James J. Sosnoski
Professor of Communication
University of Illinois
at Chicago
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Department of Communication (MC 132) BSB 1159 (312) 413-2125 |
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EDUCATION MA
AB
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ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Professor,
Professor,
Associate
Professor, Assistant
Professor, Teaching
Assistant, |
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
Modern Skeletons in
Postmodern Closets: A Cultural Studies Alternative.
Token Professionals and
Master Critics: A Critique of Orthodoxy in Literary Studies.
Edited Collections of Online Research:
with Patricia Harkin and
Bryan Carter, eds. Configuring History: Teaching the
and Bryan Carter, eds. Virtual
Experiences of the Harlem Renaissance: The Virtual
with David Downing, Teresa Derrikson, Paula Mathieu, Ken McAllister, and Gian Pagnucci, eds. The Tictoc Project: Teaching in Cyberspace through on-Line Courses. Vol. 29/30, Works & Days:, 1997.
and David Downing, eds. Cultural Studies and Composition. Vol. 27/28: Works & Days, 1996.
and David Downing, eds. The Geography of Cyberspace. Vol. 23/24, Works & Days, 1994.
SCE Reports (1979-1986).
Journal Articles and Book Chapters:
“The Virtual
“Reflections on the Future of Rhetorical Education.” College Composition and Communication.
“A Conversation with Richard Ohmann, David Downing, Patricia Harkin, and James Sosnoski. Editor and contributor. In Richard Ohmann: A Retrospective. Ed. Patricia Harkin. A special double issue of Works and Days. 45/46. Spring Fall 2005) Vol. 23, Nos. 1&2., 215-239.
“Collegiality and the Yada-Yada Trope.” Special Issue on Collegiality. Symploke, 13. 2006.
“Virtual Reality as a
Teaching Tool.” In Byron Hawk, James A. Inman, and Ollie Oviedo,
eds. Digital
Tools in Cultural Contexts: Assessing the Implications of New Media.
with Steve Jones, Bryan Carter, Ken Mcallister, Ryan
Moeller, and Ronen Mir. “Chapter
54: Virtual Harlem as a Collaborative Learning Environment: A Project of the
with Ken McAllister. “Circuitous Subjects in Their Time Maps,” Journal of Advanced Composition, (2005) 25:1, 31-53.
"Professorial
Hoops." In Understanding Affiliation: Identity in Academic Culture,
ed. Jeffrey DiLeo, 75-88.
with Patricia Harkin, and Steve Jones. "The Ethics of Virtual Histories." Media Development 2 (2003): 27-32.
with Andy Johnson, Jason
Leigh, Bryan Carter, and Steve Jones. "Virtual
and with Paula Mathieu.
"Enacting Cultures: The Practice of Comparative Cultural Study." In The
Relevance of English: Teaching That Matters in Students’ Lives, ed. Robert
P. Yagelski and Scott A Leonard, 324-343.
with Patricia Harkin, and
Ann Feldman. "Collaborative Learning Networks: A Curriculum for the 21st
Century." In Beyond English Inc: Curricular Reform in a Global Economy,
ed. David Downing, Mark Hurlbert and Paula Mathieu, 219-230.
with K Park, J Leigh, A
Johnson, B Carter, and J Brody. "Distance Learning Classroom Using Virtual
and Patricia Harkin. "Argument Is a Cultural Practice." In Genre by Example: Writing What We Teach, ed. David Starkey, 116-128. Portsmith, NH.: Heinemann Boynton/Cook, 2000.
"Configuring as a
Mode of Rhetorical Analysis." In Doing Internet Research, ed. Steve
Jones, 127-143.
and David B. Downing. "Coming to Terms with Terms in Academic Cyberculture." In Hypertext, Cyberspace, and Emerging Paradigms, ed. Ollie Oviedoo, 1999.
