The DKU Humanities Research Center is pleased to share that Dr. Ben Van Overmeire, a professor in the Division of Humanities, has recently published an article in the Journal of Chinese Philosophy titled “Enlightenment in the Dark Forest: Chan/Zen in Cixin Liu’s Three-Body Trilogy.”

Dr. Van Overmeire explores the Chan/Zen Buddhist elements woven into author Cixin Liu’s acclaimed science fiction trilogy, exploring how these philosophies shape the moral and political landscape of the works. His publication brings a fresh perspective to Liu’s literature, showing how “science” fiction also is deeply influenced by religious ideas.

Read the full article here: https://brill.com/view/journals/jcph/51/2-3/article-p137_5.xml  

Congratulations to Dr. Van Overmeire on this outstanding contribution to the field!

We are pleased to announce that Yue Qiu, a former research assistant at the Freedom Lab, has recently made significant contributions to the field of slavery studies. Her DKU signature work thesis, supervised by Titas Chakraborty, has been published in Slavery and Abolition, a leading journal in the field. The thesis, titled “‘Where Liberty is Not, There is My Country’: Nineteenth-Century American Abolitionist Writings on India and its Legacies,” can be accessed here: ‘Where Liberty is Not, There is My Country’: Nineteenth-Century American Abolitionist Writings on India and its Legacies: Slavery & Abolition: Vol 0, No 0 – Get Access (tandfonline.com)

Additionally, earlier this year, Yue Qiu published an article in the C.L.R. James Journal, which was developed from her work with the Humanities Research Center (HRC). The article, “A Forgotten Revolutionary Solidarity: The Echoes of the Haitian Revolution in China,” is now available in print and highlights the significant historical connections between the Haitian Revolution and China. You can read it here: A Forgotten Revolutionary Solidarity: The Echoes of the Haitian Revolution in China – Yue Qiu – The CLR James Journal (Philosophy Documentation Center) (pdcnet.org).

Yue majored in Cultures and Movements-History during her undergraduate years at DKU, and she studied Indian languages intensively through the American Institute of Indian Studies. She is now a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she is researching the intellectual connections between India, East Pakistan (Bangladesh), and China during the era of decolonization. She spent the past summer researching in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Yue Qiu for these impressive achievements. Her groundbreaking research not only enriches our understanding of historical connections between diverse regions but also underscores the profound impact of her work with both the Freedom Lab and the Humanities Research Center. We look forward to seeing more of her contributions to the field and are proud to have supported her journey.

We are thrilled to celebrate the recent publications of Prof. Stephanie R. Anderson:

• Post45: Daisy Aldan and Women Midcentury Small Press Publishers – This insightful article explores the contributions of women publishers in the mid-century small press movement.
• Textual Practice: Poetic transcribbling: Ted Berrigan & Harris Schiff’s Yo-Yo’s with Money and Beaned in Boston: Textual Practice: Vol 38 , No 6 – Get Access (tandfonline.com) – Prof. Anderson’s latest work in this esteemed journal offers a deep dive into textual practices.

Additionally, Prof. Anderson’s non-fiction piece is featured in the newest issue of Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts. Although the issue is not yet listed on their website, a physical copy is available for those interested in her compelling contribution.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Anderson for these significant achievements and her continued impact in the field.

Congratulations to Travis Wilkerson on His Peer-Reviewed Publication, UnDo Fellowship, and Global Film Success

Travis Wilkerson, Associate Professor, has recently achieved significant milestones in his career. His videographic essay, “Full Metal Kuleshov Effect: On ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ ‘79 Springtimes,’ and ‘The Little Girl of Hanoi,’” has been published in Volume 14.1 of Screen Works in 2024, a prestigious peer-reviewed journal dedicated to screen media research.

Additionally, Wilkerson has been awarded the UnDo Fellowship with UnionDocs: A Center for Documentary Art, where he will collaborate with renowned Brazilian film critic and programmer, Victor Guimarães, to explore radical filmmaking practices and new languages of documentary cinema.

Wilkerson’s creative work, “Through the Graves the Wind is Blowing,” which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in the Encounters competition, continues to receive international acclaim. The film has been featured in several major festivals and has garnered notable press coverage, further establishing Wilkerson’s reputation in the global film scene.

Notable screenings and festivals for “Through the Graves the Wind is Blowing” include:

• World Premiere – Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) – Encounters Competition
• Feature Film Jury Mention – Festival International de Cine las Palmas de Gran Canary
• Aricadoc – Festival Nacional de Cine Documental, Chile
• Beldocs Echo Festival Tour – 20+ cities and towns, Serbia (August 2024 to March 2025)
• DocLisboa, Portugal
• Festival du nouveau cinéma de Montréal, Canada
• FICUNAM, Mexico
• Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea
• São Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil
• Viennale, the Vienna International Film Festival, Austria
• Vilnius Documentary Film Festival, Lithuania

In addition to his film’s success, Wilkerson’s work has been highlighted in several prestigious publications, including Film Comment, Desist Film, The Film Stage, Variety, and The New York Times.

Wilkerson’s continued contributions to both academic and creative fields underscore his dynamic influence on contemporary cinema and documentary practices. We extend our heartfelt congratulations on these remarkable achievements!

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Gürol Baba, Jay Winter, “The Wilsonian Moment at Lausanne, 1922–1923”, Journal of Modern European History, 2022, Vol. 20(4) 536–553

Using Turkish, British, French, and Australian archival records, this article examined the background and diplomatic strategies of the Turkish delegation at the Treaty of Lausanne and its selective understanding of self-determination, excluding non-Turkic and non-Muslim people in Anatolia from the ‘self’ that has the right to determine its national existence. It also explored the reasons why the Allies acknowledged this exclusion in the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. The article borrowed from Erez Manela’s interpretation of the ‘Wilsonian moment’ to frame these diplomatic and political developments and to show how and why the democratic intent of Wilson’s idea of self-determination vanished in the framing of the Peace Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. (more…)

Congratulations to Selina Lai-Henderson’s new publication! “Langston Hughes and the Shanghai Jazz Scene.” Langston Hughes in Context, ed. Vera Kutzinski and Anthony Reed. Cambridge University Press, 2022.

Here’s the link to the book.

Biography

Selina Lai-Henderson is an Assistant Professor of American Literature and History at Duke Kunshan University. Her research and teaching are at the heart of transnational American Studies and literary history. Her major intellectual theme revolves around locating works of American literature in twentieth-century China and in translation. She is the author of Mark Twain in China (Stanford UP, 2015), and have published in PMLA (forthcoming, 2023) and MELUS, among other places. She is currently Chair of the International Committee at the American Studies Association, and co-directs Freedom Lab at the Humanities Research Center at DKU. She is on the Editorial Board of Global Nineteenth Century Studies, and I am a Senior Associate Managing Editor of the Journal of Transnational American Studies.