Starting with one conversation on the environment, Mambo Tse has seen how Community Conversations can bring people together, and how those conversations can lead to other fruitful projects. From discussions on immigration and food insecurity came an idea for project exploring the community’s relationship to African history and how it impacts them today, which was funded by an HNY Action Grant. In this interview, Mambo shares how public humanities programming has helped her group engage with youth across New York City, in classrooms and afterschool programs, as well as the general public and elderly populations at senior centers discussing topics […]
“Where it’s at” – Barbershops of Newburgh
Weighty book discussions at the barbershop? In Newburgh, located just across the Hudson River from Beacon, Naomi Hersson-Ringskog and Gabrielle Hill brought HNY’s Reading & Discussion program to places where conversation already hums. Contextualizing current events, these conversations provided a opportunity for further community work. At times, these conversations led to other projects. In Newburgh, organizers look forward to the celebration of Frederick Douglass’ birthday bicentennial as an opportunity to deepen the ties they have started with these conversations. In December, 2018, Humanities New York spoke with Naomi and Gabrielle to learn more. HNY: How long have you lived in […]
Place and Story
By Rick Bass We are pleased to share the introductory essay for our newest Reading & Discussion theme: “Place and Story.” Humanities New York commissioned noted novelist, essayist, and environmentalist Rick Bass to curate a selection of texts that explore the manifold ways the American landscape influences our experiences and way of life. As with all R & D groups, the texts selected–which include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry–explore the theme from a variety of perspectives. We also ask our R & D Scholar-Advisors to pen an original essay contextualizing the selected readings. Below, in the “Place and Story” essay, Rick discusses each reading in the series within the […]
“There is No Texting at James Baldwin’s Table”
“James Baldwin’s America” continues to be one of the most popular and challenging discussion programs Humanities New York offer. Here, we check in with two of the discussion facilitators for the program as they recount how the program has changed their lives and the communities they have worked in. HNY: You talk in your essay about your initial encounter with Baldwin’s writing, and I’m wondering if there are any other experiences or history that you have reading Baldwin’s work, or moments that stand out to you that might have prompted your desire to share Baldwin with other people, or re-engage […]