"Hyper-Readers and
Their
and Eve Weiderhold. "Querulous Inquiries." symploke 7, no. 1-2 (1999): 64-84.
with Paula Mathieu, and
David Zauhar. "Cultural Studies." In Theorizing Composition: A
Critical Sourcebook of Theory and Scholarship in Contemporary Composition
Studies, ed. Mary Lynch Kennedy, 62-72:
"Giving Value for
Value: Grades for Work." In Grading in the Post Process Classroom,
ed. Libby Allison, Lizbeth Bryant and Maureen Hourigan, 156-175.
"Writing Habitats: The Post-Disciplinary Study of Cultures, Discursive Practices, and Cyberspace." Works and Days 27/28 (1996): 299-320.
"Notes on Postmodern Double Agency and the Arts of Lurking." CCC (1996): 289-292.
and David Downing. "Working with Narrative Zones in a Postdisciplinary Pedagogy." Narrative 3, no. October (1995): 271-286.
and David Downing. "Multivalent Narrative Zones." Narrative 3, no. October (1995): 294-302.
"The Theory
Junkyard."
and David Downing. "As the Culture Turns: Postmodern." Works and Days 23/24 (1994): 9-27.
with Cynthia Selfe, and Helen Schwartz. "Electronic Departments." Works and Days 23/24 (1994): 261-286.
and David Downing.
"The Protocol of Care in the Cycles Project." Journal of the
Patricia Harkin, and David
Downing. "Configurations of Lore: The Changing Relations of Theory,
Research, and Pedagogy." In Changing Classroom Practices: Resources for
Literary and Cultural Studies, ed. David Downing.
"Edward Said."
In The Johns
"Professing
Literature in 2001." In Teaching the Conflicts: Gerald Graff,
Curricular Reform, and the Culture Wars, ed. William Cain, 193-215. NY:
and David Downing. "A Multivalent Pedagogy for a Multicultural Time." PRE/TEXT 14 3-4 (1993): 307-340.
"Examining
Exams." In Knowledges: Historical and Critical Studies in
Disciplinarity, ed. David R Shumway, David J Sylvan and Ellen
Messer_Davidow, 305-326.
"Requiem for a Noun." ADE Bulletin 104 (1993): 26-28.
and James Phelan.
"What Does It Mean to Work at
and Patricia Harkin. "The Case for Hyper-Gradesheets: A Modest Proposal." College English 54 (1992): 22-30.
"Irrationability and Gianni Vatimo's the End of Modernity." Studies in 20th Century Literature 16, no. 2 (1992): 305-312.
"Postmodern Teachers
in Their Postmodern Classrooms: Socrates Begone!" In Contending with
Words: Composition and Rhetoric in a Postmodern Age, ed. Patricia Harkin
and John Schilb, 198-219.
"Students as
Theorists: Collaborative Hypertextbooks." In Practicing Theory in
Introductory College Literature Courses, ed. James M Cahalan and David B
Downing, 271-290.
with K. Burkland, T. Cooper, L. Epstein, and K. Gannon. "Invisible Silences." Works and Days 8, no. 2 (1990): 41_47.
"Why Theory? Rethinking Pedagogy." Works and Days 8, no. 2 (1990): 29-40.
"The Psycho-Politics of Error." PRE/TEXT 10, no. 1-2 (1989): 33-52.
and Patricia Harkin. "Barbara Herrnstein Smith: A Contemporary Sophist." PRE/TEXT 10, no. 3-4 (1989): 135-140.
"A Mindless,
Man_Driven Theory Machine: Intellectuality, Sexuality, and the Institution of
Criticism." In Feminism and Institutions: Dialogues on Feminist Theory,
ed. Linda Kaufmann, 55-78.
"Cleanth
Brooks." In Modern American Critics--1920_1955, ed. Gregory S. Jay,
33-42.
"Interpretive Force." Critical Exchange 24 (1988): 63-64.
"Literary Study in a Postmodern Era." Works and Days 9 (1987): 7-33.
"The Invention of the
Literary Scholar." In
"Literary Study as a Field for Inquiry." In boundary 2, 91-104, 1985.
