Failing to See: A Meditation on Ethnography with Todd Lawrence

Portrait of David Todd Lawrence. he is wearing a purple button down shirt and glasses. he has dreadlocks and a beard.

February 9, 2023

3:00PM - 4:30PM

18th Avenue Library 3rd Floor (Colloquial Space)

Add to Calendar 2023-02-09 16:00:00 2023-02-09 17:30:00 Failing to See: A Meditation on Ethnography with Todd Lawrence Join us for a lecture by David Todd Lawrence, English professor at the University of St. Thomas. In this presentation, Lawrence will explore and consider the possibilities of an unsettled and decolonized ethnography – one that surrenders rather than conquers, that opens up to rather than comprehends, that fails rather than succeeds. David Todd Lawrence teaches African American literature and expressive culture, folklore studies, and cultural studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. An ethnographer, folklorist, and literary scholar – his work sits at the intersection of identity, narrative, community, and culture. Dr. Lawrence is also co-creator of the George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art Database and co-director of the Urban Art Mapping research project. Recent work includes a chapter on police incident videos, social media, and black counter-narratives. He is co-author of When They Blew the Levee – an ethnographic study done in collaboration with former residents of Pinhook, Missouri, an African American town destroyed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally breached the Birds Point levee during the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011. This book, co-authored with Elaine Lawless, focuses on the persistence of community in the face of disaster and counter narratives of environmental and social justice. It was the winner of the 2019 Chicago Folklore Prize. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Center for Folklore Studies, with support from the Center for the Study of Religion. Register for the zoom option here: https://osu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kfu2hqjMsH9wiuKtXzLkFZzvXUWA2fWGd The Humanities Institute and its related centers host a wide range of events, from intense discussions of works in progress to cutting-edge presentations from world-known scholars, artists, and activists, and everything in between. In our current moment of riding the unpredictable currents of the pandemic, we reaffirm the value of in-person engagement. We strive to amplify the energy in the room. But we also recognize the need to be careful and the fact that not all our guests will be able to visit our space. We, therefore, will continue to offer Zoom access to all our events upon request. If you wish to have such access, please send your request to cfs@osu.edu. 18th Avenue Library 3rd Floor (Colloquial Space) OSU ASC Drupal 8 ascwebservices@osu.edu America/New_York public

Add to Calendar 2023-02-09 15:00:00 2023-02-09 16:30:00 Failing to See: A Meditation on Ethnography with Todd Lawrence Join us for a lecture by David Todd Lawrence, English professor at the University of St. Thomas.  In this presentation, Lawrence will explore and consider the possibilities of an unsettled and decolonized ethnography – one that surrenders rather than conquers, that opens up to rather than comprehends, that fails rather than succeeds. David Todd Lawrence teaches African American literature and expressive culture, folklore studies, and cultural studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. An ethnographer, folklorist, and literary scholar – his work sits at the intersection of identity, narrative, community, and culture. Dr. Lawrence is also co-creator of the George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art Database and co-director of the Urban Art Mapping research project. Recent work includes a chapter on police incident videos, social media, and black counter-narratives. He is co-author of When They Blew the Levee – an ethnographic study done in collaboration with former residents of Pinhook, Missouri, an African American town destroyed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally breached the Birds Point levee during the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011. This book, co-authored with Elaine Lawless, focuses on the persistence of community in the face of disaster and counter narratives of environmental and social justice. It was the winner of the 2019 Chicago Folklore Prize. This event is free and open to the public.  Sponsored by the Center for Folklore Studies, with support from the Center for the Study of Religion.  Register for the zoom option here: https://osu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kfu2hqjMsH9wiuKtXzLkFZzvXUWA2fWGd The Humanities Institute and its related centers host a wide range of events, from intense discussions of works in progress to cutting-edge presentations from world-known scholars, artists, and activists, and everything in between. In our current moment of riding the unpredictable currents of the pandemic, we reaffirm the value of in-person engagement. We strive to amplify the energy in the room. But we also recognize the need to be careful and the fact that not all our guests will be able to visit our space. We, therefore, will continue to offer Zoom access to all our events upon request. If you wish to have such access, please send your request to cfs@osu.edu. 18th Avenue Library 3rd Floor (Colloquial Space) Center for Folklore Studies cfs@osu.edu America/New_York public

Join us for a lecture by David Todd Lawrence, English professor at the University of St. Thomas. In this presentation, Lawrence will explore and consider the possibilities of an unsettled and decolonized ethnography – one that surrenders rather than conquers, that opens up to rather than comprehends, that fails rather than succeeds.

David Todd Lawrence teaches African American literature and expressive culture, folklore studies, and cultural studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. An ethnographer, folklorist, and literary scholar – his work sits at the intersection of identity, narrative, community, and culture. Dr. Lawrence is also co-creator of the George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art Database and co-director of the Urban Art Mapping research project.

Recent work includes a chapter on police incident videos, social media, and black counter-narratives. He is co-author of When They Blew the Levee – an ethnographic study done in collaboration with former residents of Pinhook, Missouri, an African American town destroyed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally breached the Birds Point levee during the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011. This book, co-authored with Elaine Lawless, focuses on the persistence of community in the face of disaster and counter narratives of environmental and social justice. It was the winner of the 2019 Chicago Folklore Prize.

This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Center for Folklore Studies, with support from the Center for the Study of Religion.

The Humanities Institute and its related centers host a wide range of events, from intense discussions of works in progress to cutting-edge presentations from world-known scholars, artists, and activists, and everything in between.

In our current moment of riding the unpredictable currents of the pandemic, we reaffirm the value of in-person engagement. We strive to amplify the energy in the room. But we also recognize the need to be careful and the fact that not all our guests will be able to visit our space. We, therefore, will continue to offer Zoom access to all our events upon request. If you wish to have such access, please send your request to cfs@osu.edu.