David Lambert and Peter Merriman (eds.), Empire and mobility in the long nineteenth century – Manchester University Press, June 2020

Mobility was central to imperialism, from the human movements entailed in exploration, travel and migration to the information, communications and commodity flows vital to trade, science, governance and military power. While historians have written on exploration, commerce, imperial transport and communications networks, and the movements of slaves, soldiers and scientists, few have reflected upon the social, cultural, economic and political significance of mobile practices, subjects and infrastructures that underpin imperial networks, or examined the qualities of movement valued by imperial powers and agents at different times. This collection explores the intersection of debates on imperial relations, colonialism and empire with emerging work on mobility. In doing this, it traces how the movements of people, representations and commodities helped to constitute the British empire from the late-eighteenth century through to the Second World War.

Currently only available as an expensive hardback, unfortunately.

Juan Francisco Salazar, Céline Granjou, Matthew Kearnes, Anna Krzywoszynska, Manuel Tironi (eds.), Thinking with Soils: Material Politics and Social Theory – Bloomsbury, June 2020

This book presents a novel and systematic social theory of soil, and is representative of the rising interest in ‘the material’ in social sciences. Bringing together new modes of ‘critical description’ with speculative practices and methods of inquiry, it contributes to the exploration of current transformations in socioecologies, as well as in political and artistic practices, in order to address global ecological change.

The chapters in this edited volume challenge scholars to attend more carefully to the ways in which they think about soil, both materially and theoretically. Contributors address a range of topics, including new ways of thinking about the politics of caring for soils; the ecological and symbiotic relations between soils; how the productive capacities and contested governance of soils are deployed as matters of political concern; and indigenous ways of knowing and being with soil.

This is another expensive hardback unfortunately. Some of the same contributors are part of a theme section of Environmental Humanities on ‘Conceiving Soils and Humans in the Anthropocene’, edited by Anna Krzywoszynska and Greta Marchesi.

Those papers seem to be open access, including the introduction “Towards a Relational Materiality of Soils“.

Geographers, sociologists, philosophers etc. on covid-19 – this list continues to be updated, though more sporadically. Particularly recent updates include some pieces on the future of universities.

I was very sorry to hear of the death of Ron Johnston, whose impact in geography and political science was extensive. I didn’t know him at all really – just a few meetings at conferences or elsewhere, but he was always kind and generous. He will be known to many more people for his daunting list of publications, from the very specialised and technical to his comprehensive surveys for students.

Derek Gregory has a tribute at Geographical Imaginations; Clive Barnett at Pop Theory.

Romanic Review theme issue: – “Category Crossings: Bruno Latour and Medieval Modes of Existence” – freely available online for three months

Bruno Latour’s philosophical project has long been conceived as a critique of modernity, starting with Enlightenment dualisms (nature/culture, words/things, sacred/secular) and extending to the Cyber Age’s promise of unmediated access to knowledge (what Latour calls “Double Click”). The contributors to “Category Crossings,” guest-edited by Marilynn Desmond and Noah D. Guynn, consider the relevance of Latour’s critique for the study of the medieval premodern and ask how his call for a renewal of metaphysics—and for a diplomatic encounter between the various modes of existence—might be used to defamiliarize modern intellectual habits. Read the issue, free for three months, here.

More details here.

Online launch of “Critical Zones” exhibition at ZKM (video and links)

Fri, 22.05., 6 pm (CEST): OPENING Sat–Sun, 23.–24.05.2020: STREAMING FESTIVAL The exhibition “Critical Zones – Observatories for Earthly Politics” about the critical situation of the earth falls through the Corona crisis into a critical time. A new earth policy also requires a new exhibition policy: We are broadcasting! The growing exhibition at the ZKM will be combined with a digital exhibition that will also be rising steadily. The museum will become a “home museum” with a virtual accompanying program. On May 22, 2020 from 6 pm, the exhibition will open with a streaming festival lasting several days, which will span the weekend of May 22–24, 2020. The program will consist of streamed guided tours through the virtual space as well as through the real, but not public exhibition, and will include interviews and lectures. We cordially invite you to the virtual exhibition opening on May 22, 2020 at 6 pm! // HIGHLIGHTS: Introduction with Bruno Latour & Peter Weibel // Guided tour through the virtual exhibition // “Anthropocene Lecture” (Bruno Latour) // screening play “Moving Earth”/ Lecture “Earth Tidings” // Filmscreening & Talk with Donna Haraway: “Storytelling for Earthly Survival” // Walk across the ZKM orchard

To mark the opening of the exhibition there is a free virtual opening and streaming festival, including guided tours, interviews, talks, discussions, film screenings and more – with Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, Peter Weibel, Jennifer Gabrys, Eyal Weizman, Alexandra Arènes, Soheil Hajmirbaba, Marie-Claire Pierret, Jan Zalasiewicz, Bettina Korintenberg, Barbara Kiolbassa, Tim Lenton, Sébastien Dutreuil, Simon Schaffer, Joseph Leo Koerner, Ali Gharib, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Emanuele Coccia, Vinciane Despret, Frédérique Aït-Touati, Adam G. Riess, Bruce Clarke, John Feldman and many others. This includes free online screenings of Donna Haraway: Story Telling for Earthly Survival by Fabrizio Terranova and Symbiotic Earth: How Lynn Margulis Rocked the Boat and Started a Scientific Revolution by John Feldman. You can find the programme here, the livestream here, the digital edition of the exhibition here.

thanks to dmf for the link