Archival Kismet: Lessons in Launching An Online Conference

Summary

What is the feeling of archival kismet? And how can we reimagine the format of academic conferences to better support scholars? This episode explores:

  • The complex feelings of finding unexpected things in an archive.
  • Why using conference presentations as openings for scholarly conversations is important.
  • How Dr. Thompson founded an online conference during the pandemic, and her future plans for Archival Kismet.
  • What can make online conferences more inclusive and inexpensive.
  • Tips for feeling comfortable presenting online, even when things go wrong.

Our guest is: Dr. Courtney Thompson, who is an associate history professor at Mississippi State University, and the founder of Archival Kismet online conferences. Her research and teaching interests are centered in the history of nineteenth-century American medicine; medical humanities; history of the mind and body; history of women, gender, and sexuality; feminist science studies; history of emotions; visual culture; science and crime; psychiatry and mental illness.

Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women and gender.

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Your Host

Christina Gessler

Dr. Christina Gessler holds a Ph.D. in history, which she uses to explore what stories we tell and what happens to those we never tell. She is the creator and executive producer of the Academic Life podcast, and writes the show's newsletter ChristinaGessler.Substack.Com featuring curated playlists and writing advice. She is a writing coach and developmental editor for academics.
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