Carly Thomsen

She has left already so this might be too relevant, but she is an interesting instructor. The class was an intellectually transformative course that challenged conventional frameworks for thinking about gender, sexuality, and identity. The course asked us not only to engage with theory as an abstract body of knowledge, but also to consider how these ideas intervene in politics, culture, and lived experience.

She has left already so this might be too relevant, but she is an interesting instructor. The class was an intellectually transformative course that challenged conventional frameworks for thinking about gender, sexuality, and identity. The course asked us not only to engage with theory as an abstract body of knowledge, but also to co …Read more

I had such an unbelievably poor experience with this instructor. As others have pointed out, for scholar of critical theory, who admittedly is incredibly accomplished and knowledgeable in her field, she expects her students to uncritically reproduce the theory that is featured in the class in such a fashion that completely defeats the purpose of critical thinking. We were told to shoulder the entire burden of our projects, each a hole in a feminism-themed mini golf course, but when the actual exhibition debuted, none of our names were on our projects and we received no verbal recognition for our work. I felt so exploited and violated by this experience that I couldn’t stomach making art again for almost two years. I cannot imagine a person who does a poorer job of putting into practice the ideals and political projects which they espouse.

I had such an unbelievably poor experience with this instructor. As others have pointed out, for scholar of critical theory, who admittedly is incredibly accomplished and knowledgeable in her field, she expects her students to uncritically reproduce the theory that is featured in the class in such a fashion that completely defeats th …Read more

Intro to Queer Critique is a beast of a class. It expects a lot of students, with 2-3 difficult articles for each class, expecting deep engagement with each. Class discussions were frequently enlightening, and the materials were engaging. However, as might be surprising for a class on Queer Critique, while many critiques are read for the class, the course demands *un*critical acceptance of those critiques. As a result, this was perhaps the least critical course I have taken at Middlebury College. While the material was radically illuminating, do not expect to find room for objection to that material; the expectation is that you incorporate, understand, and represent the texts, not that you critically assess them. Additionally, Carly Thomsen is, without doubt, an academic superstar, but she expects similar engagement from her students, and is notoriously unaccommodating to students with accessibility needs despite her engagement with theories from disability studies. Was my life changed by this class? Absolutely. Just know what you're in for before you take the plunge.

Intro to Queer Critique is a beast of a class. It expects a lot of students, with 2-3 difficult articles for each class, expecting deep engagement with each. Class discussions were frequently enlightening, and the materials were engaging. However, as might be surprising for a class on Queer Critique, while many critiques are read for …Read more