In Ken Cadow’s Gather, Ian loses his home through no fault of his own, illustrating how Vermont’s housing landscape can be unfair and exclusive. Kahlia Livingston and Jess Hyman of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity discuss the roots of Vermont’s lack of affordable housing and describe potential approaches to reduce housing discrimination.
For five decades Jay Craven has written, produced, and directed character-driven films deeply rooted in Vermont and New England, including five films based on the works of Howard Frank Mosher. Craven describes working with actors such as Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal, Kris Kristofferson and Michael J. Fox, and shares the satisfactions and challenges that come from a deep immersion into place-based narrative.
In the 1970’s, writer David Budbill—a recent arrival to Wolcott, Vermont—was inspired by his own working-class background to shine a light on the lives of his new neighbors who were, in turns, beautiful, ingenious, struggling to survive, and completely overlooked by the powers that be. Presented by Nadine Budbill (David’s daughter and Literary Executor) this talk introduces David and his work, followed by a selection of his evocative and timeless poems.
The surrender at Saratoga of a British army under John Burgoyne, now almost 250 years ago, has long been called the decisive battle of the American Revolution. But perhaps Burgoyne was doomed after the Battle of Bennington, a bloody day of fighting along the Vermont border that happened two months before Saratoga? Historian Howard Coffin discusses the history-changing Burgoyne campaign.
Vermont law requires that our state budget addresses Vermonters’ right to health, housing, dignified work, education, food, social security, and a healthy environment. Although it’s a work of fiction, Gather by Kenneth Cadow shows us that all too often we fail to keep these promises to each other. Join Stephanie Yu, Executive Director of Public Assets Institute, to explore why and how our state policies are failing families like Ian’s.
Filmmakers have tackled issues of displacement, discrimination, exploitation, and assimilation in movies like Mississippi Masala (about Indians in the Deep South), The Other Side of Hope (Syrians in Finland) and Dirty Pretty Things (West Africans in London.) Film history expert Rick Winston shares clips from fifteen works that address one of the most pressing issues of our times.
In this presentation geared to readers 8 to 12 years old, author M. T. Anderson will discuss how living alone with a dog in the midst of the Covid shutdown in Vermont led to the writing of his Newbery Honor-winning fantasy Elf Dog & Owl Head.
Zines (pronounced “zeen” and short for “fan magazine”) offer an accessible way to share information and perspectives often overlooked by mainstream publishing channels. The self-publishing nature of zines empowers anyone to create and distribute their own content. Katherine Leung speaks about her zine, Canto Cutie, and how it has become a platform for Cantonese artists and writers around the world to publish their work.
Saint Michael’s College Theater professor Peter Harrigan has collected Barbies for over three decades, amassing a personal collection of over 500 of the figurines. In this talk, he takes a dive into the fantastic world of plastic and how it echoes our own world.
Over 25 years ago, Peter Harrigan and Stan Baker were one of the three plaintiff couples in Vermont’s Freedom to Marry lawsuit. The Vermont Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Baker v. State in 1999, which led to Vermont’s Civil Union law the following year.
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.
Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.
We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”
We supported the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Global Connections Youth Outreach program, which highlights artists from around the world.
Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.
