Humanities in Action Events Kick Off

The department of English and Comparative Literature is hosting a series of events.

By Jamie Ballard
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
There will also be a variety of cross-disciplinary works featured.
There will also be a variety of cross-disciplinary works featured.
Poetry, literature and drama may soon find their way onto the social calendars of many San Diego residents, thanks a series of events put on by the department of English and Comparative Literature at San Diego State University. The events, appropriately titled “Humanities in Action” have already begun, and are set to continue through the rest of the semester.    Cutting-edge work    “These events highlight the vitality and ongoing significance of the humanities by showcasing the cutting-edge work being done at SDSU in diverse cultural and intellectual areas,” said Michael Borgstrom, chair and associate professor for the department. 
“At a time when much attention is paid to an increasing fragmentation of social relations, our series of events serves as an important reminder of the value of humanistic inquiry and its unique ability to bring together diverse voices, perspectives, and ideas,” Borgstrom continued.  
Some of the things event attendees can expect to explore include creative writing, digital humanities and children’s literature, to name a few. There will also be a variety of cross-disciplinary works featured.    Highlights of the series 
“We're convinced that attendees of these events will leave with a renewed sense of the purpose and necessity of humanistic inquiry in our current moment.  In addition to being both entertaining and thought-provoking, we believe that the Humanities in Action series will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to engage in the cultural, intellectual, and creative life of the humanities at SDSU,” said Borgstrom. 
To date, highlights of the series, according to Borgstrom, include "Literature in a Time of Conflict: An Evening of Israeli Poetry," and the public lecture by visiting scholar Michael Heyman on the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice in Wonderland.   He is also looking forward to the Department of English and Comparative Literature's Research Symposium featuring lightning talks on current faculty research, with keynote lectures by visiting scholars Nora Gilbert and Oona Eisenstadt in April and the Reboot 2.0 Digital Humanities Camp in May.
Below is a full list of all the upcoming events for Humanities in Action. For more detailed information, visit the department’s webpage. 
  • March 25: Benjamin Hollander Reading  7 p.m. in Love Library, Room 430. 
  • April 15: Veteran Writers Program 7 p.m. in Love Library, Room 430.
  • April 15: Michael Waters and Mihaela Moscaliuc Reading at 7 p.m. in Scripps Cottage 
  • April 24: English Department Symposium: Faculty Lightning Talks and Keynote Lectures: Nora Gilbert and Oona Eisenstadt, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Aztec Student Union, Legacy Suite, room 372
  • May 19: Reboot 2.0: Digital Humanities Camp, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Aztec Student Union, Pride Suite 

Categorized As
Aztec LifeAlumniSDSU ImpactCollege of Arts and LettersCollege of Professional Studies and Fine ArtsEventsArts and CultureGraduate Studies