Karen Barad Page


Notes on a book and some subsequent articles by K Barad, some commentaries and 'applications' of diffraction by fans.

Barad herself
Notes of a video presentation 2014
Meeting the Universe Halfway 2007
Diffracting Diffraction: Cutting Together–Apart. 2014
Troubling Time/s (written 10 years after the book, another diffractive reading with an experimental novella) (2017)
On Touching (nd)
Quantum Entanglement as Derrida's hauntology (2010)
On nothingness (develops more on the quantum vacuum as in the above) (2016)
Post-human performativity (a 2003 piece outlining the basics  of the 2007 book --dense theorising)
On Foucault and Butler (an early 1998 discussion -- the material is summarised in the 2007 book chapters 4 & 5. It does not describe her method as 'diffraction')
Interview 2012 ( good on the context in working with fellow physisicists who got fed up with being criticised etc) (the Finns 2012a)
Another interview in Mousse (on intra-action but also queerness. Really about the piece below. Tired circular terminology) (2012b)
Nature's queer performativity (Very long recap of much of the 2007 book. In  the Finnish journal. More explanation of the quantum eraser experiment. More examples of queer animals and phenomena and refs to Bagemihl below . Lots of repetition and mutually-supporting definitions tending to mystifying bullshit. Lots of references to people like Kirby or  Schrader who are used to support (2012c)
Interview in Dolphijn and van der Tuin's book (more clarity about diffracting feminism and physics, and the centrality of ethics) (2012d)
On trans sexuality (Barad 2015)

Quick summaries of book chapters

 
See also commentaries and 'applications':

Murris and Bozalek (advice for the would-be diffractor)
Murris and Bozalek (diffracting Barad and Deleuze)
Murris (on two progressive approaches)
Udén has an excellent critique based on a literature review of 51 'applications' of diffraction
Three examples of diffractive readings (Cheder, Lenz Taguchi & Palmer, Mazzei)
Geerts & van der Tuin (diffractive reading of de Beauvoir and Irigaray)
Lenz Taguchi on diffractively reading research data
Hollin et al on relations with 'mainstream' STS and the ethical implications of agential cuts as they exclude alternatives
Hill comparing reflective and diffractive teacher practitioners
Ulmer 'diffracting' Bennett and Anzaldúa to see that teacher leadership is complex
Sehgal 'diffracts' (works in) Whitehead -- why?
Lanas et al address some interesting work on how trainee teachers manage educational theory - not as resistance, they conclude but as diffraction
Pinch -- an excellent review and critique from a science studies perspective -- and see Barad's reply, using all the elements of her argument in the 2007 book.
Ahmed's polemic defending Butler et al ( and see van der Tuin's brief reply)
van der Tuin  diffracting Barad and Bergson
Commentaries in the Rhizomes special edition on Barad.
Several comparisons with Deleuze eg van der Tuin ( on diffraction)

(Variable) notes on books and articles Barad cites and sometimes 'diffracts'
Anzaldúa on indigenous knowledge, spirituality and social marginality
Bagemihl on homosexual animals (hilarious zoological positivism mostly)
Fernandes on worker relations in jute mills in India (hegemony problematic really)
Kirby page (V that is) on culture as nature and deconstruction via Derrida --includes a very useful critical piece on contexting the new materialism, including Barad. 
Schrader page -- gripping stuff on (complex) scientific disputes ending in Barad/Derrida
Ziarek --how to materialise Levinas and rescue him for feminism


Two more general discussion papers of my own:

Vol 1 -- a critical discussion on Barad on the applicability of quantum theory
Vol 2 -- a critical discussion of diffraction as a methodology in qualitative research