The Making of a Conference
Conferences exist. Many know this.
Everywhere something is done. Some one does it. When it is finished, it’s done.
Some do things. In conferences people do things. Everyone who belongs to a conference does things. Everyone does it in a way that’s natural to them. It is not always completely natural. Sometimes it is completely natural and sometimes it’s not.
Some are doing it in a conference. There are a lot of people doing things. There are enough, many kinds of them.
If one doesn’t stop speaking that means they are still speaking. If they are speaking, speaker becomes part of their identity. This happens when they are approaching speaking as well. Everyone who speaks at the conference has said things before.
Some people repeat what they see someone else in the conference do. The other people repeat also. Some repeat what they saw someone at another conference do. For some, their lives are repeating what’s generally done in conferences.
Everyone in a conference has at one point listened to someone else in the conference. Everyone is louder than someone else. One can go from the quietest to the loudest in the conference.
Some of the repeaters speak more than most of the conference. Some listen more in the conference. Some of the repeaters listen to some and speak to others in the conference.
Conferences do things their own way. Sometimes they sustain themselves in that way, and sometimes their ways change. Sometimes people in conferences do things one way when they are listeners and continue doing them that way when they are speakers even though they are now speakers.
Everyone in a conference knows each other. Everyone knows each other especially when they don’t know each other. Everyone in the conference doesn’t know that someone else is doing something, and repeating that thing. Everyone in the conference is also repeating an act that no one else in the conference knows about. Everyone in the conference knows that everyone else in the conference is repeating a secret act.
Everyone thinks some in the conference are not saying certain things. They also think they are saying certain things. Someone in the conference needs everyone else to feel certain that they’ll remain part of the conference.
Someone in the conference needs everyone in the conference not to say a specific thing. Someone needs everyone to say a specific thing. Everyone in the conference knows when the other members are saying or not saying something.
A member of the conference needs to be certain everyone will not say something. A member needs to be certain everyone will say a specific thing.
Conferences have speakers in them that will stop. If one doesn’t stop before they have the chance to say enough, they will say too much and stop.
One member remembers things about the conference and then someone else remembers that person who’s remembering.
Many remember conferences exist. Many remember conferences can exist. Many remember conferences can continue to exist.
If everyone in the conference stops, and no one new begins, that conference ceases to exist. If there are any still speaking and listening, there is still a conference. Some in the conference can keep speaking, and people can expect and remember that. They can remember the expectation of it. If everyone stops, no one remembers anything. Any conference that exists has someone that remembers something about it.
Bio:
Cassandra Seltman is a writer and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City. Selected publications can be found in LA Review of Books, Flash Art, DIVISION/Review, Studies in Gender and Sexuality, May Revue, and Parapraxis Magazine.
Publication Date:
August 11th, 2026