Conference: Perspectives and Limits
of Dialogism in Mikhail Bakhtin
What forces blow me back to these shores I cannot say. Nearly five years ago the first conception of what has become my dissertation project was born – right here in the halls of the Aula Magna at Stockholm University! – during an international conference on community interpreting, Critical Link 4. Whoever could have imagined such a return, in which I will practice how to novelize an action research adventure?
- Leili and I talked of surfing;
- Michael said, “the technical term is heteroglossia“;
- and Lisa (all the way from Geneva!) says its just me on helium.
Beatrice, meanwhile, said she could talk freely around me because I’m not an academic! (Maybe she sees something behind me that is beyond the boundaries of my perception?!)
Ragnar clued me in (spontaneously!) to a guy, George Miller, who wrote a paper famous in psychology, The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two, about the capacity of working memory. Cognitive science was strongly influenced by informatics, Ragnar explained, and came about largely as a reaction to behaviorism. We commiserated together (just a wee bit) on the development of theories of language and mind based on pure calculation – all mystery removed. Johan then informed me that Ragnar is one of those rare guys who walks his talk, publishing a foundational piece of original research in Norwegian (not English): Language, Thought, and Communication.
a casualty in the quantum EEE backup
collapse and temporary psychic meltdown.
Trond carried on about Zizek, (The Matrix), and I met a faculty member and bunch of students from a Communication Disorders program somewhere in Arkansas. The most salient detail to remain in memory was their stiletto contest!
Today I’ll re-arrange the slides for tomorrow’s talk…