Tag Humanities
More complex Atticus Finch can lead to important discussions, says UW English professor
When readers think of Atticus Finch, they think of the virtuous lawyer from “To Kill a Mockingbird,” brought to life in the movie by Gregory Peck. But in “Go Set a Watchman,” Harper Lee’s just-released sequel, Atticus is depicted as an aging racist who has attended a Ku Klux Klan meeting and denounces desegregation — a far cry from the hero his daughter Scout looked up to — not to mention the more than 40 million people who bought the book. Read More
Decoding the past, one item at a time
Eighteenth-century handwriting may be elegant, but it isn’t always legible. However, a team of UW–Madison students has “decoded” a historic ledger for the Smithsonian’s American Enterprise exhibit, bringing to life a unique record of American life 250 years ago. Read More
Art history students turn shopkeeper’s ledger into Smithsonian exhibit
A class of history students and their professor, Ann Smart Martin, are celebrating the July 1 opening of the American Enterprise exhibition at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., which was researched and curated by the UW–Madison team. Read More
UW-Madison student wins essay competition
University of Wisconsin–Madison student Madeline Gore is one of three undergraduate student winners of the annual UW System Liberal Arts Essay Scholarship Competition. Now in… Read More
Artist and journalist expound at humanities event
Artist Alfredo Jaar has produced more than 60 monumental public interventions that confront political violence, poverty, exploitation and imbalances of power. Photos:… Read More
UW to host Shakespeare’s First Folio Exhibition in 2016
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has been selected as the host site for the state of Wisconsin for First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare, a national traveling exhibition of the Shakespeare First Folio, one of the world's most treasured books. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, in partnership with Cincinnati Museum Center and the American Library Association, is touring a First Folio of Shakespeare in 2016 to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Read More
Professor wins national honor for expanding access to education
She may be an expert on Jane Austen and 19th century literature, but University of Wisconsin–Madison English Professor Emily Auerbach's real passion is helping people use education as a springboard out of poverty. Read More
Excavation exposes Roman imperial outpost at its bitter end
Like Pompeii, the ancient ruins of Zeugma, a frontier city of the Roman Empire on the banks of the Euphrates River in what is now modern Turkey, stood frozen in time. Read More
Scholarship will allow UW junior to do graduate studies in art history
is among twenty college juniors nationwide selected to receive a Beinecke Scholarship, which provides $34,000 for graduate study leading to a terminal degree in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Read More
Sardis dig yields enigmatic trove: ritual egg in a pot
Sardis has given up another treasure in the form of two enigmatic ritual deposits, which are proving more difficult to fathom than the coins for which the city was famous. Read More
WPR and UW–Madison team with sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson on contest
Renowned science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the award-winning "Mars Trilogy," will select the winners of a national flash-science fiction contest co-organized by Wisconsin Public Radio's nationally syndicated show "To the Best of Our Knowledge" and the Center for the Humanities and Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read More
UW professor invites all to join “collective act of digital creativity”
Madison residents can join with others around the globe this weekend in "The Makerthon" - a collective act of digital creativity as people join together to create an online novel. Read More
Lea Jacobs named associate dean for arts and humanities
Lea Jacobs is still getting used to trekking between her familiar office in Vilas Hall and her new one on the third floor of Bascom Hall. The walk is worth it. Since being named associate dean for the arts and humanities in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School, Jacobs has enjoyed many new opportunities for faculty and student engagement. Read More
Humanities fellows step into ‘real world’
With “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” Wisconsin Public Radio has the chance to explore big ideas and big issues in depth. That’s why Stephanie Youngblood, a doctoral candidate in English and one of the first cohort of Public Humanities Fellows at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is a perfect fit, says Steve Paulson, the program’s executive producer. Read More
Philosophy professor tackles God and science in public course
On midsummer evenings, while the rest of us were relaxing by the lake or puttering in the backyard, a group of intellectually-curious community members and undergraduates joined Professor of Philosophy Larry Shapiro to tackle some of the biggest questions in history. Read More
Hackathon links humanities and sciences
Jillian Sayre contends that Herman Melville’s whaling ship Pequod and its encounters with other boats at sea may have toted meaning beyond the characters onboard. Read More
Mellon Foundation awards grant to develop new careers for humanities Ph.D.s
What do you do with a doctorate in medieval history if there are no teaching positions or you want to reach a wider audience? With a $1.1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Center for the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison will develop career opportunities beyond academia for humanities doctoral students. The grant also will support faculty and students who reach out to the public with their work. Read More
Archaeologists on front lines of protecting ancient culture in turbulent regions
J. Mark Kenoyer stands on a windswept peak in Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan, his head wrapped in a traditional scarf against the harsh sun. As he chats in a mixture of Urdu and Pashto with an Afghan archaeologist, it’s easy to see why documentarian Brent Huffman wanted the University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of anthropology to appear in his upcoming film about Mes Aynak, a 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery. Read More
Wisconsin Science Festival 2013 announces dates, call for presenters
After more than tripling attendance last year, the Wisconsin Science Festival is coming back for year three with plans for more activities at more sites that reach more people. The organizers announced today the 2013 festival will be held September 26-29 and issued an open call for presenters, communities, organizations and sponsors to get involved. Read More