On this week's episode of Conceptually Speaking Elementary Lead Jess Mattei and I sit down with college professor turned content creator, Zoe Bee. While Zoe’s eponymous YouTube channel is a cornucopia of videos on composition, culture, and education she recently released a video that was near and dear to my nerdy English Heart—Are the Classics Dead? A Professor Explains. Throughout the video Zoe dives headfirst into the fraught framing around literary canon; what is it? Why does it exist? What are the systemic and structural forces that shape it? I won’t spoil the results, but it’s the type of binary-busting nuance that we love. Our conversation goes beyond the content of one video though, as we explore the writing process, the shifting tides of English Studies, and the intersections between her work in academia and as a Youtuber. At the heart of Zoe’s work and this episode though, is her deep passion for inquiry and ideas. As you’ll likely be able to tell, Jess and I were incredibly amped for this episode and it didn’t disappoint. Enjoy!
Zoe's YouTube Channel
Zoe's "Are the Classics Dead?" Video