The Public Humanist
Let’s Show ‘Em What a Liberal Arts Education is Good For
I will always love Ralph Nader for publicly validating English majors. I joined the Green party soon after his speech at the First Churches in Northampton in the summer before the fateful 2000 presidential election. He said a lot of things that were sensible, clear,...Putting “Humanities Capital” to Work: The Public Role of Humanities and Humanities Scholars
In the very full arena of public policy discourse, what do humanities scholars have to add to the conversation? On some level, as non-policy experts, the answer would seem to be a simple “nothing” (or, if one is being more generous, “fairly...In Search of the Common Good
American society today suffers from two fundamental anxieties. One is economic and has many sources, including the accelerating pace of technological change, the impact of our economy and ways of life on the environment, the globalization of both labor and capital,...The Limits of Reflection
By Joe Cruz In the wake of half chagrined confessions that I am a philosophy professor, not infrequently — and positively reliably on cramped airplanes — I’m asked what my personal philosophy is. It’s not an entirely unreasonable question....A Philosopher's Calling Card
Every profession gets a standard response. You know, the response you get when you mention your work. Lawyers get the eye-roll. Doctors get the question about sore elbows and the like. Teachers get the nod of approval, then expressions of regret at how they’re...Education, Prisons, and Battling Misperceptions
In Massachusetts and across the nation the formerly incarcerated are faced with often-insurmountable obstacles in finding jobs, rebuilding relationships and rejoining communities. The surest way to improve their chances for success is indisputably providing...Educating ?Us and Them?: Breaking Stereotypes and Moving Towards a More Effective Correctional System
I wholeheartedly agree with my colleague, Kristen Bumiller, who argues that increasing access to higher education for people caught up in the criminal justice system could make a world of difference for individuals, their families, and the communities they reside in....Countering the Orchestra of Orthodoxies: A UMass Amherst Fulbright Scholar Returns from Qatar
How has the US-led overthrow of Iraq’s former government and ongoing military presence changed American and Middle Eastern societies? Several broad answers are obvious. The 2003 war led Iraqis to more personal and political freedoms. Yet this came alongside...The Law of Unintended Consequences: A Tale of Two Afghanistans
2003. Into the Post-Taliban Void One never knows what to expect when flying into Kabul International Airport and making one’s way into the bustling capital of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. On my first trip to Afghanistan in 2003 I found the city streets...Mammy, Jezebel, and the Neighborhood Drug Dealer
In Search of the Common Good by fellow Public Humanist David Tebaldi talks about America suffering from two anxieties, one of them economic and the other moral. I found this conversation very interesting in light of the work I do as an independent film and theater...The History of Moving Images
Lisa Simmons’ assertion that Hollywood films by and large continue to feature damaging stereotypes of African Americans strikes me as true. But Ms. Simmons’ urging that independent thinkers create images which challenge these stereotypes makes me wonder...Addressing Race in School: Thoughts on the Evolution of the Black and White Discussion in the American Classroom
In June of 1990, five hundred recent college graduates convened at the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to participate in Teach For America’s inaugural Summer Teaching Institute. Over the next ten weeks, these idealistic and...Teaching about Race
Mervan Osborne’s recent post made a great deal of sense to me. As a former high school history and humanities teacher (independent and public schools) and a member of the Education Department at Tufts, I found that race was a topic that, in some way, shape,...A Black Woman?s Musings on Gender Studies
In my undergraduate studies I always took RACE classes, and by RACE I mean any course that involved the history, situation(s), actions to and by, black folk. That was my thing. At New York University, I pursued the ways in which our fabulous leading entertainment...Teaching and Learning the F Word
"I’m not a feminist." In classes I teach, a female student invariably tosses this one into conversation, using the phrase to make sure that, despite what she is about to say, no one should think badly of her. And I have taught many different kinds of...Global warming IS a moral issue
In March 2007, leaders of several conservative Christian groups sent a letter to the National Association of Evangelicals complaining that the organization’s focus on global warming is diverting attention from “the great moral issues of our time,”...Green on Our Minds
I have no quarrel with David Tebaldi calling global warming a moral issue, and certainly share his dismay at the notion that for Christians to be concerned about it takes attention away from the real moral issues – “abortion and sexual morality.”But...Change Comes From the Bottom Up
During the July 23 CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton was asked if she would describe herself as a liberal. A serious enough question you might say, but the audience laughed. Why? Mainly, I think, because “liberal” has long been...Two cheers for liberalism
So what is American liberalism, and how (if at all) has it changed since the 60’s? Is it truly as irrelevant to our times as the "re-branding" of Senator Clinton and others would seem to indicate? In its broadest meaning, the classical political...The Uses of Second Wave Feminism: Lessons from the Takeover at 888 Memorial Drive
A recent post by Marisa Parham about students’ hesitation to use the “f” word (feminism) struck a chord with me. I have heard this for a decade from students as well as from my peer group (folks in their mid 30s). Since this disavowal of...Class in the Classroom: An Indicator for Teachers about Academic Needs?
