World Wise, books, etc.

First, I want to solicit impressions of World Wise. What did you all think? What worked and what didn’t? One of the impressions I have been getting was that the subject matter was HUGE and could have been taken in many different ways, so not everyone got their pressing questions answered (myself included!). That’s ok…this discussion should have a life beyond one panel anyway, and I want this to be one place in which that can happen.

One significant question that I wanted your take on was the question of whether or not multicultural education, understanding, and engagement necessarily breeds tolerance? I think the question who argued that it’s possible learning more about another group of people might strengthen animosity is possible…what do you think?

Also, I really really want to read the novel Nazi Literature in the Americas. As some of you know the EUA has a bookclub, and I would like to invite all of you to read this and then we’ll set up a discussion time some time after spring break. Note: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN ENGLISH MAJOR TO PARTICIPATE. Read the book review…you’ll understand how it’s relevant to this blog. Any takers?

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YOU!…Come to WorldWise

The next World Wise Event: Be(com)ing American: Rethinking Citizenship in our Global Century is Wednesday at 4:30 ins the Gildenhorn hall in CSPAC. If you’re interested in globalization, transnationalism, curricula, and the BIG ISSUES facing our world, this is your event. Email me for more info.

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Careerism, Feminism, and the Future

Check out this fascinating story on the future of women’s studies in the British academy (and here?). One of the things that I found most interesting is not only the discussion of what these developments mean for the future of feminism on campus but how they reflect a larger shift away from the arts and humanities and towards careerism. For more on that, also look over Can the Liberal Arts Be Saved?

On one hand, all this gloom and doom is nothing knew…contemplating the demise of the humanities seems as old as the humanities themselves. But what do you think?

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Thanks Kenton

Kenton has brought to my attention Stanley Fish’s New York Times blog Think Again. You definitely want to check this out.

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On ethics

Anyone want to come with me to Politics and Prose on Thursday night and hear Kwame Anthony Appiah talk about his new book?

What do you all think?

Also, check out this article about Robert Pinsky as a sort of “citizen-poet”.

Finally, don’t forget to come to the EUA’s first Coffeehouse of the semester, Wednesday at noon in 2123 Susquehanna. Email me for more info.

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