Details of the Researcher

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Tink James Michael
Section
Graduate School of Arts and Letters
Job title
Professor
e-Rad No.
40459657

Research History 2

  • 2024/04 - Present
    Tohoku University, Graduate School of Arts and Letters　Department of English Literature

  • 2010/04 - Present
    Tohoku University　English Literature, Graduate school of Arts and Letters

Education 3

  • University of Sussex　Graduate School of Humanities　Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

    1993/10 - 1999/02

  • University Of Sussex　Graduate School of Humanities　MA (English Literature)

    1992/10 - 1993/07

  • University Of East Anglia　School of English and American Studies　BA (Honours) English Literature with English History (First Class)

    1989/10 - 1992/07

Research Interests 1

  • English Literature, Literary Studies, Shakespeare, Early-Modern English Literature, Cultural Studies, Literary Theory, Poetry and Poetics

Awards 2

  1. Three Year Research Scholarship (PhD)

    1993/10　British Academy

  2. M.A One Year Scholarship

    1992/10　British Academy

Papers 26

  1. Shakespeare and the Grotesque: Shock, Horror, Laughter. Invited Peer-reviewed

    Shakespeare Review　60　(4)　827-851　2025/01

  2. The Future of Andrew Marvell: Futurity in the Lyric Poems Peer-reviewed

    Critical Survey　36　(2)　58-74　2024/07

  3. Horrible Imaginings: Jan Kott, the Grotesque, and “Macbeth, Macbeth” Peer-reviewed

    James Tink

    Multicultural Shakespeare: Translation, Appropriation and Performance　24　(39)　71-85　2022/03/15

    Publisher: Uniwersytet Lodzki (University of Lodz)

    DOI： 10.18778/2083-8530.24.05 　

    ISSN： 2083-8530

    eISSN： 2300-7605

    More details Close

    Throughout Jan Kott’s Shakespeare Our Contemporary, a keyword for the combination of philosophical, aesthetic and modern qualities in Shakespearean drama is “grotesque.” This term is also relevant to other influential studies of early-modern drama, notably Mikhail Bakhtin’s idea of the carnivalesque, as well as Wolfgang Kayser’s psychoanalytic criticism. Yet if this tradition of the Shakespearean grotesque has problematized an idea of the human and of humanist values in literature, can this also be understood in posthuman terms? This paper proposes a reading of Kott’s criticism of the grotesque to suggest where it indicates a potential interrogation of the human and posthuman in Shakespeare, especially at points where the ideas of the grotesque or absurdity indicate other ideas of causation, agency or affect, such as the “grand mechanism” It will then argue for the continuing relevance of Kott’s work by examining a recent work of Shakespearean adaptation as appropriation, the 2016 novel Macbeth, Macbeth by Ewan Fernie and Simon Palfrey which attempts a provocative and transgressive retelling of Macbeth that imagines a ‘sequel’ to the play that emphasises ideas of violence and ethics. The paper argues that this creative intervention should be best understood as a continuation of Kott’s idea of the grotesque in Shakespeare, but from the vantage point of the twenty-first century in which the grotesque can be understood as the modification or even disappearance of the human. Overall, it is intended to show how the reconsideration of the grotesque may elaborate questions of being and subjectivity in our contemporary moment just as Kott’s study reflected his position in the Cold War.

  4. Make Imaginary Puissance: Force, Labour and Imagination in Henry V Peer-reviewed

    James Tink

    Work, Work Your Thoughts: Henry V Revisited. Editors Sophie Chairi and Sophie Lemercier-Goddard. UP Blaise Pascal.　89-106　2021/07

  5. Timon of Athens in the Downturn Invited Peer-reviewed

    James Tink

    Shakespeare and Money. Edited by Graham Holderness. Berghahn Books.　97-108　2020

  6. Approaching Apocalypse: The Typology of Animals in Nicola Barker's In the Approaches Peer-reviewed

    James Tink

    Seeing Animals After Derrida, edited by James Tink and Sarah Bezan, Lexington　227-242　2018

