Skidmore to host inaugural humanistic inquiry symposium
Skidmore will host the inaugural symposium on humanistic inquiry March 23–24. The theme is "metamorphosis."
The symposium will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, March 23, when guest keynote speaker Martin
Puchner will present "Storytelling from the Tablet to the Internet" at the Tang Teaching
Museum. Puchner is the Byron and Anita Wien Professor of Drama and of English and
Comparative Literature at Harvard University and the founding director of the university's
Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research.
Puchner's most recent work, The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape History, People, Civilization (Random House, 2017), explores his interests in the intersection of literature, history
and geography, as well as the transformational impact of the written word, which supports
the symposium's theme of metamorphosis. Skidmore faculty presentations and performances
will follow directly after, as well as a book signing by Puchner and a reception concluding
at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, March 24, Skidmore faculty talks on metamorphosis will resume at 9 a.m.
at the Tang. There will be time for questions and conversation throughout the day.
All symposium events are free and open to the public.
"Our goal for the spring symposium is to encourage the exploration of the nature of
change. What is the story behind a transformation?" said symposium co-founder and
Barbara Black, professor of English. Symposium co-founder Michael Arnush, professor
of classics, said that "throughout the symposium, the group will theorize transformation
and conceptualize change, speculating on its mechanisms, its causes and effects, the
value we attach to it, its potential terror as well as its thrill."
Skidmore faculty are currently developing an ongoing forum for humanistic inquiry,
with a mission to pursue and share the intellectual work of the Skidmore community
and to allow faculty to connect across departments and disciplines. They will present
papers or participate in panels and performances in conjunction with the symposium.
The potential creation of a more formal structure will support the intellectual vitality
of Skidmore College by providing public opportunities, often in the form of residencies,
speaker series, salons, and symposiums-as well as new modes of research, inquiry and
engagement.