"The Token
Professional." In The Journal of the
with H. Giroux, D. Shumway, and P. Smith. "The Need for Cultural Studies." In Dalhousie Review, 472-486, 1984. Reprinted in Henry Giroux, Teachers As Intellectuals: Toward A Critical Pedagogy Of Learning (1988)
"The Grip Project: An Alternative to Traditional Research Practices." Humanities Federation Reports: The Journal of the State Humanities Councils (1984): 7.
and David Shumway.
"Critical Protocols." In The Grip Report, ed. James J.
Sosnoski, 2, 1-15.
"The Magister
Implicatus as an Institutionalized Authority Figure: Rereading the History of
New Criticism." In The Grip Report, ed. James J. Sosnoski, 1, 1-57.
"The Role of
Selection Strategies in
with Rick Barney, James Flavin, Lois Hinrichs, Rachel Kelly, Ruth McMaken, Paul Olubas, Tim Russell, Diana Uhlman, and members of the Miami University Research Group Experiment (MURGE). "Analyzing 'Araby' as Story and Discourse: A Summary of the Murge Project." In James Joyce Quarterly, 237-54, 1981. (This paper was a part of a special issue of JJQ in which Seymour Chatman, author of Story and Discourse, Gerald Prince, and Jonathan Culler responded to the MURGE analysis of Joyce's “Araby”).
"Story and Discourse and the Practice of Literary Criticism: 'Araby’ a Test Case." In James Joyce Quarterly, 255-65, 1981.
"On the Anvil of Theoretical Debate: Story and Discourse as Literary Theory." In James Joyce Quarterly, 267-76, 1981.
"Can We Teach the Latest Literary Theories to College Freshmen?" Focus 7, no. 2 (1981): 32-38.
"Resymbolizing Subjective Criticism." In Reader, 11-15, 1979. Reprint, Includes a response by David Bleich, author of Subjective Criticism.
"Reading Acts and Reading Warrants: Some Implications for Readers Responding to Joyce's Portrait of Stephen." Structuralist/Reader Response Special Issue 16 (1979): 43-63.
"In Retrospect." SCE Reports 5 (1979): 3-8.
"Should Interpretation Be the Goal of Literary Criticism; and, If Not, What (If Any) Goal Should a Literary Critic Entertain?" SCE Reports 6 (1979): 86-101.
"The Use of the Word 'Text' in Critical Discourse." College English 39, no. 2 (1977): 121-37.
"The Hard-Boiled, Private Detective Mystery: An Excursion into Urban Mythology." English Notes 26 (1971): 32-47.
"Craft and Intention in James Agee's a Death in the Family." Journal of General Education 20 (1968): 170-83.
REVIEWS
Review of Lanham, Richard A. The Electronic Word: Democracy, Technology,
and the Arts.
Reviews of Peavler, Terry J. Individuations.
Review of Ross Chamber's Story and Situation for Modern Fiction Studies 20 (Fall 1984): 466 ‑
469.
Review of Robert Scholes' Semiotics and Interpretation for The James Joyce Quarterly 20 (Summer 1983): 466‑69.
Review of James Phelan's Worlds from Words, Horst Ruthrof's The Reader's Construction of
Narrative and Catherine Belsey's Critical
Practice for Modern Fiction Studies,
Summer, 1982.
"Different Readers" (a review essay
of four recent publications in reading theory:
Stanley Fish's Is There A Text in
the Class?, Barbara Johnson's The
Critical Difference, Jane P. Tompkin's Reader‑Response
Criticism, and Susan R. Suleiman and Inge Crosman's The Reader in the Text), Modern
Fiction Studies, Winter 1981/82,
"A Significant Failure: A Review of Alfred T Barson's
Review of Richard Kostelanetz' The New
American Arts. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 27 (1969): 365‑66.
