In this phEminar, we introduce an intervention into practice that explores the refusal of the belittlement and rejection culture of academia, focusing on scholarly publishing, and specifically on peer review. As a production of a creative project that the two of us worked on together, we created an affirmative peer-reviewing practices workshop that presented an alternative vision and tools for conducting affirmative, rigorous peer reviews that, rather than cutting down or serving as a stoppage for potential authors, seeks to provide a supportive experience that produces very different affects. We argue that this workshop, which we’ve since used with reviewers for a special issue and for faculty professional development, serves as an example of an alternative, affirmative vision for academia that can help to build trans-disciplinary connections & solidarity and establish mentorship as a norm of peer-reviewing. As part of the phEminar, participants will engage directly in the workshop and then hold a facilitated audience discussion afterward.
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