  7. Strangers, Citizens and Saints in Shakespeare's London Invited Peer-reviewed

    James Tink

    London and Literature 1603-1901, edited by Barnaby Ralph, Angela Kikue Davenport and You Nakatsuma　1-16　2017/01

  8. The Pieties of the Death Sentence in Kazuo Ishiguro’sNever Let Me Go Invited Peer-reviewed

    James Tink

    Parallax　22　(1)　22-36　2016/01/02

    Publisher: Informa UK Limited

    DOI： 10.1080/13534645.2015.1135519 　

    ISSN： 1353-4645

    eISSN： 1460-700X

  9. Active and Contemplative Labour in The Tempest Invited

    James Tink

    Prismatic Shakespeare from the Renaissance to the Twenty-First Century. Edited by Kumiko Hoshi et. al.　76-88　2013/05

  10. Expose Thyself to What Wretches Feel: The Figure of Bare Life in King Lear and Timon of Athens Peer-reviewed

    Shakespeare Studies　43　37-61　2005/06

  11. What is the Matter with Literary Studies? A Modest Proposal on Teaching English Literature

    James Tink

    Annual Report of the Graduate School of Letters, Tohoku University　75　97-106　2026/03

  12. "Knock,Knock, Knock, who's there?"Hospitality and the Gothic in Macbeth

    Bunka　87　(1-2)　1-11　2024/03

  13. Events and Unevents in Lyric Poetry: Geoffrey Hill's Clavics

    James Tink

    Tohoku University School of Arts and Letters Annual Report　72　27-40　2023/03

  14. The Sense of Triumph: Reading Kazuo Ishiguro's Fiction of the World

    James Tink

    Bunka　(85)　255-268　2022/08

  15. What is Intercultural Feeling? On Reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day

    Bunka　83　111-120　2019/09

  16. The Pre-Romantic Sublime and The English Revolution: Poetry of the 1650s Invited

    James Tink

    Tohoku Romantic Studies　(6)　1-23　2019

  17. The Perception of Ariel: Understanding Labour in The Tempest

    Annual Report of the Graduate School of Arts, Tohoku University　65　187-196　2016/03

  18. Translating Transcendence: R.H.Blyth, Zen and English Poetry

    Annual Report of the Graduate School of Letters, Tohoku University　64　188-200　2015/04

  19. Don't look Back in Anger: The Postwar in Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go

    Proceedings of the 86th General Meeting of the English Literary Society of Japan　42-45　2015

  20. Staging Timon of Athens in the Downturn Peer-reviewed

    Shakespeare Review ( Shakespeare Association of Korea)　50　(5)　155-170　2015

  21. Teaching the History Plays in Japan

    Teaching Shakespeare (British Shakespeare Association)　(6)　12-13　2014

  22. The Futurity of Andrew Marvell: The Figure of the Future in Marvell's Lyric Poetry. Peer-reviewed

    Shiron　46　1-24　2011/10

  23. The Place of Shakespeare: Shakespearean Performance and Cultural Production in Britain

    Essays and Studies in British and American Literature　(56)　39-52　2010/03

  24. Globalisation and Literature: Reading Yoko Tawada

    Hikaku Bunka　(54)　17-20　2008

  25. Remembering the Good Old Cause: The Last Speeches of the Regicides in Restoration England

    Policy Research (Chuo University)　13　225-236　2006/03

  26. What is Lost In Paradise Lost?

    Policy Research (Chuo University)　12　179-195　2005/03

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Misc. 3

  1. Review of "Where the Wild Ladies Are." By Aoka Matsuda

    James Tink

    Wasafiri　(102)　97-98　2020/06

  2. Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II in Performance: London and Tokyo September and October 2013 Peer-reviewed

