In the context of an academic exchange with the National Dong Hwa University in Hualien (Taiwan), I gave a talk on November 12, 2020. It was exciting to exchange ideas with professor Jen-yi Hsu and the English Literature students, most of whom were following a dystopian literature class focused on the wonderful science fiction writings by Octavia E. Butler.
During the lecture I traced what we could learn from Butler’s vision (especially as expressed in her unfinished Earthseed-trilogy) when reflecting on ecological activism and future imagination today.
It was my first time visiting the (huge) campus, but not my first time in Hualien. Earlier during my field research stay, from March until June, I investigated and filmed within indigenous contexts in the Hualien mountain area. To be continued…
