overheard in ann arbor #2

an unlikely mix of academikish adults have gathered at the ann arbor public library. we are volunteers for a special project on women's history month, involving 120 4th and 5th grade kids. they haven't come yet. several of us express a certain level of anxiety about working with kids this age, but at the moment we are engaged in distributing sheets of colored paper, crayons, and scissors on tables in the large "all-purpose" room.

i pick up on a conversation in progress.

earnest english professor, long hair, black skirt: "Of course Lacan is a terrible sexist pig, but it's interesting that his theories can be turned around to explain some aspects of women's creativity."

hip social work grad student, shaved head: "Have you read Slavoj Zizek?"

she: "No, who is that?"

he: "A Slovenian philosopher. Very interesting on Lacan."

beautifully made-up young african-american woman: "I'm Slovenian."

me: "How do you spell his name?"

he: "S-l-a-v-o-j Z-i-z-e-k, with some accents."

i wrote it down with a purple crayon on a scrap of orange construction paper. i like names with two 'z's' in them.

at home i emailed my philosophy professor friend: "What about Slavoj Zizek?"

her speedy reply: "He is a very famous philosopher, who is fairly important for philosophers working in particular continental contexts. He's pretty radical -- you'd probably like him!"

indeed, Slavoj Zizek is all over the internet. i can't work out how to produce the correct accents.

my superficial knowledge of philosophy is growing every day.