Vermont Humanities

Peter Burns

Woman leading a book discussion group with a book open on her lap
Reading and Discussion

Peter Burns in a gray and yellow jacket with a red shirt underneathPeter Burns started leading book discussions for the Humanities Council in 1989. Since then he has led hundreds of programs throughout Vermont. A passionate lifelong reader, he is particularly interested in helping to create lively discussions. Burns enjoys doing a deep dive into whatever book he is presenting.

Recently he has studied the Roman Empire, quantum physics, and the history of slavery.  He has an abiding interest in 19th and early 20th Century English and American writers.

Travel Radius

Chittenden

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Phone: (802) 399-7095

Vermont Humanities*** March 3, 2025

A woman with gray hair wearing a blue shirt reads from a music stand in front of a seated crowd in a state park

Our seasonal “Words in the Woods” program allows Vermonters and visitors to enjoy our state’s natural beauty while listening to and reading literature in the outdoors.

Middle school students in costume on stage during Shakespeare play

Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.

Rep. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin with students in front of a schoolbus

We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”

African man in dark pants and shirt leading a group of children in a dance in a school gymnasium

We supported the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Global Connections Youth Outreach program, which highlights artists from around the world.

Woman raising her hand during a public event

Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.