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Vermont Humanities E-newsletter
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Statewide Educator Award
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 Do you know an outstanding Vermont humanities educator -- one who deserves statewide recognition and a $1,000 prize? Nominations for the Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator Award are due July 1 .
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First Wednesdays 2012-2013
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One Last First Wednesdays Before October!
Early Photographs of Native North Americans with UNH Vice Provost and professor Lisa MacFarlane
 | | Chief Shout At, Sioux, 1899, Heyn Collection, Library of Congress |
Wednesday, June 26, 7:00 pm,
St. Johnsbury AthenaeumRichly illustrated with nineteenth- and early twentieth-century photos of Native peoples, this talk by UNH Vice Provost and professor Lisa MacFarlane explores the stories behind the iconic and often stereotypical images, providing a glimpse into the history of clashing cultures. Hosted by St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. This talk was rescheduled from March. Sponsored by Copeland Furniture Company Store
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Humanities Report Calls for Support
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Vermont Humanities Council Commends National Report on the Humanities
"If society doesn't honor learning, encourage curiosity, it's hard for schools to succeed. If learning stops when formal school stops, then the knowledge and understanding of America's workforce and citizenry will be inadequate by any measure."
- Peter A. Gilbert, VHC Executive Director, "The Heart of the Matter"
 The Vermont Humanities Council joins the call for a renewed commitment to the humanities outlined in a just-released national report, The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, and Secure Nation. The report was requested by a bipartisan Congressional group -- Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), and Rep. David Price (D-NC) -- and prepared by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS) Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences.
The report posits that reinvigorating the humanities is essential to achieving three goals vital to US national security, economy, and democracy:
- Educate Americans in the knowledge, skills, and understanding they will need to thrive in a twenty-first-century democracy.
- Foster a society that is innovative, competitive, and strong.
- Equip the nation for leadership in an interconnected world.
On the 53-member commission are people such as David Brooks, Ken Burns, George Lucas, Yo-Yo Ma, David Souter, the chancellor of the University of Texas system and the presidents of Boeing, the National Academy of Engineering, the Getty Trust, Cornell, Harvard, Notre Dame, NYU, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford.
"It is gratifying that this enormously distinguished commission argues so forcefully for greater public and private support for the humanities," says Peter A. Gilbert, Vermont Humanities Council Executive Director.
"When such an eminent group has explained the importance of the humanities to our nation's security, economy, and democracy, I hope that Congress and the American public will take note. As this report makes abundantly clear, the humanities and social sciences are essential to virtually every aspect of our individual and collective well-being, and they require our financial and cultural support in hard times as well as good."
The Vermont Humanities Council is a vital and active part of Vermont's cultural fabric, impacting towns large and small and people across economic lines. In 2012, VHC presented and supported 1,100 lectures, book discussions, literacy programs, and other humanities events in nearly 150 Vermont communities, including towns in every county. And VHC donated 16,584 books to children and adults.
Learn more about the report here.
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Playwriting Contest
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Statewide Playwriting Contest at Chandler Center for the Arts
WANTED: stage writing that frames pressing topics important to Vermont communities and relevant in today's world.
Submissions due by June 30, 2013
Writers from Vermont, or those with a strong Vermont connection, are invited to submit to Chandler original plays on current social issues, with a running time of at least 45 minutes. Submissions may be made on paper or by electronic mail, and must be received no later than JUNE 30, 2013. Supported by the Walter Cerf Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation and the Vermont Humanities Council. Learn more about the playwriting contest.
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Vermont Reads 10th Anniversary
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Vermont Reads 2013: Still Taking Applications
Celebrate Poetry in Honor of the 10th Anniversary of Vermont Reads
A poem "begins in delight and ends in wisdom."- Robert Frost
 Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Vermont Reads by exploring poetry. Your community is invited to take part with this statewide read of Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry, an anthology of contemporary poems selected by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Join us and discover with others in your community the insight, beauty, and joy that poetry offers. Libraries, schools, and other nonprofit organizations may apply; collaboration among town organizations and businesses is strongly encouraged.  * Receive FREE books and programming support. * Host poetry readings and slams, poem-a-day projects, poetry writing contests, events with Vermont poets, and more. * Listen to Vermont Public Radio's Vermont Reads feature online. Learn more and apply online today. Deadline: still taking applications.
Vermont Reads on VPR, Listen Online
Vermont Public Radio's Vermont Reads special is available online. Listen here.
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Thursday Thoughts
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 Thursday Thoughts Weekly Poems via Facebook and Twitter
Enjoy weekly poems on Facebook and Twitter brought to you by the Vermont Humanities Council and the Vermont Arts Council. Look for a weekly poem on Thursday afternoons. All of the poems are from Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry in honor of VHC's Vermont Reads 2013 book. Enjoy this recent poem.  "Sentimental Moment or Why Did the Baguette Cross the Road?"
by Robert HershonDon't fill up on bread I say absent-mindedly
The servings here are huge My son, whose hair may be
receding a bit, says
Did you really just
say that to me? Join us on Facebook and Twitter to read these weekly poems!
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Civil War Book of Days -- Marking Events that Happened Each Week During the Civil War
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Humanities Commentaries on VPR
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Each month, VHC's Executive Director Peter Gilbert presents commentaries on Vermont Public Radio that examine current and past events from a humanities perspective.Holmes, Hiss And History (6-24-13) As the Fourth of July approaches and we look back on the founding of our country, commentator and Vermont Humanities Council executive director Peter Gilbert reflects on how historical connections are often closer than we think. The Campfire (5-20-13) Harvard professor emeritus Edward O. Wilson is regarded as one of the world's preeminent biologists, sociobiologists, and naturalists. An entomologist, he's the world's leading authority on ants. In his recently published book, The Social Conquest of Earth, Wilson describes how "eusocial" species have become the dominant species on earth. 1937 Guide To Vermont (5-10-2013) Seventy-five years ago, a summer visitor to the state would most likely have consulted the Guide to Vermont, published in 1937 by the Federal Writers' Project -- part of FDR's Works Progress Administration. Today the Guide offers an intriguing look at how much Vermont has changed since that time, and how much it's stayed the same.
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Thank You for Your Donation
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The Vermont Humanities Council depends on donations from individuals and businesses to offer public programming and programming for underserved communities.
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The Vermont Humanities Council presents more than 1,200 events every year. Thank you for your interest in lifelong learning!
Sincerely,
Sylvia Plumb, Director of Communications
Vermont Humanities Council |
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