During the first weekend in July, academics from around the world convened in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in order to Perform Dignity, Read at the Surface, and Feel the Unbearable—among a number of other panels at this year’s American Comparative Literature Association conference. As scholars traversed the beautiful cobbled streets, held their canvas bags close to their sides, and minded the bike lanes, they really said the darndest things.
1. Person 1: “I’m worried about being hit by a bike.”
Person 2 : “Didn’t you know? Roland Barthes was hit and killed by a laundry truck.”
2. “Now, hopefully this never leaves this room and gets to Toni Morrison …”
3. Person 1: “This is basically a city built around babies, bikes, and dikes.”
Person 2: “And dykes.”
4. Person 1: “We say ‘interesting’ when we’re actually disinterested.”
Person 2: “That’s an interesting point.”
5. “German literature is so easy to write about.”
6. “Sometimes I think, ‘Oh, God. Not another memoir.’”
7. “The only DH I hate more than digital humanities is ‘darling husband.’”
8. “I love blood. I’m actually surprised there wasn’t more blood in my paper.”
9. Person 1: “You can have the last word.”
Person 2: “I’d love to have the last word!”
10. Person 1: “Can I have a beer?”
Person 2: “I’m sorry, sir. The bar’s not open. It is breakfast time …”
11. “This guy from Utrecht says no one here ever thinks about oppression. Hold my beer. I’m gonna start a race war.” [Turns to Utrecht guy] “Now, about white people …”
12. “How could such an old church have no wifi?”
13. “I hate bells.”
14. Audience Member: “I was wondering if you could articulate the relationship that you see between race and the ethnic.”
Rey Chow: “The what?”
Crowd: “The ethnic.”
Rey Chow: “The academy?”
Crowd: “The ethnic!”
Rey Chow: “Oh! The ethnic!”
[beat]
Rey Chow: “Are you sure you don’t want me to talk about the academy?”
