Live in the Along* By Cathy N. Davidson Like anyone who has been given the incredible honor of delivering a commencement address at a university they love deeply, I’ve spent the last weeks listening to other graduation speeches–by Maggie Rogers, Henry “the Fonz” Winkler, Usher, Jane Fonda, and even Kermit the Frog. It is a … “Live in the Along” Graduate Center Commencement Address, June 10, 2025
Jody Greene (UC Santa Cruz, Assoc Provost for Academic Success) and I have been talking together about academic change and academic success every Thursday on Zoom for the last 18 months. We do this because we learn from another and we do this because we insist on finding light even when things are murkiest and … “Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight”: How Do We Make Serious, Visionary Change in Higher Ed?
This February, I had the opportunity to keynote the National Student Success Conference in Orlando, hosted by the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities. It was a wonderful event, where a few hundred people talked seriously and passionately about all the ways we can work together in our colleges and universities to ensure that students … What Do We Mean By “Student Success”?
Amid far too many deadlines, trips, and obligations, I almost Zoomed into the marvelous kick-off event that the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute is holding today in honor of myself and Karla Holloway as its cofounders 25 years ago. And then it was almost as if I could hear beloved mentor, friend, and role model … I Hear You, Dr. Franklin!
In a podcast interview with British cultural studies scholar Toby Miller on Feb 7, 2024, I was prompted to recall my early associations with various British scholars that he and I both admire: E. P. Thompson, Christopher Hill, Raymond Williams, and Stuart Hall. I was fortunate enough to teach and live in England for close … British Cultural Studies and the Early American Novel
On February 7th, I had an invigorating conversation with Toby Miller on his podcast, culturalstudies, about a wide ranger of topics: post ’80s neoliberalism in higher education, social mobility and my advice to EVERY grad student today, British cultural studies, my admiration for CUNY, and dyslexia. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here, or … Cathy Davidson & Toby Miller talk on the podcast, culturalstudies
On November 9th, the Futures Initiative, along with the New School, CLAGS, and Lambda Literary hosted a celebration and book reading of the new novel, ‘These Burning Stars, a Queer Space Opera’ by author, Bethany Jacobs. I was honored and delighted to be able to welcome this stunning new science fiction author. It especially meant a lot to me personally since, … The House? Packed! These Stars? Burning!
Last night, for the first time in two years of beach walking in Amagansett, I saw a whale rise straight up from the Atlantic, pause a moment in the air, and then disappear beneath the waves again. We saw other whale activity–a spout, a fin–but that was a beckoning. Humpback, I believe. Of course I … Remembering My Dear Friend, Filmmaker Nancy Buirski
This past weekend, 500+ individuals came to beautiful Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to participate in the 20th (ish) anniversary conference for an organization I cofounded and have directed or co-directed for twenty (long, long . . . ) years. 20 years! When we began HASTAC (called, a trifle annoyingly, “Haystack” by those who know), we … 20 Years Is a Long, Long Time (HASTAC2023 is a wrap!)
On June 2, 2023, at the Graduate Center CUNY Commencement, I had the wonderful honor of introducing George Takei, most famous as Sulu on Star Trek, and, beyond, as an unstoppable activist on behalf of LGBT rights, anti-racism, and other just causes. He gave a passionate, rousing commencement speech and was awarded an honorary doctorate … Introducing Dr. George Takei