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECT
Configuring: A Study of Interpersonal Null Experience Transfers
The role narration plays
in the ability of persons to understand each other is neglected in research on
interpersonal communication. Yet, our ability to understand each other
depends upon our ability to share experiences, which is accomplished by
narrating events from our personal lives. Sharing experiences through
narration, however, cannot provide an actual experience for listeners, readers,
or viewers. The narrator's experience can only be understood by analogy
with past experiences. In contrast to the narrator's actual experience, the
audience has a virtual experience.
This research project
addresses the question: to what extent can actual experiences be learned
(transferred) through virtual experiences? Research done in cognitive
psychology and visualization, for example, have a direct bearing on this
issue. Learning that derives from
training can be conceived as a "knowledge transfer" whereby learners
apply their training to novel situations through their “ability to apply
knowledge learned in one context to new contexts." This research
provides a starting point for this study of narrative structures or scripts
that can enable “experience transfers” (the ability to configure experiences
virtually).
Research done on learning
through virtual reality applications where the subjects map their virtual
experiences onto their worldviews has a direct bearing on this issue. Based on work done on the Virtual Harlem
project at EVL, this study focuses on “null experience transfers,” that is,
learning about experiences that persons have not yet had or cannot
have. Both the Virtual Harlem project and the Round Earth project provide
instances of virtual experiences of a past that persons cannot have experienced
during their lifetimes.
RESEARCH GROUPS DIRECTED or COORDINATED
The VERITAS
project (Virtual Experiences as Remediated Incarnations of Time and Space project.
Coordinator 1998-present.) The VERITAS project began as the Virtual
Harlem project which inspired the Virtual Bronzeville and Virtual Monmartre
projects. The project aims to develop
virtual reality models of
ASCEND (Director, 2002–2004) The Arts and Sciences Collaborative Exchange
Network Development (ASCEND) project has two central goals: (1) to be an online
network where learning collaborations between the arts and the sciences across
disciplines and educational institutions are developed and tested, and (2) to
provide educational content and assessments of distance education projects for
teachers and learners at the various sites in the network. The ASCEND project has collaborators at seven
sites: UIC and the SciTech small science museum in Illinois, Central Missouri
State (CSMU) in Missouri, Columbia Teachers College in New York, Alternative
Educational Environments in Tucson Arizona, the Sorbonne in Paris, France, and
Växjö University in Växjö, Sweden.
E-Works & TicToc (Director, 1996-1998): e-works was intended to be a virtual English department that provides an online complement to the activities of UICs English department. I directed the group of researchers into online environments who designed the construction of e-works as a research project that studied the relations between virtual and actual departmental activities. The TicToc project (Teaching in Cyberspace Through Online Courses) was a year-long discussion culminating in a symposium, the proceedings of which were published in Works and Days.
CYCLES (Director, 1991-1996): the Cycles project is a series of online experiments in collaborative research which explore the implications of telecommunications for cultural criticism. The Cycles project integrates the functions of a seminar, a textbook, a conference, a symposium, a newsletter, and a journal through electronic correspondence which is channeled into hypertext publications as well as issues of Works and Days.
GRIP (Director, 1982-1987): the Group for Research into the Institutionalization and Professionalization of Literary Study, a national research group studying the relationship among the development of literary studies, the history of the university as an institution and the rise of professionalism.
MURGE (Director, 1980): The Miami University Research Group Experiment, a sentence by sentence structural analysis of Joyce's "Araby." MURGE II (1981): a continuation of the work of the previous group in which five graduate students collaborated on the design of classroom exercises based on the narratological theory.
