Writing the Archives

Led by Professors Ana Paulina Lee & Biswamit Dwibedy

CW5091: Writing the Archives 
CL3100: The Poetic Experience 
EN2020F: Writing and Criticism 
EN2020L: Writing and Criticism 
CL4000: Advanced Creative Writing Workshop 
CL2054: Latin American and Spanish Literature
EN1010E: College Writing

How can writing engage with the archives and visual material while reflecting on the past and imagining new futures for the world? On this trip, Lisbon becomes a contact zone for thinking empire as both an infrastructure of reason and an engine of myth. Students will engage with colonial archives and museological practices that turned Asia and Africa into Europe’s “elsewhere.” Each visit emphasizes material culture (maps, saints, spices, statues, bureaucratic files) as instruments of enchantment and domination. The program culminates in field notes and creative sketches that feed into The Enchantment Lab final project as well as creative pieces that engage with what is archived and what can only be imagined.

Trip cost: €870
Includes round trip transportation to the destination, accommodation with breakfast, one group meal, local visits, professors trip cost and VAT.

Last day to register/cancel: January 18, 2026 • Late cancelation fee: Full cost of the trip
Payment for study trips must be made no later than January 30 for the Spring 2026 semester. Any concerns in this regard should be addressed to the Cultural Program Office and Student Accounting Services.