The Conference Circuit

I haven’t talk about it much, but the trip to New England was exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries, academic and otherwise. It was wonderful to see family and friends, to be able to back and visit some of my very favorite people at Smith, and of course to present my porn paper at the PCA conference. I only got the chance to attend two panels - the first one, on fatness in the U.S. and abroad, and mine, on “gender, sexuality and embodied identities” as the panel title called it. The papers were, for the most part, all fantastic, and I really enjoyed answering the questions I got and the discussion that happened after the panels.

I needed the recharge, I think, because the Friday after I got back - the very next Friday, a week after I presented at the PCA - I went with a group of other grad students to present at the Pacific Southwest Women’s Studies Association’s conference in Los Angeles. Different paper, still a fantastic experience… it was wonderful to be able to present on a panel of my peers, people I work with and see every day, and the discussion during and after the Q&A session was, as always, a highlight. I think what amazed me at both of these conferences were just the sheer number of questions, especially at PSWSA where we had a pretty sizeable audience, but where I was also positive nobody was interested in fat/fat studies/fat lib. But they were! And they had great questions! Which did tend to put me in a tight spot, especially when I had to confess that, no, I had never even considered that, but your idea has totally just inspired me and thank you for being here. Except I think I may have been slightly wordier.

There were a few amusing pictures, but the one that pretty much summarizes the atmosphere of the day? Of the SDSU Women’s Studies contingent? Is this one: