Sushumna Kannan — Centre for the Study of Culture and Society

PhD Title: Akka Mahadevi- a Rebel, Saint and Poet? A Study in ‘Tradition’ and its Feminist Understandings.

Alternative Title: Akka Mahadevi- a Rebel, Saint and Poet?: Problems for a Feminist Epistemology in India.

Supervisor: Dr. Mrinalini Sebastian, Fellow, CSCS, Bangalore, India.

Co-Supervisor: Prof Gregory B Lee, Vice President and Director at Institute for Transtextual and Transcultural Studies, University of Jean Moulin, Lyon, France.

Research Interests: Feminism, Historiography, Bhakti, Women’s Education, Colonialism and Culture.

Website: http://www.sushumnakannan.weebly.com

Education:

BA (English, Psychology, Economics), NMKRV College for Women, Bangalore, 1998-2001.

MA In English (Literary and Cultural Studies), Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad, 2001-2003.

[MA Dissertation: Feminist Historiography in India: A Critical Review. Supervisor: Prof. Susie Tharu (CIEFL)]

Scholarships/Fellowships:

2003-04: Sir Ratan Tata Fellowship for PhD Coursework, CSCS, Bangalore.

2006-07. Regional Fellowship (BOURSE MIRA), Jean Moulin University, Lyon 3, France. For doctoral research and stay at France.

2006-07. Sir Ratan Tata Fellowship for PhD Dissertation Writing, CSCS, Bangalore.

2007-2008. Regional Fellowship (BOURSE MIRA), Jean Moulin University, Lyon 3, France. For doctoral research and stay at France.

Publications:

Essays-

2009. "Jnanada Prashnegalu", Response to Manu Devadevan's "Jana Marulo, Jaatre Marulo" in Maatukate. Neenasam Heggodu, No 90. Year 23, Issue 2. May.

2009. "What Unites India?: The Role of Translation and Culture in producing the Nation". in Translation Today. Accepted for publication.

Book Reviews-

2004. Review Article of Rethinking Sexualities by Diane Richardson for Indian Journal of Gender Studies, March.

2005. Review Article of the translation of the novel Awadeshwari into Kannada by P Giridhar. “Translating models: a Review of Awadeshwari”. In Translation Today. Vol 2, No 2, October, CIIL, Mysore. http://www.anukriti.net/ttoct/jhome.asp

2007. Review Article titled, “Signs of Inconsistency: A review of The Sign: Vachanas of 12^th century”. 2007. Edited by O L. Nagabhushana Swamy and translated by O L Nagabhushana Swamy, Laxmi Chandrasekhar, Vijaya Guttal. Hampi: Prasaranga, Kannada University. In Translation Today, Volume 4, Nos 1 & 2. http://www.anukriti.net/tt6/jhome.asp

2008. Review of Excursions by Michael Jackson. 2007. Durham and London: Duke University Press. 295 pages +xxvii. For Anthropology Review Database. University of Buffalo. http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=3174

2010. Review of Prithviyallodagida Ghatavu: Karnatakada Ninnegalu. 2009. Manu Devadevan. Akshara Prakashana. http://www.thehindu.com/fr/2010/04/30/stories/2010043050940400.htm

2010. Review Article of Gender and Caste. Ed. by Anupama Rao. For Indian Journal of Gender Studies. (Forthcoming)

2010. Review Article of Livelihood and Gender. Ed. by Sumi Krishna. For Indian Journal of Gender Studies. (Forthcoming)

2010. Review of Women and Social Reform in Modern India: A Reader edited by Sumit and Tanika Sarkar. For H-net Reviews. http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/reviews/showrev.php?id=23924

2010. Review of Neela Bhattacharya Saxena’s In the Beginning IS Desire: Tracing Kali’s Footprints in Indian Literature. For Philosophy East West. (Forthcoming)

Fiction Reviews-

2009. Review Article of Mahashweta Devi’s After Kurukshetra. "Could we please read along the grain first?" For Muse India: The Literary E-journal. Issue 23, Jan-Feb 2009. http://www.museindia.com/showcurrent12.asp?id=1184

8. 5. 2009. Review of L C Sumithra’s Gubbihallada Sakshiyalli. For The Hindu.

