A Diffractive Reading

Abstract

Towards the end of the editing process, we started to see the book as something more than a collection of chapters around a theme: as an assemblage, which included, of course, the community of authors. When we put out the first call for contributions in May 2018, most authors volunteered a contribution rather quickly, others joined a bit later, and some dropped out for different reasons, underlining the dynamic nature of our assemblage. In pre-pandemic times, we met on and off campus, introduced some of our ideas at conferences, and had a workshop day to brainstorm, plan chapters, and reflect on the process and the purpose of the book. We were connected by common meals, jokes, writing, thinking, and by annoying and challenging each other as colleagues and collaborators. Sometimes, we managed to give space to the other lives we lead: our families, homes, and hobbies. We are thankful that these were invited into our work and being-together. This chapter provides a concluding diffraction, not only as a metaphor of a prism that collects and reconfigures our varied ideas, but as a socio-material view into the book process itself.