A&S News article on Professor Conrad James’ course: “Written in Blood: Caribbean Readings in Conflict and Healing”
‘There’s something specific about the Spanish Caribbean that draws you in at a very visceral level’: Conrad James captures a vibrant literature in his research and teaching
February 9, 2022 by Sean McNeely – A&S News
Conrad James teaches what could be described as “the course with the most intriguing name.”
Written in Blood could be interpreted several ways, but the full name of the course — Written in Blood: Caribbean Readings in Conflict and Healing — gives a little more context.
The course explores writing about bloodlines, bloodshed and even bloodwork as it relates to disease, as a means to examine the complex and often violent history of the Caribbean.
It’s a dream course for Conrad James, a new associate professor with the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Centre for Comparative Literature.
“The course focuses on blood as a historical question, as a political question, but also as a methodological question — how you can use the concept of blood to make sense of history?” says James. “We also talk about bloodshed and its pivotal role in shaping the consciousness of the contemporary Caribbean.”
It’s not only the course material he loves, it’s the energy and enthusiasm of the students.
“The class is comprised of lively graduate students from different parts of the world, and they bring rich perspectives to the discussion of the material,” says James. “They also make suggestions based on their lives which illuminate the texts in ways that I had not thought about.”
