Mieke Bal papers (Ms.2016.014)

This collection is mainly comprised of the professional papers of Mieke Bal, cultural theorist, critic, and video artist. Bal’s files include biographical information, correspondence, conference readers, teaching materials, drafts of manuscripts and other writings, published journal articles and newspaper columns, research material, and electronic records. The collection also includes files documenting Bal's visual art project's including "Landscapes of madness," "Madame B," "Mere Folle," and "Nothing is Missing." Items include scripts, publicity, and posters, among other items. Mike Bal's papers may be particulaly useful for scholars of visual culture and cultural theory, as well as film criticism.

The Mieke Bal papers are arranged into nine series.

Series 1, Biographical, contains a small set of files about Mieke Bal. Materials include interviews with Mieke Bal, awards and honors, and diplomas. Files are arranged alphabetically by record type then subject. Original folder titles are listed in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 2, Correspondence, contains letters to and by Mieke Bal. Topics include commitments, professional contracts, and correspondence with publishers. Files are arranged alphabetically by subject. Original folder titles are written in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 3, Conferences, contains readers and booklets, primarily from various Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis conferences. Topics include culture, memory, and identity. Files are arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by conference name. Original folder titles are written in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 4, Teaching, contains lectures and readers. Topics include migratory aesthetics, narrative theory, and cultural analysis. Files are arranged alphabetically by course. Original folder titles are written in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 5, Artworks, contains exhibition guides, press packets, fliers, and posters. Topics include "Landscapes of madness," "Madame B," "Mere Folle," and "Nothing is Missing." Files are arranged alphabetically by project. Original folder titles are written in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 6, Writings and Related, contains book reviews by and about Mieke Bal, drafts, and journal articles, newspaper columns, and lectures, published by Mieke Bal. Topics include "endless andness," "thinking in film," and narratology. Files are arranged alphabetically by record type and then topic. Original folder titles are written in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 7, Research, contains annotated readings and articles, and newspaper and magazine clippings. Topics include museum studies, pop culture politics, and visual culture. Files are arranged alphabetically by topic and then chronologically. Original folder titles are written in quotation marks while the remaining folder titles were created by the procesor.

Series 8, Electronic Records, contains DVDs, CDs, and MiniDV cassettes. Topics include Calcutta, Moscow, and Vera. Items are arranged into two boxes, A and B, then alphabetically by title on carrier where available.

Series 9, Oversize Material, contains oversize material pulled from throughout the collection. Items include exhibit and film posters, diplomas, and fliers about Mieke Bal, her artworks, and scholarship. Files are arranged in one catch-all oversize folder housed at the John Hay Library at Brown University.