Uncommon Bodies Symposium Hosted at Macalester

by Patrick Coy-Bjork ’24

This past month, I had the pleasure of attending the second day of the Uncommon Bodies Symposium, which was hosted on Macalester’s campus. This event was organized by UMN Professor Jennifer E. Row along with our very own Professor Penelope Geng! This symposium featured leading scholars of the early modern period from all across the country. These highly-celebrated educators led talks concerning the intersectionality of race and disability in the context of the premodern era. 

I found all of the presentations to be incredibly insightful and engaging, such as Katherine Schaap Williams’ talk on disability exceptionalism and its connection to the representation of war in Shakespearean th

eater, Johnathan Hsy’s discussion of the concept of a “Token” and The Book of Margery Kempe, and Amrita Dhar’s presentation on a Bengali production of Romeo & Juliet featuring a disabled cast of actors. The event also included Q & A sessions with the panelists as well as group discussions regarding what had been presented and various other ways of considering race and disability. 

One of the panels was chaired by Dalton Greene, a Macalester English alumnus and former student worker of the department; Dalton flew out for the event. He is currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Maryland where he is working on a dissertation regarding race in the early modern period. He has worked closely with Professor Geng previously, and expressed to me his joy of being able to return to campus and participate in this symposium.

I found the event to be incredibly enriching, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear the work of such thoughtful academics. Thank you to Penelope Geng and Jennifer Row for all the work they put into organizing such a wonderful event!