 2001).

"William Blake's 'The Mental Traveller.'" The Explicator 58.3 (Spring 2000): 130-133.

"An Exemplary Failure: Pat Murphy's The City, Not Long After and the dilemmas of anarchist utopian fiction." Anarchist Studies 7.2 (1999): 119-125.

BOOK REVIEWS

Invited review of Robert M. Philmus, Visions and Re-Visions: (Re)constructing Science Fiction. Utopian Studies 18.1 (2007): 105-10.

"Imaginary Anarchisms." Review of Benedict Anderson, Under Three Flags: Anarchism and the Anti-Colonial Imagination. Radical Philosophy 143 (May/June 2007): 59-60.

Invited review of A Brighter Morn: The Shelley Circle's Utopian Project, ed. Darby Lewes. Utopian Studies 15.1 (2004): 131-133.

"What is 'Postanarchism' Post?" Review of Saul Newman, From Bakunin to Lacan: Anti-Authoritarianism and the Dislocation of Power. Postmodern Culture 13.1 (Sept. 2002).

TRANSLATIONS

"Four Conceptions of the Page." Translation of chapter from Benoît Peeters, Case, planche, récit: lire la bande dessinée, with commentary. ImageText: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies 3.3 (2007).

CONTRIBUTIONS TO REFERENCE WORKS

Entries on "Anarchism," "Anarchism and Culture: 1840-1939," "Anarchism and Gender," "Anarchism in Brazil," "Anarchism in Germany," "Anarchism in India," "Anarcho-Communism," "Anarcho-Syndicalism," "Augustin Souchy," "Erich Mühsam," "French Syndicalism," "Gustav Landauer," "Plotino Constantino Rhodakanaty," and "Senna Hoy." International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500-Present. Ed. Immanuel Ness. Oxford: Blackwell (forthcoming Mar. 2009).

With Abraham DeLeon: "Anarchism and Education." International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500-Present. Ed. Immanuel Ness. Oxford: Blackwell (forthcoming Mar. 2009).

With Gabriel Kuhn: "Anarchism in the United States: 1946-Present." International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500-Present. Ed. Immanuel Ness. Oxford: Blackwell (forthcoming Mar. 2009).

"Essentialism." Women and Society Encyclopedic Dictionary. Jan. 22, 2004.

"Jane Smiley." Contemporary American Women Fiction Writers: An A-to-Z Guide, eds. Rhonda Austin and Laurie Champion. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2002. 338-343.

CREATIVE WORK

"Translator's Commentary." Introduction to translation, with Gabriel Kuhn, of Gustav Landauer's "Anarchic Thoughts On Anarchism." Perspectives On Anarchist Theory 6 (Fall 2007): 84-91.

"The End of Communication? The End of Representation?" Fifth Estate 376 (October 2007): 40-42.

"Anarchism and Essentialism." Anarchism: A Documentary History, Vol. 3: The Anarchist Current (1974-2006). Ed. Robert Graham. Montréal: Black Rose Books, 2009.

"Anarþist Bir Öðretmen Nasýl Öðretir [trans. of 'Anarchist in the Hierarchical Classroom: On the Difficulty of Conversations.'] Siyahî 2.8 (Fall 2006) 106-107.

With Lewis Call, Karén Karapetyan, Todd May, Stevphen Shukaitis, and Simon Tormey: "Nietzsche ve Anarşizm Soruşturması [trans. of 'Some Remarks on Nietzsche and Anarchism']." Siyahî 2.7 (Spring 2006): 8-25.

"The Yiddish Anarchist Press in Israel." Translation of Moshe Goncharok, "La Stampa Anarchica Yiddish In Israele." R.A. Forum. 2005.

"The Anarchists, Zionism, and the Birth of the State of Israel." Translation of Sylvain Boulouque, "Les anarchistes, le sionisme et la naissance de l'Etat d'Israël." Social Anarchism 35 (2003-2004): 15-31.

With Shawn P. Wilbur: "What's Wrong With Postanarchism?" Theory and Politics (Aug. 31, 2003).

"American Nihilism in American Beauty." The Ampersand (June 2001).

PRESENTATIONS

"'The Logic of Things': Meaning and Immanence in Proudhon's De la Justice." Panel on "The Continuing Relevance of Proudhon." First Anarchist Studies Network Conference, Loughborough University, UK, Sept. 4, 2008.

"An Exchange With Proudhon." Indiana Political Science Association (Purdue North Central, March 28, 2008).

"Interpretation and the Proudhonian Series." Aesthetics and Radical Politics Conference (Manchester, UK, Feb. 3, 2007).

"Strange Destinies: Proudhonian Aesthetics in Spain, 1885-1939." Panel on "Demanding the Impossible: Anarchism in Hispanic Literature and Film" at Modern Language Association Convention (Philadelphia, PA, Dec. 27-30, 2006).

"What Is Anarchist Literary Theory?" Panel on "The Politics of Literary Criticism" at MMLA Conference (Chicago, IL, Nov. 9-12, 2006).

"Anarchism in the Zionist Landscape." Panel on Hebrew Literature at Modern Language Association Convention (Philadelphia, PA, Dec. 27-30, 2004).

"Kafka's Anarchist Modernism and the Question of Representation." Panel on "Modernism's Other Politics" at Modernist Studies Association Conference (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Oct. 21-24, 2004).

Chaired panel on "Anarchism and Literature" at Midwest Modern Language Association Conference (St. Louis, MO, Nov. 4-7, 2004).

Invited presentation: "Le mouvement anarchiste aux États-Unis: la pensée libertaire anglosaxonne et la présence du mouvement dans les courants altermondialistes" at Symposium on Anarchist Theory (Lyon, France, May 22-23, 2004).

