Ken Egan's Discussions
Homesteading? Civil War? Indian Sovereignty?
6 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Tim Lehman Dec 7.
?RUReading?
11 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Kathleen Ralph Dec 10.
Do the arts have public purposes?
5 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Ken Egan Nov 22.
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As 2009 approaches its end, we should take a moment to recall the 200th anniversaries of the births of three extraordinary individuals: Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, and Edgar Allan Poe. It's not an exaggeration to write that they changed America…
I, too, love listening to Dylan Thomas' own reading of "A Child's Christmas in Wales." It's a Christmas tradition at our house, along with watching "White Christmas."
As for what I'm reading, I just finished "Lark and Termite," by Jayne Anne Philli…
Speaking of the Great Depression: Check out Morris Dickstein's "Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression." Dickstein surveys literature, film, and music from the 30s, showing that a remarkable cultural life emerged from econom…
"Now that the weather had changed, the moon of the falling leaves turned white in the blackening sky and White Man's Dog was restless. He chewed the stick of dry meat and watched Cold Maker gather his forces. The black clouds moved in the north in c…
Can I fudge on an answer for this week? Here's what I would be reading if I could get my hands on it: Dylan Thomas, "A Child's Christmas in Wales." It was part of the English curriculum at Crescent College Comprehensive, Limerick, a Jesuit secondary…
Can't resist sharing this funny and telling piece from the New York Times.
Judy Klein, this one's for you!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/us/05religion.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Let's not forget "New West," a terrific cultural/social/literary online journal. Jenny Shank recently posted her "Best Books in the West"--here's the link: http://www.newwest.net/city/article/new_west_best_books_in_the_west_2009_part_1/C8/L8/
These are all great issues, and I agree that some fit well enough together that they could be joined. I'm thinking especially of homesteading, which was and is an "issue" in the sense that there have been concerns about the environmental costs of fa…
My mother and father were both children of the Depression, but they rarely talked about it. I know my father's father lost his banks in Beach, North Dakota in 1932--and that's how the Egan clan ended up in Lewistown. My mother described having to ma…
Changes to the Land: Land Use and Sustainability since 1864; The Homesteading Boom, 1909-1919 and Montana Tribes--Sovereignty and Interdependence are interconnected via a land use theme. Obviously, citizens would profit by reflecting on historic/cul…
Montana and the Civil War appears to have been little studied among Civil War scholars and interested citizens. I searched nationwide through the Civil War Round Table and found one erroneous essay on Montana's vigilantes during that era. Other than…
I never get tired of Fish. He writes with such complete certainty—such a thorough and unbending confidence that his ideas are perfectly formed and beyond refute. (He probably doesn't actually think that way. I'm just always impressed with—and amused…
I am reading Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren. I remember thoroughly enjoying the book the first time around many years ago. I was wondering what was so fascinating about the book as a child. I am in the middle of it at the moment and it still…
Yes, Stanley Fish, the brilliant controversialist who participarted with such verve and infuriating nimbleness during the "Culture Wars" of the 90s, has declared that the era of Political Correctness has come to an end. Too optimistic? Thoughts alwa…
"Montana Tribes--Sovereignty and Interdependence" is a great idea. A conference or a reading series could draw on issues illuminated during the past Lewis and Clark bicentennial and possibly be a sort of continuation of parts of that discussion, and…
Ken Egan's Blog
Lincoln, Darwin, Poe
As 2009 approaches its end, we should take a moment to recall the 200th anniversaries of the births of three extraordinary individuals: Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, and Edgar Allan Poe. It's not an exaggeration to write that they changed American and world culture through their writings, their thinking, their acts.
They make for a fascinating trio: the pragmatic, tough, idealistic President; the brilliant theorist of evolution; the inventor of the detective story and refiner of Gothic prose… Continue
They make for a fascinating trio: the pragmatic, tough, idealistic President; the brilliant theorist of evolution; the inventor of the detective story and refiner of Gothic prose… Continue
Posted on December 11, 2009 at 12:30pm —
Yes, Miky, There are Rabbis in Montana
Can't resist sharing this funny and telling piece from the New York Times.
Judy Klein, this one's for you!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/us/05religion.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Judy Klein, this one's for you!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/us/05religion.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Posted on December 8, 2009 at 12:39pm —
Fish Declares End of Culture Wars! Has Wisdom Broken Out?
Yes, Stanley Fish, the brilliant controversialist who participated with such verve and infuriating nimbleness during the "Culture Wars" of the 90s, has declared that the era has come to an end. Too optimistic? Thoughts always welcome.
