Nonsense

This course approaches the limits of Sense (and
the senses) from many angles, including
philosophy, linguistics, psychoanalysis,
anthropology, visual art, mythology, religious
studies (including mysticism and the Dionysian)
literature, film, and critical race studies
studies. It aims to highlight the rich and complex
possibilities of the zones between pure Sense and
absolute meaninglessness-zones some have called
Non-sense. The course includes the work of
numerous 'outsiders,' artists, scientists and
thinkers, including sock puppets and what the
French call fou litteraire, philosopher-linguists
who have the (higher) wisdom of the fool. We also
look at various shamanic practices, focusing on
how ideas and practices from Europe and its
ex-colonies have melded to create new ways of
understanding Sense and its multifarious limits.
We read and discuss material from a wide range of
perspectives including-L. Carroll, J-J. Lecercle,
R. Roussel, A. Artaud, K. Eshun, Rammallzee, Sun
Ra, D. Coole, A. Wehelyi, G. Morton, M. Bull, E.
Vivieros de Castro, C. Levi-Strauss, G. Deleuze,
J. Stallybrass, and others. Core concepts include:
non-sense, fou litteraire, delire, afro-futurism,
new materialism, OOO, nothing, habeas viscus,
geontology, dirt, the carnivalesque, genius,
improvisation, the sublime, Othernesses,
perspectivism, structuralism, knowledge, meaning,
meaninglessness, etc.