In today’s drive to measure and assess all facets of education, magazines rank schools (on the national and local level) by test scores, money spent per student, and other superficial factors. As the school year begins and teachers race to learn lists of...Humanities and the Pleasure Principle
Sometimes I feel like a hedonist. No doubt my wife — cosigner of our mortgage, mother to my two young children, and the woman who gave me my most prized possession (a push mower) — is curious to know when these times are. Well, they happen when talking...Comparative Reflections on Affirmative Action
When I agreed to write about affirmative action for The Public Humanist, I realized quickly that the big challenge was to present this hot issue in a humanistic way. What does it mean to write about a political controversy as a humanist? Karl Marx said that the point...Evaluating the Ephemeral
Cultural organizations in general and state humanities councils in particular have long struggled with the question of how to evaluate what they do. Is a good head-count at an event sufficient? Is a high level of engagement during a post-performance talk-back adequate...The Rest of the World
A couple of weeks ago, when I was in Ireland, one of the foreign ambassadors posted there (who I suspect would prefer to be left unnamed) told a story at a dinner party. It went like this. The United Nations recently sponsored an international survey, asking the...Cooperative Models of Foreign Policy
I recently heard from an alumnus who was being sent back to Iraq for his second tour of duty there. This news elicited all sorts of emotions, sadness and anger in particular. The sadness stems from concerns about the fundamental wrongheadedness of unilateral US...When a bedskirt is more than just a bedskirt: Thoughts on class, marital discord, and the fear of falling
For the last six months or so my wife and I have been having a low-level argument about whether or not we should put a bedskirt on the bed in our guest room (pictured above). My wife’s argument can be summarized thusly:The metal bed frame is cheap, and the box...To Hell with Allies and World Opinion? An Essay in Support of John Hill
In 2001 I traveled across the war-blackened villages of Kosovo and saw first hand the evidence of Serbian atrocities carried out against the region’s indigenous Kosovar Albanian population. All of these horrors had been carried out in blatant disregard for...Philosophy in Pop
There is this thing about lefty theory and activism that has always bothered me: implicit, even explicit, contempt for the very people with whom those theorists and activists consider themselves in solidarity. I would say the same, if not more, about academics....The Possibilities of Global Studies
A great deal of discussion about casinos in Massachusetts has been in the news lately, but one brief comment by Governor Patrick really caught the attention of many educators. "Global education" and the subsequent "competitiveness" of Mass students...On Beating Bill Bennett, the Academic Study of Pop Culture, and the Soul of Man Under Late-stage Capitalism
Of the many arguments I’ve fantasized about having, one of them, oddly enough, is on the topic of the academic study of pop culture. It takes place on the Charlie Rose Show, and I’m facing off against Bill Bennett, perhaps the grossest of the professional...Teaching World Cultures
Writing after Rachel is fun. Her story about reading Hersey’s Hiroshima with that third-period class brings the reality of teaching to the surface. That seems to me to be very rarely done when curricular mandates are launched. It is, I think, all well and good...Religion and Democracy: The Muslim Veil Controversy
Every summer, the police in Iran crack down on “bad hijab”—flimsy veils and skimpy headscarves. All women are required by law to cover their heads and to wear a coat that conceals their bodily form. This is a blatant violation of freedom—freedom...A Black guy and a Jewish guy walk into a bar … or, Reflections on masculinity in a multicultural society
Not too long ago, at my other blog, I wrote a short post about the rapper DMX. Some of my fascination with DMX, I suggested, had to do with his talent, and with the contrast between his feral aspect, the unchecked masculine aggression, and the unusual vulnerability he...Religion and Democracy 2: ESTABLISHING Identity — to VEIL or UNVEIL religious solidarity?
I enjoyed my UMass colleague Dan Gordon’s take on religion and democracy with particular respect to Muslim women’s head coverings. Dan’s points also provide good opportunity to look at the issues he raises from two inter-related standpoints that...Friendship First
Anyone who prefers wealth or power to true friendship is out of his mind. Euripides, Herakles, 1425–26 Ancient Greek literature is replete with stories about, tributes to, and reflections on friendship. It might be said that, for any Greek with his or her head...Our Worthy Adversaries – Friends
I’ve been teaching about friendship for the past couple of weeks – Jacques Derrida’s utterly enigmatic Politics of Friendship, to be specific – so I was thrilled to read a reflection by my cross-campus colleague Robert Meagher on where...The Lure of Casinos by Robert Goodman and Stephen Simurda
Governor Deval Patrick faces daunting budget challenges and a political agenda that includes repairing infrastructure throughout the state, improving public education and providing some financial relief to cities and towns. The prospect of hundreds of millions of...From Prose to the Silver Screen
The saying goes that badly written novels make great films and great novels make lousy films. True? Let’s put it to the test. Bringing up Baby: OK story, great movie (I think this had something to do with Cary Grant). Silence of the Lambs: OK book, great movie....The Encumbered Image
Oh Jeez, how can I possibly say anything worthwhile on this subject after Lisa Simmons’ brilliant description of the Grub Street workshop in which Famous Authors whose books had been turned into Movies read actual Passages and then showed Relevant Film...Capitalism with Justice: A Hippocratic Oath for Free Market Capitalism?
