The newest issue of Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy is one you likely want to know about. In this special issue (Hypatia 27.3), editors Lori Gruen (author of Ethics and Animals: An Introduction, and an OHH advisory board member), along with Kari Weil (author of Thinking Animals: Why Animal Studies Now?), along with 6 invited scholars, discuss their thoughts on the interconnections between sex, gender, species, and race. Beyond getting yourself a copy, snuggling into your favorite chair all cozy-like with a soy latte, and devouring this issue (my plans, anyway…), perhaps you’ll be even more intrigued by the free, online discussion forum aimed to “provide commentary and real-time interaction among participants and authors, creating a lively discussion that extends beyond the printed page. Links for free access to the entire special issue will also be provided.” This über cool, though admittedly heady (don’t forget to get your caffeine on, or perhaps your wheatgrass juice) online discussion will take place from July 9-13. The first posts will go live on the 9th at 11 a.m. EST by following this link.
Don’t miss Hypatia’s special issue, “Animal Others”
As if I need to say it, I love how this longstanding academic publication focusing on philosophy is, first of all, devoting an entire issue to “Animal Others,” and then, going even further and opening up the discussion by incorporating an online discussion (for free, to boot). This kind of multi-pronged approach has the potential to bring in philosophers, academics, students, activists, feminists, skeptics, and true believers. (It also allows folks like me who can’t always make sense of scholarly verbiage the opportunity to ask dumb questions.) Most importantly, the interconnections between sex, race, gender and species are, once again, being brought to the fore. Does anyone else notice a trend? These discussions are, without question, popping up more and more.
Symposium articles include “Feminists Encountering Animals” by Gruen and Weil, “Must Every Animal Studies Scholar Be Vegan?” (one would hope they’d find their way there sooner rather than later) by Traci Warkentin, and — an incredibly titillating title to me — “Returning the Ethical and Political to Animal Studies” by Stephanie Jenkins.