GRANTS AND AWARDS
Outstanding
Service Award from Scitech Hands On Museum,
Senior
Personnel (Virtual
Principal Investigator. “CommLAB: A Flexible Experimental Learning Space Designed to Help Students and Faculty Experience and Assess The Influences of New Media for Communication Within Distance Education Contexts.” $6,000 from the Center for the Study of Learning, Instruction, and Teacher Development. (2002)
Great Cities Scholar. Year’s paid research leave at the Great Cities Institute, UIC. (2001-2002)
Principal Investigator. Patricia Harkin, Co-Investigator. “Preparing Partners.” Preparing Future Faculty Grant from the PEW Charitable Trust through the National Council of Teachers of English. $20,000 (1999)
Principal Investigator. "Culture Crossings." Great Cities Seed Grant, $7,000 from the Great Cities Institute, UIC. (1999)
Principal
Investigator. “The E-Works Project.” Small Research Equipment
Competition $12,000 from the
Principal Investigator. “The TicToc Project.” (“Teaching In Cyberspace Through Online Courses.”) $8,000 from Dean of LAS at UIC special fund. (1995)
Co-Investigator
with Thomas Philion, S. Tozer, et al., “Writing to Learn/Learning to Teach:
Using Storyspace to Foster Collaborative Learning in Teacher Education Courses
at UIC.” $15,000 from the
Assigned
Research Assignment. (Research project:
theory of argumentation. Published as Modern Skeletons in Postmodern Closets. From
Ohio University Consortium Seed Grant to develop VOCAT (Vocabularies of Criticism and Theory), an Encyclopedia of Literary Theory for Oxford U P. $8,000 (1985)
Assigned
Research Assignment. (Study of the
terminology used in literary criticism).
From
Various other small grants for travel, etc.
PAPERS PRESENTED
“Smart
Collaborative Learning Networks,” AERA,
“SCE.” MLA, Philadelphia, December, 2006
and Bryan Carter.
"Collaborative Learning Networks." In First Annual ASCEND
Symposium.
"The Ascend
Network." In Humanities Computing Conference.
and Patricia Harkin.
"Configuring." In Watson Conference.
"Discursive
Practices." In invited talk.
"Dancing to
Texts." In Modern Language Association Conference.
"The Changing
Conditions of Work in English Departments." In Conference on College
Coomposition and Communication.
"The Theory
Junkyard." In invited talk.
"Adventures in
Cyberspace." In Modern Language Association.
"Homo Criticus
Americanus." In Modern Language Association.
"A Multivalent
Pedagogy." In
"Professing
Literature in 2015." In Conference on College Coomposition and
Communication.
"The
Kritikroman." In
"The Cycles
Project." In
"Requiem for a
Noun." In Associated Departments of English Summer Seminar.
"”Why Theory?:
Rethinking Pedagogy,"
and David Downing.
"”the Problem of Affirmation in Cultural Studies," Modern Language
Association,
"”Circuitous Subjects
in Their Timemaps," Modern Language Association,
"”Historiography as
Political Strategy: Who Gets to Define 'Radical'?," Midwest Modern
Language Association,
"”Breaking with a
Past: Literary Study in a Postmodern Era," Midwest Modern Language
Association,
"”Rereading
Histories," Eastern Communication Association,
"”a Mindless,
Man-Driven Theory Machine: Intellectuality, Sexuality and the Institution of
Criticism," Case Western Reserve,
"”Interpretive
Force."
"”Rereading Histories
of Literary Criticism," Midwest Modern Language Association,
"”toward a
Post-Disciplinary Inquiry," Midwest Modern Language Association,
eith K. Gannon, K.
Burkland, T. Cooper, and L. Epstein. "”Invisible Silences,"
"”Textbooks,"
Presentation to Commission on Literature and Writing, at the
"”the Invention of
the Scholar," Modern Language Association,
and David Shumway.
"Critical Protocols." In Modern Language Association.
"”the Many Minds of
Academics," Mid-Hudson Modern Language Association,
"”Examining
Exams," Midwest Modern Language Association,
"”Cleanth Brooks: An
Exemplary Career," South Atlantic Modern Language Association,
"”the Magister Implicatus as an Institutionalized Authority Figure," at the Society for Critical Exchange's Conference at Indiana University, Bloomington, in, and at the Inaugural Grip Meeting, Miami University, Oxford, Oh." (1983).
