Vermont Humanities Calendar of Events by County
Addison
March 7 — The Revolutionary Achievements of the American People. Distinguished Northwestern University professor T.H. Breen argues that the people—often with no guidance from the Founding Fathers—established the foundations for an enduring civil society during a period of extraordinary political turmoil.A First Wednesdays lecture. Hosted by the Ilsley Public Library. Middlebury, Ilsley Public Library, 75 Main St, 7:00 pm. Chris Kirby, (802) 388-4095.
March 15 — Disappearing Alphabets and the Future of the Written Word. What does the age of Digital Convergence, Twitter, and eBooks mean for the future of the written word? Writer/carver/painter Tim Brookes offers remarkable and thought-provoking perspective on this question by looking at thirteen forms of writing from all over the world that are in danger of extinction. He displays a sample of each script, leading a discussion on how technology will help —and always has helped—define the nature of communication, and shows how the story of a culture can be seen in its writing—even if that writing is (as in these examples) beautiful, bizarre, utterly unfamiliar, and disappearing. Hosted by the Bixby Memorial Free Library. Vergennes, Bixby Memorial Free Library, 258 Main St, 7:00 pm. Karlene DeVine, (802) 877-6392.
April 4 — Religion and Identity in the Near East. Former president of Kenyon and Carleton Colleges and Religion scholar Rob Oden considers how constructs from the ancient Near East inform Westerners’ identity, the Near East’s transition to Islam, and what Islam shares with and how it departs from Judaism and Christianity.A First Wednesdays lecture. Hosted by the Ilsley Public Library. Middlebury, Ilsley Public Library, 75 Main St, 7:00 pm. Chris Kirby, (802) 388-4095.
May 2 — The Life and Times of Thelonious Monk. Artistic Director of the Vermont Jazz Center Eugene Uman considers the life and improvisational style of American jazz pianist and composer Thelonius Monk, widely considered one of the giants of American music.A First Wednesdays lecture. Hosted by the Ilsley Public Library. Middlebury, Ilsley Public Library, 75 Main St, 7:00 pm. Chris Kirby, (802) 388-4095.
July 11 — A Sense of Place: Vermont's Farm Legacy. The character of a place is shaped by its cultural heritage and folklife, the informal traditions of family and community that guide the ways in which a person plans a meal, treats a neighbor, or understands civic responsibility. In Vermont the cultural legacy of farming has strongly influenced the identity of Vermonters, and it is these distinctive traditions, which have persisted even with the decline in farm numbers, that help make the state unique. This lecture by Gregory Sharrow explores the fabric of farm culture in the past and probes its relationship to the world of Vermont today. Hosted by the New Haven Historical Society. New Haven Congregational Church, Town Hill Road, 7:00 pm. Patricia Sheffert, (802) 453-2999.
July 19 — More than Books: Reflections on Libraries, Community and Historic Preservation. Museum scholar, preservationist and photographer Bill Hosley examines almost 200 years of American library history with a special focus on New England and its many municipal and research libraries. This armchair tour and examination of library history reminds us of the richness of New England’s (and Vermont’s) heritage and the states’ commitment to life-learning and broad social access to ideas. Hosted by the Bixby Memorial Free Library. Vergennes, Bixby Memorial Free LIbrary, 258 Main St, 7:00 pm. Karlene DeVine, (802) 877-6392.
Bennington
February 21 — Book Discussion: Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam by James McPherson and America's War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on Their 150th Anniversaries anthology edited by Edward L. Ayers. Part of the Making Sense of the American Civil War series. Developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association, this Civil War sesquicentennial commemorative series uses works of historical fiction and interpretation, speeches, diaries, memoirs, biographies, and short stories to examine a broad range of perspectives in an exploration of the American Civil War. Led by Eric A. Bye. Hosted by the Dorset Village Library. Dorset Village Library, 10:00 am. Barbara Howland, (802) 867-5376.
February 28 — Book Discussion: America's War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on Their 150th Anniversaries anthology edited by Edward L. Ayers. Part of the Making Sense of the American Civil War series. Developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association, this Civil War sesquicentennial commemorative series uses works of historical fiction and interpretation, speeches, diaries, memoirs, biographies, and short stories to examine a broad range of perspectives in an exploration of the American Civil War. Led by Eric A. Bye. Hosted by the Dorset Village Library. Dorset Village Library, 10:00 am. Barbara Howland, (802) 867-5376.
March 7 — Winslow Homer and the Civil War. Marc Simpson, American art history scholar at Williams College and the Clark Art Institute, explores the early career of Winslow Homer, whose first paintings illustrated the Civil War—the battlefields, the camps, and the war’s effects on the home front. A First Wednesdays lecture. Hosted by the Mark Skinner Library. Manchester, First Congregational Church, 7:00 pm. Cindy Waters, (802) 362-2607.
April 4 — If You Don’t Want Your Slave to Speak Freely, You Should Forbid Him to Sing! In this performance lecture, Middlebury College Artist-in-Residence Dr. Francois Clemmons illustrates how the Negro Spiritual grew out of slaves’ experiences.A First Wednesdays lecture. Hosted by the Mark Skinner Library. Manchester, First Congregational Church, 7:00 pm. Cindy Waters, (802) 362-2607.
May 2 — Welfare Brat. Dr. Mary Childers's childhood in the Bronx was marred by violence, alcoholism, and neglect. Referencing her own story, she discusses paths out of poverty and away from welfare dependence, as well as ethical issues associated with publishing memoirs.A First Wednesdays lecture. Hosted by the Mark Skinner Library. Manchester, First Congregational Church, 7:00 pm. Cindy Waters, (802) 362-2607.
May 5 — Of Burqas and Bikinis: Afghani Women and the War on Terror. This slide presentation by Sanjukta Ghosh focuses on how media constructions of Afghani women were used to mobilize war against an already beleaguered nation. Using images from mainstream as well as alternative media such as the feminist press, it shows that the rhetoric of the media and their neat cultural icons was reminiscent of that used by Victorian feminists. In making this analogy, the presentation brings into focus how Muslim women's images have been used throughout history to further social and political ends. Hosted by the American Association of University Women, Bennington Branch. Manchester, The Inn at Willow Pond, Route 7A North, 11:30 am. Mary P. Feidner, (802) 442-5441.