    Shakespeare Studies (Japan)　52　42-45　2014

  3. Review of 'As You Like It' (Film directed by Kenneth Branagh) Peer-reviewed

    Shakespeare News (Shakespeare Society of Japan)　48　(1)　31-36　2008/09

Books and Other Publications 3

  1. Seeing Animals After Derrida

    James Tink, Sarah Bezan

    Lexington, USA　2018

    ISBN: 9781498540599

  2. Yonaoshi : visions of a better world

    Craig, Christopher (College teacher), Fongaro, Enrico, Milasi, Luca, Tink, James

    Mimesis International　2022/08/23

    ISBN: 8869774031

  3. Images, philosophy, communication : aesthetics and thought in Japan and the world

    Craig, Christopher, Fongaro, Enrico, Milani, Raffaele, Tink, James

    Mimesis international　2021/07/26

    ISBN: 8869773302

Presentations 37

  1. The Slow Worm of Simultaneity: Basil Bunting's Briggflatts and History's Disquiet

    Global Modernism and Simultaneity, University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus.　2024/09/14

  2. Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair: Shakespeare and the Grotesque

    Between Proximity and Distance: The Shakespeare Association of Korea 60th Anniversary Conference　2023/10/27

  3. What is the Matter with Literature? Literary Studies against Cultural Studies

    Liberlit 12: Core Concepts, Key Ideas: What Really Matters in Literary Studies? Nihon University, Colleges of Humanities and Sciences　2025/06/14

  4. What Stories do we tell when we tell Stories: Literature in the Classroom

    J-CLIL Tohoku Branch 7th Conference , Tohoku University　2024/06/22

  5. No Feelings: The Limits of Empathy in Teaching Literature Invited

    Liberlit 2024 Seikei University　2024/06/15

  6. Shakespeare and the Grotesque International-presentation

    James Tink

    Asian Shakespeare Association: 5th meeting　2022/11/12

  7. Abraham Cowley and Embarrassment International-presentation Invited

    James Tink

    What's In a Name? Reassessing Marginalised Figures from the Early Modern Period in Britain. Kings College. London, UK　2022/08/25

  8. “Poetry Makes Nothing Happen": Lyric Poetry and the Non-Event.

    James Tink

    ACLA 2022 (American Comparative Literature Association)　2022/06/17

  9. Kazuo Ishiguro and the Uses of the World in Global Fiction

    James Tink

    Uses of Literature, University of Southern Denmark　2021/11/04

  10. Shakespeare and Piety

    James Tink

    11th World Shakespeare Congress　2021/07/24

  11. A Sense of Triumph’: Unimagining the World in Kazuo Ishiguro.

    James Tink

    ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) Annual Meeting　2021/04/11

  12. Grotesque Shakespeare and Adaptation International-presentation

    James Tink

    Intersections in Shakespare: Asian Shakespeare Association 4th Conference　2020/11/06

  13. "Knock,knock,knock. Who's there?" Space, Hospitality and the Gothic in Macbeth

    James Tink

    Gothic Spaces　2019/10/15

  14. What is Intercultural Understanding? Using Literary texts in the classroom.

    James Tink

    Second J-CLIL Tohoku Chapter Conference　2019/06/15

  15. Reading, Feeling: and Being "Intercultural":The ends of the Novel

    Liberlit 2019　2019/06/01

  16. "What ish My Nation?" Shakespearean Politics in Modern British Drama

    Seminar "Shakespeare and British Culture since 1960",English Literary Society of Japan Annual Meeting 90　2019/05/19

  17. The Critic as Ghost: Macbeth and Appropriation International-presentation

    James Tink

    ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) Meeting 2019　2019/03/07

  18. The Pre-Romantic Sublime and the English Revolution: Poetry of the 1650s

    Tohoku Romantic Studies (Fall Semester Meeting)　2018/12/08

  19. Teaching English Literature in Japan

    The First J-CLIL Tohoku Branch Meeting　2018/06/16

  20. Moving Words: Shakespearean Pieties in novel adaptations International-presentation

    Asian Shakespeare Association 3rd Meeting　2018/05/29

  21. Pieties of the Post-Secular Lyric in British Poetry International-presentation

    ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association)m 2018　2018/03/30