To read his commentary, go to http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/political-correctness-revisited-views-from-both-sides/
To read his commentary, go to http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/political-correctness-revisited-views-from-both-sides/
Posted on December 1, 2009 at 7:30am — 1 Comment
Does Your Community Need a Frank Discussion?
If it does, please consider contacting a Montana citizen trained in Gracious Space, an approach to conversations that emphasizes welcoming the stranger and listening respectfully to alternative points of view. (To see the impact of Gracious Space, check out the Featured Blog by Bruce Whittenberg that describes how Billings has put this approach to work.)
16 Montanans came together in Kalispell in late October to learn this technique. You can find the list of participants at the Hu… Continue
16 Montanans came together in Kalispell in late October to learn this technique. You can find the list of participants at the Hu… Continue
Posted on November 24, 2009 at 7:30am —
Humanties Montana Receives Schwartz Prize for Public Affairs Initiative
We are pleased and humbled to announce that Humanities Montana received its fifth Helen and Martin Schwartz Prize for Public Humanities Programs from the Federation of State Humanities Councils at the National Humanities Conference in Omaha, Nebraska on Friday, November 6.
We were recognized for our Public Affairs Initiative, funded through the Department of Education appropriation secured through Senator Baucus's office. The specific programs included "Can We Talk?" in Billings in January; civ… Continue
We were recognized for our Public Affairs Initiative, funded through the Department of Education appropriation secured through Senator Baucus's office. The specific programs included "Can We Talk?" in Billings in January; civ… Continue
Posted on November 9, 2009 at 12:30pm — 2 Comments
Comment Wall (11 comments)
- At 3:45pm on October 6, 2009,
Nicholas C. P. Vrooman said… - Thanks, Ken. Good to hear from you. ... sure do appreciate your work. Best, N.
- At 2:30pm on August 24, 2009,
Tami Haaland said… - Hi Ken, good to be here. Thanks for your nice comments about Stone's Throw.
- At 3:49pm on August 7, 2009,
Mark Ratledge said…
- Sure, hope it helps with awareness; I'll post it in the thread here that I was working on at the time. A shorter version is in the July/August State of the Arts (Montana Arts Council) newspaper, too, and will probably go on MACs blog. - Mark
- At 2:08pm on August 3, 2009,
Yvonne Gastineau Gritzner said… - Hello Ken,
Thanks for the warm welcome. This is indeed a cool blog. I may need to back up and take a run at the issues discussions, rather than "jump in," but they are very worthwhile and enticing.
(btw it's not sorbet, but avocado ice cream in San Miguel de Allende)
Here's to wisdom! Yvonne
- At 10:20am on July 22, 2009,
Cheryl J. Heser said… - Hi, Ken, This is a great site. I sure did notice "Happy Tales", just was amazed that it has continued and I completely missed it. The only problem with its presence on this site with the past winners is that I lost about an hour of work time yesterday afternoon enjoying the reworked Hamlet, etc. How fun! Cherie
- At 3:44pm on July 17, 2009,
Ellen Baumler said… - Thanks, Ken. Sorry I missed you when you were here at the society. Be sure to catch me next time!
- At 3:06pm on April 21, 2009,
Mark Sherouse said… - Ken:
Sorry, but I have no recollection of where I got the Thomas Mann quote. I am sure I would have gotten it from a secondary source, maybe even off the web.
Mark
- At 2:14pm on February 16, 2009,
Nancy E. Widdicombe said…
- What an exciting idea--a blog! Thank you for the compliment on the student's work, all through the now defunct Montana Heritage Project! The Program Committee has been tossing back and forth ideas on younger people's involvement in the Humanities--Have you had an opportunity to view that correspondance? If not, I will be glad to forward what I can to you. I believe that Kim has been privy to almost all of our exchanges.
I am looking forward to your leadership at Humanities Montana.
Nancy
- At 2:02pm on February 16, 2009,
Brian said… - Great work on getting the site up and running! Now comes the difficult part: building and expanding a vibrant online community. This site has a ton of potential for interesting content. If I were you, I would personally and also encourage others to post original content (such as a quick poem or story they wrote), links to interesting news stories/exhibits, quick thoughts, etc. Content is king, and if this can become THE social resource for finding information about the humanities around Montana, then you could probably begin to create a good online ecosystem that could become self sufficient. I wouldn't be shy about linking to all sorts of events, even if they aren't HM sponsored events, such as an art walk. Bringing interesting content into the site, then bridging it with the real world through activities and events, could be a solid way to get the ball rolling.
- At 8:36pm on February 15, 2009,
Danell Jones said… - I rather like this site. I just created a Face Book site a couple of weeks ago, and it seems more complicated and harder to use than this one. I don't think the Google ads are too bad...
Tim would love to hear from you!
Danell
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