Room 345 Penn Museum

Faculty Respondents: Deborah Thomas (Anthropology) and Heather Love (English)

Erotic Isles: Queer Artistry and Activism in a Caribbean
Nation

Informed by seven years of ethnographic field research in
the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago— the southernmost independent nation in
the Caribbean region, named for the two largest islands in its archipelago—
this paper introduces a study of artistry and activism within Trinbagonian
same-sex desiring communities. Through an analysis of Carnival masquerade
design, Calypso musicianship, and HIV/AIDS prevention & care services, the
larger project of which this presentation forms a part proposes a
reinterpretation of the erotic as part of a life-sustaining subjectivity. It is
this “erotic subjectivity” that will be the primary focus of our conversation.

This event is cosponored by Anthropology, English, and The Center for Africana Studies

Please RSVP below to receive a copy of the paper and reserve a lunch.