Can the Subaltern Speak? Reflections on the History of an Idea

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s seminal essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” was written for and delivered at a conference in 1983 on “Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture.” A source of inspiration for feminists and post-colonialists, it quickly became the focus of a heated debate that continues to this day. Join Professor Spivak (Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University) and a host of distinguished scholars to explore this debate and celebrate the impact of her work. Participants include Meena Alexander (English, Hunter College & The Graduate Center, CUNY); Judith Butler (Rhetoric, University of California Berkeley); Patricia Clough (Sociology, Women’s Studies, Intercultural Studies, Queens College & The Graduate Center, CUNY); Drucilla Cornell (Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey); Rosalind Morris (Anthropology, Columbia University) and Robert Young (English, Comparative Literature, New York University). Moderated by Kyoo Lee (Philosop