Capitalism in the 21st century has been characterized by some as “savage capitalism.” That term elicits visions of a dog-eat-dog world, of a Hobbesian war of all against all. If one believes that capitalism need not be so vicious, one might start by...The Sixties Commune: What if the Past Just Won't Be History?
In the spring of 1968, Verandah Porche, born Linda Jacobs and then Queen of the Bay State Poets for Peace, hitchhiked from New York to rural Guilford, Vermont, clad in candy-stripped bell bottoms, a shoulder length fur cape and bubble sunglasses. Her intent: to hasten...The State of the Commune in Western Massachusetts
My interest in communes was sparked by reading Jennifer Gilbert’s and Chuck Light’s MFH grant proposal for their documentary about Total Loss Farm in Guilford, VT and the Montague Farm in Montague, MA. Right away I found the intentional communities website...Neither Leaders Nor Heroes
At this time in the academic year, as my energy wanes and I become more encumbered by bureaucratic responsibilities, I find myself reflecting about the social utility of professors. As a political science professor, such reflections always draw me back to Max...The Invested Voice
Around the foundation of my new house this fall, I discovered buried, immense, handsome flagstones near a back door, underneath layers of displaced gravel and sod that had evidently developed over a period of years. The layers of dirt had likely drifted downhill along...Left-Leaning Religion and Politics: An American Tradition
The holiday season is upon us (I’m sure you’ve noticed!) and while my extended family’s holiday table usually rings with heated discussions of politics, sex and religion (and the intersection of the three), I wonder how many others do? In the...Fightin' Words
One of the treasured objet d’art in my home in Austin is a little clipping from the Advocate that hangs on the fridge. It’s a letter to the editor, from Tim Grant of Berndardston, and it’s headlined “Stop Oppenheimer” (I call it the...The Ethics of Civic Discourse
After nearly 30 years of organizing conferences, symposia, colloquia, reading and discussion programs, and panel discussions examining a vast array of public issues, you’d think I’d be an expert at handling controversy. I’m not. The conventional...The viral and the local
Heather Brandon recently had a nice post here at The Public Humanist, about journalism and blogging, and also the place of the local online. Her post reminded me of this moment earlier this year, when one of my students blogged about a local billboard, the one you see...Go Figure: Demographic Dilemmas in Israel and Lebanon
Israel and Lebanon are very sensitive to population figures. Israel was created as a Jewish state, and its government is based on maintaining a Jewish majority. Lebanon was created as a state with many religious groups, and its government rests on the notion of a...Point the Finger: External influences on Middle Eastern group conflicts
It’s very enlightening to see my U.Mass. colleague Mary Wilson’s succinct account of the centrality of demographics to the Palestinian/Israeli and Lebanese conflicts. I share her view of the problems that can arise when governments divide people and treat...Happiness in The Declaration of Independence
The most famous words in American culture are these: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The phrase, of course, is from the Declaration of Independence. But what did “happiness” mean for Thomas Jefferson?Democracy gives us the right...Rereading Christmas
Christmas was yesterday but I’m sure I won’t be putting away the Christmas books that always float to the top of the general household clutter this time of year. Most of them are children’s books—enjoyed by my husband and I in childhood and now...Apocalypse Pretty Much Now, or How I Learned to Start Worrying
When I was but a young lad, I was with my Dad (then a Southern Baptist minister, now a Baptist professor), and a few other adults in someone’s back yard in rural Louisiana. Someone pointed out two stars (probably a planet and a star, I now realize) that had...News at a Crossroads: The Perceived Crisis with U.S. Newspapers
I’m not sure what it is about journalists, but I know of no other profession whose practitioners spend as much time gnashing their teeth about what they’ve done wrong or the overall problems of the field. At times journalists can seem almost obsessed with...Newspapers and the Blogging Profession
Last fall, Los Angeles blogger Tony Pierce announced he would be leaving his position as editor of LAist.com to work at the LA Times in a new position running the newspaper’s 30 blogs.Soon after the news broke, I learned about it over lunch with Bill Densmore,...Learning Place: Reading the Rural Landscape
"Get out! Get out now!" Thus starts John Stilgoe’s Outside Lies Magic (1998). Outside, argues the dean of landscape studies, you find traces of the past. And if you look closely, you can be transported from your day-to-day pursuits to another world...Leave Something of Yourself Behind
“Future generations will dwell with the fondness and affection of children upon every memento of their fathers.” –Charles Delano, 1856 From Westhampton ~ How interesting it would be to see my own town’s landscape and the distant hills beyond...Personal Histories: The Written Record and How to Value It
On a mid-July morning in 1863, W. J. Young, a lumber manufacturer in eastern Iowa wrote to a customer explaining why his order for milled lumber had been delayed; "My men that I expected this morning I found have gone to the harvest fields and I don’t know...E-Edition
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