  22. Marlowe's Mighty Line and Shakespeare's Puissance: Henry V

    Interdisciplinary Shakespeare: Beyond Theory (Shakespeare Association of Korea)　2017/10/27

  23. Interviewers, Interrogators and Literary Detectives International-presentation

    ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) 2017　2017/07/08

  24. Horrible Histories: fantasy and nativism in the Henriad

    Asian Shakespeare Association 2nd Meeting　2016/12/03

  25. In the Quick Forge and Working House of Thought: The Fantasy of Labour in Henry V

    Shakespeare Society of Japan Annual Meeting 11　2016/10/08

  26. Objects, Actors and Workspace in the Gravedigger Scene

    Seminar “Hamlet 5.1”, 10th World Shakespeare Congress 2016　2016/08/03

  27. Shakespeare: Art and Show Business. Invited

    James Tink

    From Entertainment to Art: The Evolution of Cultural Practices: Sixth international Symposium on Comparative Culture　2016/06/18

  28. The World We Have Lost: Basil Bunting and Briggflatts

    James Tink

    ACLA 2016, Harvard University, USA　2016/03/18

  29. Approaching Animals in Nicola Barker's In The Approaches

    ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) Meeting 2015　2015/03/27

  30. Industrious Servant: Perceptions of Labour in The Tempest International-presentation

    Australia and New Zealand Shakespeare Association Biannual Conference 2014　2014/10/02

  31. Ariel's Journey: The Tempest, Labour and Transformation International-presentation

    1st Conference of Asian Shakespeare Association: Shakespearean Journeys　2014/05/16

  32. Holding on: The Pietties of Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go

    ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) Meeting 2014　2014/03/23

  33. The Zen of English Literature: R.H. Blyth International-presentation

    Third International Symposium of Comparative Culture: Transform, Transfigure, Transcend　2013/06/15

  34. Strangers, Citizens and Saints in Henry VIII International-presentation

    The 9th World Shakespeare Congress　2011/07/18

  35. New Synergies in Contemporary British Shakespeare Performance

    Daniel Gallimore, Kyoko Matsuyama, Tomonari Kuwayama, Yimi Sato

    48th Meeting Shakespeare Society of Japan　2009/10/04

  36. Shakespeare's Idea of the Future

    46th Meeting of the Shakespeare Society of Japan　2007/10/06

  37. Somersaults and Contradictions The Failure of Utopia in Kenzaburo Oe

    Asian Studies in Japan 10th Conference　2006/06/24

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Teaching Experience 9

  1. English Literature　Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University Graduate (liberal arts)

  2. English Literature (Associate Professor)　Tokyo Woman's Christian University

  3. Part-Time Lecturer in English　University of Tokyo (Komaba Campus) Undergraduate (liberal arts)

  4. (Part-Time) English Literature　International Christian University, Tokyo. Undergraduate (specialized)

  5. Lecturer in English　Faculty of Policy Studies, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan

  6. English Literature, School of English (assistant professor)　Middlesex University, London, UK Undergraduate (specialized)

  7. (Adjunct Lecturer) English Literature　School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire Undergraduate (specialized)

  8. Adjunct Lecturer in English Literature　University of Sussex Undergraduate (specialized)

  9. Teaching Assistant The School of English　University of Sussex Undergraduate (specialized)

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Media Coverage 1

  1. The Industrious Servant: James Tink on servants and labour in Shakespeare's The Tempest

    Cassidy Cash (USA)　That Shakespeare Life Podcast episode 129　https://www.cassidycash.com/ep-129-the-industrious-servant-with-james-tink/

    2020/10

    Type: Internet

Academic Activities 1

  1. External examiner for M. Phil degree.

    2020/05/06 - 2020/05/06

    Activity type: Scientific advice/Review