What are capitalist subjects saying when we call something a “gimmick,” regardless of the varying objects to which the evaluation is applied and varying identities of those applying it? What about our shared world is being registered, often without the speaker entirely knowing she is registering it, in this aesthetic judgment?

Sianne Ngai’s talk explores these questions by focusing on the gimmick as both form and speech act, and on its relation to comedy in particular.

“Theory of the Gimmick” | Thursday, April 28, at 2 p.m. in Curtin 368
Brown Bag Lunch | Friday, April 29, at 12 p.m. in Curtin 939

For more information, please visit c21.uwm.edu

Sianne Ngai is professor of English at Stanford. She is the author of Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting (Harvard, 2012) and Ugly Feelings (Harvard, 2005).

This year, April 15th is not just the day we all furiously try to finish our turbo tax online worksheets and grumble about our inadequate tax return.

April 15th, 2016 is cream city review Day!

The Mayor is issuing a proclamation recognizing cream city review’s 40th Anniversary and we will be celebrating with a very special reading featuring the work of:

Kimberly Blaeser – poet laureate of Wisconsin
Susan Firer – former poet laureate of Milwaukee
Ihab Hassan – read by cream city review’s incoming faculty advisor, Liam Callanan

We will also have an ephemera display showcasing our history of events in and around UWM and the city of Milwaukee.

Come celebrate with us! Here’s to looking forward to 40 more years of Milwaukee’s leading literary journal!

Friday, April 15th from 7-9 p.m. at Greene Hall