"”Authority and
Authorization in Literary Studies," at Northeast Modern Language
Association,
"”the Role of
Selection Strategies in
"”the Practice of
Reading Strategies" College English Association of
"”the Myth of
Narcissus," Conference on "the World as Mirror,"
"”the Murge
Project," the
"”Replicating
Semiotic Analysis," Second International Summer Institute for Semiotic and
Structural Studies,
"”Self as
Story," Southcentral Modern Lanaguage Association,
"”Can We Teach the
Latest Criticism," National Council of Teachers of English,
"”Why Are
Introductory Texts to Literature Untheoretical?, Modern Language Association,
"”Critical Perspectives
on Religious Motifs in Joyce," Midwest Modern Language Association,
"”a Response to
Michael Finney," College English Association of
"”from Rules to
Codes; an Hypothesis About the Advance of Critical
"”the Violent Bear It
Away: The Myth of the Independent
Heroine," Midwest Women's Studies Conference,
"”the Masks of Eve:
An Analysis of the Masculine View of the Feminine," "a Women's Free
Space . . .
"”the Spatial
Structure of the Troilus Legend: A
Structuralist Reading of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, Western Michigan
Medieval Studies Conference,
"”the Hard-Boiled,
Private Detective Mystery: An Excursion
into Urban Mythology," College English Association of
Conferences
and Symposia Organized:
"The TicToc Symposium." Director.
"Problems of Affirmation in Critical
Theory." SCE Symposium, CoDirector.
Case Western Reserve,
"A Symposium on the Work of Barbara
Herrnstein Smith." SCE Symposium,
Director.
"Textual Scholarship and Literary
Theory." SCE Symposium,
Co-organizer.
"Deciding What To Know," SCE
Conference, Co‑organizer.
Local Planning Committee Chair for the MMLA
convention.
"A Symposium on the Work of Fredric
Jameson." SCE Symposium, Co‑organizer.
"Theories of Reference and
Representation." SCE Conference, Co‑organizer.
"Theories of
"Theories of Narrative." SCE Conference, Co‑organizer.
"Jungian Perspectives on Creativity and
the Unconscious.". Co‑director.
"The Epistemological Relationship
between Science and the Humanities."
Planning Committee member, 1975.
"Two Year College Conference,"
Associate Director, 1973.
"Kafka Conference," Co‑director,
1973.
"James Joyce Conference," Co‑director,
1972.
"
Institute for Human Values, Co‑director,
1968‑69.
Editorial
Service:
Associate Editor, Works and Days
General Editor, Critical Exchange, 1982‑1989
from volume #12 to the last, #26
Editor, The
GRIP Report, volumes I, II, IV
Advisory Board, PRE/TEXT
Advisory Board, symplokē
Advisory Board, Computers and Composition
Reader for CCC, PMLA, College English
Reader for various University Presses and
Publishing Houses
Editorial Board, SCE Reports, 1976‑81
Reader for the Chaucer Review, 1972‑74.
PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIPS
ASCEND (Arts and Science Collaborative
Exchange Network Development), 2002 -- present
Alternative Educational Environments,
1991-present
NCTE, 1990-present
Society for Critical Exchange, 1976‑present
Modern Language Association, 1967‑present
College English Association, 1968‑1989+
North Eastern Modern Language Association,
1981, 1983
James Joyce Foundation, 1978‑80
Medieval
Early English Text Society, 1968‑74
Offices
Held:
Founder & Director, ASCEND
President, Alternative Educational
Environments, 1999-
Director, Alternative Educational
Environments, 1991-98
Executive Director, SCE, 1982‑1989
Chair, SCE Administrative Committee, 1982‑1989
Chair, SCE Board of Directors, 1982‑1989
MLA Delegate Assembly, elected member,
1987-1990
Executive Committee member, MMLA 1981‑1985
Secretary, CEAO Executive Committee, 1982‑83
CEAO, Executive Committee, 1981‑1982
PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVITIES:
Director of Graduate Studies,
Emerging Technologies Committee of the Modern
Language Association, 1991-93.
Consultant for Modern Language Association's
FIPSE grant.
Ethics Committee of the Modern Language
Association, 1986-89.
External reviewer for numerous Tenure and
Promotion committees
Reviewer of manuscripts for various presses