Multimodal Litmods
Several Literatures of Modernity M.A. students participated in the double feature 鈥淔lorine Stettheimer鈥檚 Multimodal Modernism,鈥� which consisted of a Symposium at the Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre, Ryerson (November 16) and 鈥淎 Soir茅e Of Performance鈥� at The Art Gallery of Ontario (November 23). The events showcased the culminating projects for the interdisciplinary course CC8992: Florine Stettheimer鈥檚 New York Salon. Taught by Department of English Professor Irene Gammel, the course engaged the students with the exhibition Florine Stettheimer: Painting Poetry on view at the AGO.
During the Symposium, scholarly papers were delivered by LitMod students Zach McCann-Armitage (鈥淎ffectionately: Duchamp鈥檚 Letters to the Stettheimer Sisters鈥�); Adriana Monachino (鈥淭he Domestic Feminism of Carrie鈥檚 Dollhouse鈥�); and Emily Fleming (鈥淭he Rat and the Zoo: Stettheimer鈥檚 Dadaist Impulses in Poetry鈥�). The following week, the LitMods (alongside fellow Ryerson and York students from Communication and Culture, Fashion, and Environmental Studies) immersed themselves in the public exhibition space at the AGO, participating in presentations and performances in front of Stettheimer鈥檚 paintings. Hadia Kahn premiered her video 鈥淢obilizing Stettheimer鈥檚 Poems into Pictures鈥� while Soraya Gallant served as a docent on her personalized tour 鈥淩eading Bodies, Reading Styles in Stettheimer鈥檚 Paintings.鈥� Additionally, Hayley Horvath scripted and performed (with Bernadette Horvath) the dialogue 鈥淒uchamp Visits 鈥� Based on Ettie Stettheimer鈥檚 Love Days,鈥� and Emily Fleming recited a series of her own poems, 鈥淓kphrastic Poems (Inspired by Florine Stettheimer).鈥�
鈥淢ultimodal Modernism鈥� illuminated the work of Stettheimer, to be sure, but it also highlighted the intellectual and artistic talents of our students and the rewards of collaboration. As Hayley reflects, 鈥淓veryone in the class was kind and their enthusiasm made me feel part of a larger organism and push myself beyond what would have been merely comfortable. I was so impressed and intrigued by everyone's different facets which I doubt I would have learned of otherwise.鈥� Emily (pictured above, photo by Adriana) concurs: 鈥淭he event itself was both nerve-wracking and exciting. The nerves came mostly from my admiration of Stettheimer; I wanted to live up to her work, and try to write poetry that paid homage rather than parodying. The bulk of the excitement came from my classmates, who are such a creative, insightful bunch. I couldn鈥檛 wait to see what they came up with. The mix of specialties made for a really varied event, and the students who worked on the curation of the event put in so much work to make sure that the items worked well and logically in sequence.鈥� The success of the evening is summed up by Emily: 鈥淲hat a rush.鈥