://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/05/08/stories/2009050851070200.htm

24. 7. 2009. Review of Shreedhara Balagaara’s Ondu Photoda Negative. For The Hindu.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/24/stories/2009072450940400.htm

16. 10 2009. Review of K N Ganeshaiah's Padmapani. For The Hindu.

http://www.thehindu.com/fr/2009/10/16/stories/2009101650680200.htm

Film Reviews-

2009. Review of A World of Ideas: Conquering America. The Moyers Collection Series. Films for the Humanities and the Sciences. Princeton. New Jersey. 1994. For Anthropology Review Database. University of Buffalo. http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=1697

2009. Review of The Dhamma Brothers: East meets West in Deep South. 2007. For Anthropology Review Database. University of Buffalo. http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=3312

Others-

2009. "Enmeshed in the Sexual Revolution". In MiD-DAY. http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2009/jan/070109-sexual-revolution-Free-Spirit-Bangalore-foreigners-ethics-culture.htm

2009. "Pub Culture: Thoughts on a Tangent" in Citizen Matters.in. http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/810-pub-culture

Presented Papers:

2009. May 21^st to 31^st. Paper titled “Culture, culture which culture?: Relativism, Essentialism and the Culture problem” at the workshop Rethinking Culture & Development: Feminist Crossings at Lataguri, West Bengal organized by School of Women's Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

2008. September 4^th and 5^th. Paper titled “Nationhood and Translating Indian Literature” at ‘Translating India into English: Problems and Perspectives’ organized by University of Kerala, Trivandrum.

2007. December 13^th. Presented Paper titled “Feminist epistemology in India: Issues in sexual/cultural difference” at Efigies, ENS, Lyon, France.

2006. March 10^th and 11^th: Presented paper titled “Translation and the production of truth about women.” National Seminar on Indian Translation Traditions organized by the Department of English, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat.

2006. January 10 and 11: Presented paper titled “Debates on Women’s Education in Karnataka in the 19^th and the early 20^th century”. Workshop on Education, CSCS, Bangalore.

2005. December 17^th to 20^th: Presented paper titled “‘Feminist’ readings of ‘Traditions’ and the idea of Stridharma in the writings of the 12^th C Vachanakaratis.” Second International Conference on Religions and Cultures in the Indic Civilisation organized by Indic Studies Network, CSDS and Manushi at Delhi.

2005. January 21^st to 26^th: Presented paper titled “Saints, Social Reformers and the Postcolonial Nation-state” at the 10th Cultural Studies Workshop organised by Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSSC) and International Institute of Social History (IISH) at Bhubaneshwar.

Teaching Experience:

Part-time Lecturer in English (Gender Studies), Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Sheshadripuram College, Bangalore. August 2005-April 2006, August 2009 to February 2010.

Teaching Assistant: for the Online MA course in Cultural Studies offered by CSCS, Bangalore. August 2005 to August 2006.

Part-time/Guest Faculty:

Lecturer in English Literature and Language, Cultural Studies, and Feminism, Post Graduation Centre, Kuvempu University at SJVP College, Harihara, Karnataka, July 2004 to December 2005 .

Co-taught: Course in Cultural Studies for MA students at Kuvempu University, Shimoga, Karnataka, October 2004.

Co-taught: Course in Cultural Analysis at Christ College, Bangalore, June to October 2004.

Guest Faculty in Mass Communication for MA students at CMR College, Bangalore, Julyto December 2005

Lecturer in English, National College, Bangalore. June to August 2003.

Translation Experience:

August 2004 August 2005. Translation Assistant at CSCS. Translated theoretical essays from English to Kannada.

October to December 2008. Translated Gender Training Module for HHS (Hengasara Hakkina Sangha), Bangalore.

Essays Translated-

Tejaswini Niranjana and Mary E John's "Mirror Politics: 'Fire', Hindutva and Indian Culture. EPW March 6-13.

Madhu Kishwar's "Naive Outpourings of a Self-Hating Indian". Manushi. No 109. Nov-Dec 1998.

Sudesh Vaid's "Politics of Widow Immolation." in Seminar 342 on Sati 1988.

Kamala Bhasin and Ritu Menon's "The Problem" in Seminar 342 on Sati. 1988.

December 2009. Freelance Translator at Cosmic Global Ltd.

Jan to March 2010. Linguist Reviewer at Google.