The Implementing New Knowledge Environments (INKE) project, funded by
a Major Collaborative Research Initiative grant from the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), seeks a
post-doctoral fellow in the History and Future of the Book, with
expertise in Textual Studies and Digital Humanities. This position is
based in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto. The
successful candidate is anticipated to work closely with team members
at U Toronto, Acadia U, U Saskatchewan, U Victoria, U Western Ontario,
and beyond. The postdoctoral fellow’s work will bridge between digital
humanities and the history of books and reading, collaborating with
INKE’s Textual Studies team, consulting with project stakeholders and
potential stakeholders, and liaising with other INKE researchers
located in North America and the UK. The fellow will be expected teach
a light course load in the Faculty of Information and the
collaborative program in Book History and Print Culture, to be
remunerated in addition to the fellowship’s salary.
The successful candidate will have skills and aptitudes in
humanities-oriented research, textual studies and book
history/bibliography, including training or demonstrated experience
working with a variety of digital humanities resources, including
digital archives, scholarly editions, journals and monographs, and
text analysis and visualization tools. Organizational skills are
essential. Interest and aptitude in research planning and management
would be an asset. The ability to work in concert with our existing
team is a critical requirement. The successful candidate should also
have first-hand experience with , XML/HTML (and related technologies),
PHP, and MySQL. Familiarity with TEI P5 and JavaScript would also be
considered assets.
Our current team members pride themselves on a passionate interest in
both the history and future of books and reading. Our ideal candidate
is someone with similar passions who can introduce the team to new
ideas and provide new perspectives on existing digital humanities
issues. The salary for this position is competitive in the Canadian
context, and is governed in part by SSHRC practices. Applications
comprising a brief cover letter, CV, and the names and contact
information for three referees may be sent electronically to
inke.ischool@utoronto.ca. The contract can begin as early as 1
September 2011; it is for a one-year term, with the possibility of
renewal. The position is subject to budgetary approval.
Interviews may be conducted via Skype, or in person at the Congress of
the Humanities and Social Sciences (Fredericton) and other venues at
which INKE team members are present. Applications will be reviewed
until the position is filled.
www.inke.ca
ischool.utoronto.ca
bookhistory.ischool.utoronto.ca
In June 2011 the Media Ecology Association will hold its twelfth annual convention, “Space, Place, and the McLuhan Legacy” (June 23-26, 2011; University of Alberta) in Edmonton to celebrate the centenary of Marshall McLuhan’s birth (http://www.media-ecology.org/#/). McLuhan is connected to Edmonton not only through birth but through his lasting friendship with two Canadian writers: Sheila Watson, who published her modernist novel The Double Hook while engaged in a doctoral study of Wyndham Lewis under McLuhan’s supervision; and Sheila’s husband, poet and playwright Wilfred Watson, with whom McLuhan pursued a decade-long dialogue resulting in the publication of From Cliché to Archetype in 1970. As it happens, 2011 also marks the centenary of Wilfred Watson’s birth.
In recognition of McLuhan’s connection with Wilfred and Sheila Watson, we should like to convene panels at the MEA exploring the relationships among these three intellectuals and artists: what they held in common, certainly—including an interest in new media—but also the points at which their thinking diverged. Although we have in mind two separate panels—one focusing on Marshall’s relationship with Sheila, the other, on his dialogue with Wilfred—composition of the panels will be shaped by the range and inter-relation of the proposals we receive. The papers presented on these panels will be expanded and reworked for inclusion in an edited collection to be published by the University of Alberta Press.
We invite papers that address any aspect of the relationships among these three intellectuals and artists. Possible topics include:
Anyone interested in submitting a proposal might begin by looking at the CFP issued by the MEA (http://www.media-ecology.org/activities/index.html) and reflecting on it in relation to the work of Sheila Watson and/or Wilfred Watson. Please note that panel submissions are subject to the standard vetting process of the Media Ecology Association. The MEA publishes conference proceedings—selected papers—on its website. We invite submissions from scholars interested in reworking their fifteen-minute conference papers into 25 to 30 page book chapters informed by each other’s work. While the University of Alberta Press has expressed a strong interest in publishing the resulting manuscript, it will still undergo the standard review process.
Please send 500 word proposals, including title, university affiliation, contact information, and biographical note to Paul Hjartarson (paul.hjartarson@ualberta.ca) and Kristine Smitka (smitka@ualberta.ca) no later then November 1st, 2010. Read the rest of this post »