Bad Criticism with Andrea Long Chu & Rachel Hunter Himes

This event is part of the , presented in partnership with Critical Minded.

When and why does criticism fail, and who tends to be failed by bad criticism? How has the fixation on identity prevented writers—and the public—from making clear-eyed assessments of creative work? And how do these failures and their impacts differ across disciplines?

For Bad Criticism, Andrea Long Chu and Rachel Hunter Himes will chart how the perception of an artist or writer’s identity as “marginal,” and thus inherently political, often erects a barrier between a critic and their object and, subsequently, the object and its potential audience. The work of Black artists, for instance, has long been treated as “Black art,” a genre that relies only on the artists’ identity, grouping work that may have little in common formally or conceptually. Biography, rather than an encounter with the work itself, takes over the critical assessment. As Himes, a critic and scholar, writes in a forthcoming essay for Triple Canopy, “When a practice of discrimination honed to exclude the political from the aesthetic meets a people historically produced as political, the outcome is a critical failure.”

Himes and Chu will consider how these tendencies have come into being in writing (and thinking) about art and literature, and how they might be combated. In doing so, they will examine the continuities and differences in the way critics treat art and artists versus literature and writers. The conversation will be moderated by Rachel Ossip, Triple Canopy’s deputy editor.

Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee entry if the event reaches capacity before you arrive. Roulette is wheelchair-accessible. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee entry if the event reaches capacity before you arrive. Roulette is wheelchair-accessible. Email Zack Wilks, Deputy Director, for more information: [email protected].

Worker Coffee will be on site selling coffee and tea. Tapes, publications, and wares will be available from PTP.

Beverages have been graciously provided by Grimm Artisanal Ales, Narragansett Brewing Company, and Zev Rovine Selections.

About the Symposium
Triple Canopy’s annual symposium is a manifestation of the magazine’s concerns and collaborations, in person and in real time. The two-day gathering brings together artists, writers, performers, and researchers to address the role of culture in responding (or contributing) to a range of critical issues.

The 2025 Triple Canopy Symposium is presented in partnership with Critical Minded and hosted by Roulette. All Symposium programming will be livestreamed by Roulette.

Host or Publisher Triple Canopy