Ubiquitous Humanities
Reading Public Poetry in a Lifelong Learning Setting
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rachael King
Poems that first appear in non-literary publications (for example, in newspapers) can have a wider reach than those first published in traditional book, pamphlet, or specialist magazine form. In this paper, I explore how students in lifelong learning/continuing education settings respond to poems initially published outside traditional literary arenas ("public" poems), and in particular, poems that confront, or reflect upon, topical concerns or national events (for instance, a royal wedding, a political election, a natural disaster or international conflict). I further consider the role fictive poetry, as opposed factual reporting, can play in generating a "safe" space for discourse about challenging topics. The experience of reading poetry collectively in an educational setting, both silently and aloud, differs from reading poetry alone in a less formal environment. I explore the extent to which lifelong learning students’ particularly rich and diverse range of life experiences feeds and influences their appreciation, commentary, and discussion of the poems.
Humanities for All at Princeton Public Library: New and Innovative Approaches
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hannah Schmidl, Janie Hermann
The Princeton Public Library (PPL) approaches humanities-related work with the goal of broadening public access to humanities through programs, projects, collections, and more. Thanks to a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant, PPL is expanding community access to the humanities. Our philosophy is to combine multiple disciplines and public program formats to create numerous points of entry for the public to access humanities knowledge. Our broad approach diversifies and democratizes the kinds of knowledge the public can gain by creating multiple ways for the public to enjoy humanities content. PPL often plans around themes (like History of Science, racial literacy, and civic engagement) to create series that include public lectures, film screenings, and discussions; topical book and media collections; and topic guides including specialized reading lists. We hope to shape the future of humanities learning in public libraries. The implications of PPL’s work are twofold: enhanced understanding of the humanities within our community, and demonstrating a successful model for others. Positive feedback, robust attendance at programs, and good circulation numbers demonstrate the impact of this work locally. PPL strives to provide a replicable model for other public libraries. Information and method sharing is an important aspect of our work.
Two Birds (or Possibly More): Engaging with Language and History through Drama
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Peter E. R. Jordan
This paper discusses how the performance of drama can provide a forum for the examination of a wide range of subjects and disciplines, for actors and audience alike. In particular, I shall focus on the recent publicly presented production of The George Wong Case, performed by students of City University of Hong Kong. The play sought to recreate the proceedings against a garage mechanic named George Wong, in 1946. It is known as Hong Kong’s first treason trial, which took place barely six months after the British retook possession of Hong Kong from the Japanese. Wong was accused of collaborating with the Japanese and being party to illegal imprisonment, torture and murder. Most contentiously, he was tried for treason against the United Kingdom. Wong’s counsel argued that Wong was a Chinese national and therefore could not be tried for treason. The argument was rejected and Wong was hanged. In this production, the students not only explored rhetorical and subtextual nuances of speech, but in the process also examined Hong Kong’s colonial past, the nature of justice and authority, legal and moral issues, and perhaps most importantly, the layered and competing claims on an individual’s identity.
