Since its beginning in 2009, the Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series has engendered conversations about ideas among members of the Arts and Humanities Faculty and their communities both at VIU and in the mid-Island region. Our presenters have shown how important the arts and humanities are to understanding today’s world. We are delighted to share exciting scholarly and creative work with our audiences and invite you to join us in 2024-25.
Spring 2025
Toward More (Un)Certainty: Parenting and the Poetics of Hope
February 7, 10-11:30am, Malaspina Theatre
Neil Surkan, English, Poet Laureate of Nanaimo (2024-26)
"On the day my son was born, alongside rejuvenating feelings of excitement and responsibility, I was conscious of a newfound hollowness: suddenly, and just as I felt true awe, all I could notice around me was death’s encroachment. Record heat, toxic materialism, and insurmountable greed carved my fresh, furious love in harsh relief. What should be made of personal transformations in the face of a roiling, fragmented environment? How to nurture new shoots while the fires close in?" (Neil Surkan).
In this colloquium presentation, Neil will analyze recent poems by other parent-poets in which speakers also reckon with becoming their children’s ancestors in a world of increasing precarity. Each poem features a struggle to relinquish control, given the harrowing certainty that the future is becoming ever more uncertain. In tandem, Neil will also share new poems from his manuscript-in-progress, Empties, which explores the conditions of parenting on the verge of hope(lessness).
Soundin’ Canaan: Remixing the Remix
March 7, 10-11:30am, Malaspina Theatre
Paul Watkins, English
Paul Watkins’ recently published book, Soundin’ Canaan: Black Canadian Poetry, Music, and Citizenship (Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2025), explores the rich tapestry of Black Canadian poets, weaving together a narrative of literary, cultural, and musical history. He is also working on a project titled Soundin’ Canaan Remixed: A Sonic Compendium, an interactive companion website that complements the book. This site includes past interviews, DJ mixes, playlists, helpful links, and short audio essays on music.
In his colloquium talk, he will combine sound (including a live DJ mix), images, material from the website, and text. Adopting a self-reflexive creative approach and cueing samples from interviews and the poets featured in his book, his presentation promises a captivating journey through the dynamic world of Black creativity in Canada.
Please email Theo.Finigan@viu.ca if you would like to be added to our mailing list.
- Listen to Conversations in the Arts & Humanities, the Colloquium Series podcast
- View past Colloquium presentations on YouTube
- View posters from past seasons