"Other Than Isms: A Different Approach to 'Theory' in the 'Literary Studies' Course." Panel on "Introduction to Literary Studies: New Ideas, New Pedagogy," Northeastern Modern Language Association (Pittsburgh, PA, Mar. 3-7, 2004).

"Anarchism, Representation, and Culture." Panel on "Anarchism and Culture," Culture and the State Conference (Edmonton, Alberta, May 2-5, 2003).

"Closing the Circuit: Commodity Solipsism in Late Nineties Film." Panel on "Contemporary Film and Film Theory," Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association Convention (Scottsdale, AZ, Oct. 7-9, 2002).

"Heterotopia: Anarchist Utopianism." Apocalypse, Millenium, New Boundaries Conference (Binghamton, NY, Spring 1997).

"The Trope of the Virus: Science Fiction Reconceives Power." International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts 16 (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Spring 1995)

SERVICE

Chair, Retention and Recruitment Committee, Fall 2003-Spring 2005 and Fall 2008-present.

Associate Editor, The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest, 1500-Present (forthcoming from Blackwell, 2009)

Member, Constitution Day Committee, Spring 2007-present

Member, Editorial Board, Affinities: A Journal of Radical Theory, Culture, and Action, Spring 2006-present

Member, Housing Advisory Committee, Spring 2005-present

Member, Composition Committee, Spring 2006

Advisor, The Spectator (student newspaper), Fall 2005

Alternate, Campus Appeals Board, Fall 2004-present

Member, Student Affairs Committee, Spring 2006-present

Secretary, Student Affairs Committee, Fall 2004-Fall 2005

Advisor, English Club, Fall 2003-present

Member, Commencement Committee, Spring 2002-Spring 2004

Member, Chair Search Committee, Spring 2003-Summer 2006

Member, Literature Position Search Committee, Spring 2003-Spring 2004

Member, English Dept. Curriculum and Assessment Committee, Fall 2001-Spring 2003, Fall 2005-present

Member, English Dept. Retention and Recruitment Committee, Fall 2001-Spring 2002

Member, 35^th Anniversary Celebration Committee, Fall 2001-Spring 2002

Tabulated results of Chair Evaluation (Letters and Languages Section), Spring 2001

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ACTIVITIES

Presented "A Very Brief World History of Anarchism" at panel on "Demystifying Anarchism" (Purdue University, January 30, 2008).

Conducted two workshop sessions ("A Brief Introduction to Anarchism" and "The Jewish Anarchist Tradition") at the Finding Our Roots Conference, Loyola University, Chicago, April 28-29, 2007

Hosted discussion of George Saunders, CivilWarLand In Bad Decline, Portage Public Library, April 27, 2006

Co-organizer, South Shore Film Festival, PNC, February 23, 2006

Presentation "On Women as Seers," South Shore Film Festival, PNC, February 23, 2006

Presentation on "A Brief Philosophical Introduction to Anarchism" for The Forum (student philosophy club), PNC, Sept. 15, 2005

Presentation on "Graphic Novels as the Ninth Art: France and America" for Provence series, PNC, July 13, 2005

Presentation on Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried for "Books and Coffee" series, Apr. 15, 2005

Presentation on "Peace and Freedom" for Post-Bar Mitzvah students, Temple Israel, Valparaiso, Jan. 9, 2005

Member, Valparaiso Reads A Book Planning Committee, Fall 2004-Spring 2005

Editor/contributor to Them's Fightin' Words! (English Dept. newsletter), Spring 2002-present

Speaker at "Forum on the War," PNC campus, April 2, 2003

Presented on "'Genetic' Determinism or 'Quantum' Indeterminacy?: Seeking an Exit from the Crisis of Representation" at Faculty Research Forum, February 20, 2003

Participated in Orientation booth for English Dept., 2002-present

Presented on "Heinrich Heine as a Jewish Writer," Temple Israel, Valparaiso, May 11, 2002

Presented on "Anarchy in Yiddish: Famous Jewish Anarchists From Emma Goldman to Noam Chomsky," Temple Israel, Valparaiso, April 6, 2002

Presented on The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer, for "Books and Coffee" series, January 30, 2002

Created, publicized, and presented a science fiction film series, "Simulated Selves, Virtual Worlds," at PNC campus and Valparaiso Academic Center, open to public, featuring well-attended post-screening discussions; interviewed on WYIN-56 TV, "Eye On the Arts," Fall 2001

Presented on Don DeLillo's Valparaiso: A Play for the "Books and Coffee" series, featuring live reading of scenes from the play with students, February 20, 2001

CURRENT PROJECTS

Completing two book proposals: a.) a collection of essays, Underground Passages: Anarchism and Resistance Culture, and b.) a new textbook for sequential art studies.

Researching and writing a contribution, "Sex and the Anarchist Unconscious," for special issue of Sexualities: Studies in Culture and Society.

Continuing work (undertaken on sabbatical, Fall 2007) on a translation of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's De la Justice.

Negotiating publication rights for my translation of Daniel Colson’s Petit lexique philosophique de l’anarchisme de Proudhon à Deleuze (Livre de Poche, 2001).

MEMBERSHIPS

Modern Language Association

Anarchist Studies Network

RECOMMENDATIONS

Dr. Silvia Dapia, Professor of Foreign Languages & Literature, Department of English and Modern Languages, Purdue University North Central

Dr. Michael Moon, Professor of English, Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts, Emory University

Dr. Thomas Young, Associate Professor of English, School of Liberal Arts, Georgia Gwinnett College

CREDENTIALS

Complete dossier, including teaching portfolio, available on request. Some teaching portfolio materials also available online at www.oocities.org/jesse_cohn.geo/portfolio.html .

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