Susanna Paasonen is Professor of Media Studies at University of Turku, Finland. Her scholarship includes Figures of Fantasy: Internet, Women, and Cyberdiscourse and the newly released Carnal Resonance: Affect and Online Pornography.Recently I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
Currently, I'm reading Steven Shaviro's new book, Post-Cinematic Affect that has so far been an interesting exploration in contemporary moving image culture from the perspective of affect. Compared to a few years ago, there starts to be quite a range of literature on affect and media, and I'm starting to feel quite spoiled. I recently finished Kathleen Stewart's Ordinary Affects that I had earlier skimmed through and decided to really read. It's beautifully written,bit like Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's A Dialogue on Love in its blending of the mundane with the conceptual. The style of writing does feel a bit convoluted at places but then again, so does probably mine.
For teaching, I've been reading essays by Herbert Marcuse and Theodor Adorno on mass culture. Student reactions to these vary but there's something quite remarkable about these, especially when considered in historical context.
To unwind, I'm reading my way through the Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol. I've always loved Daniil Kharms and it took my years to figure out more of the tradition of the absurd in Russian literature. Strongly recommended.
Learn more about Carnal Resonance: Affect and Online Pornography at the MIT Press website.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
