Raven Foundation Essay Winner
To broaden awareness of mimetic theory, the Raven Foundation sponsored a contest for the essay that best communicates the theme of the 2010 Colloquium on Violence and Religion (COV&R) conference, Transforming Violence: Cult, Culture, and Acculturation, to mainstream audiences.
The submissions covered a wide range of topics including gossip, the Warsaw ghetto, misbehaving footballers, the television series Mad Men, the atomic bomb, and the blockbuster movie Avatar.
The prize winning submission by Matthew Packer, Assistant Professor of English at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake is titled “Better at Being American than America”: The Chinese Copy, Too – Like We Do. In his essay, Packer highlights the economic mimicry and rivalry growing between the United States and China. The submissions earning Honorable Mentions are Vanessa Avery’s Watchmen and Mimetic Theory: Are We Ready for Rorschach?, Benjamin Barber’s South Park: Wannabes, Victims and The Death Camp of Tolerance and Anthony W. Bartlett’s Dissing or Kissing.
The winning essayists will present their papers during the COV&R conference which will be held at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana from June 30 – July 4, 2010. Copies of the essays are available on the Raven Foundation web site.
