National Humanities Center
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An Evening with Jane Ferguson
Jane Ferguson is a Polk, Emmy, Peabody, OPCA, and DuPont award-winning foreign correspondent for PBS NewsHour, contributor to The New Yorker, and McGraw Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. Her memoir, “No Ordinary Assignment,” is currently available from HarperCollins.
The evening, presented by the National Humanities Center in conjunction with the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and UNC Global Affairs, featured a talk by Jane Ferguson reflecting on her career and sharing insights from her memoir.
Please note: the presentation experienced audio difficulties for a few moments beginning at 18:16. ​We appreciate your patience, as the content improves after this point.
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Catherine Newell, “The Transformative Power of Dialogue”3:45Catherine Newell, “The Transformative Power of Dialogue”
Catherine Newell, “The Transformative Power of Dialogue”
Переглядів 253 місяці тому
Growing up in a very small town that once had the most churches per capita in the country, Catherine Newell was around many people who were believers. Moving away from her hometown, she encountered a more religiously diverse environment, opening her mind to other possibilities. During her final term in college, she stumbled into a Rabbinic Judaism class. While the texts ignited her intellect, i...
Emily Coccia, “Literature and Its Worlds of Possibility”1:54Emily Coccia, “Literature and Its Worlds of Possibility”
Emily Coccia, “Literature and Its Worlds of Possibility”
Переглядів 213 місяці тому
In middle school, Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” inspired Emily Coccia to imagine the possibilities of the law to bring communities closer to justice. In college, it was the world of critical theory-such as feminist and queer theory-however, that helped her understand the other paths available to those wishing to enact social change.
Lou Nachman, “My Service in the Navy Sparked a Lifelong Interest in Other Cultures”3:03Lou Nachman, “My Service in the Navy Sparked a Lifelong Interest in Other Cultures”
Lou Nachman, “My Service in the Navy Sparked a Lifelong Interest in Other Cultures”
Переглядів 53 місяці тому
Teacher Lou Nachman discusses how his experiences overseas in the Navy changed him from an indifferent student to embrace life as a teacher and enthusiastic traveler. For Nachman, works of literature such as “Big Fish” or “To Kill a Mockingbird” forge an appreciation of human connections in the midst of apparent differences. In doing so, he says, they urge us to reflect on our own place in the ...
David Denby, “The Berlin Philharmonic Plays Mahler”1:52David Denby, “The Berlin Philharmonic Plays Mahler”
David Denby, “The Berlin Philharmonic Plays Mahler”
Переглядів 563 місяці тому
David Denby discusses hearing Herbert von Karajan conducting a performance of Mahler’s 9th Symphony-a moment which made him realize the power of music as a universal language.
Alexander Knirim, “History, Reimagined”3:00Alexander Knirim, “History, Reimagined”
Alexander Knirim, “History, Reimagined”
Переглядів 123 місяці тому
Benedict Anderson’s “Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism” compelled Alexander Knirim, then a young historian, to re-think the role of imagination in history. Knirim recounts how his original misunderstanding, that we can reconstruct historic truth, was challenged by Anderson’s book and evolved into an appreciation of Anderson’s exegesis.
William Ferris, “I Saw, in Stephen Dedalus, Myself ”1:45William Ferris, “I Saw, in Stephen Dedalus, Myself ”
William Ferris, “I Saw, in Stephen Dedalus, Myself ”
Переглядів 383 місяці тому
In this excerpt from a conversation with William Ferris, former Chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities, he shares how he came to see himself in Stephen Dedalus, the protagonist of James Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” who declares that he will fly from the nets of “nationality, language, and religion.” He notes that at the time he encountered the character he an...
David Denby, “Transformative Literature”1:24David Denby, “Transformative Literature”
David Denby, “Transformative Literature”
Переглядів 343 місяці тому
David Denby discusses works of literature that influenced his thinking as a child and as a teenager. Looking back, these books transformed the reader that he is today.
Kristen Shedd, “‘The Jungle’: Personalizing the Historical Struggle of Workers”4:03Kristen Shedd, “‘The Jungle’: Personalizing the Historical Struggle of Workers”
Kristen Shedd, “‘The Jungle’: Personalizing the Historical Struggle of Workers”
Переглядів 233 місяці тому
An early encounter with muckraking American novelist Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” exposed Kristen Shedd to issues surrounding human rights and animal rights in the early 20th century. For Shedd, the 1906 novel exposed the intersections of fiction, policy, history, and social justice. Sinclair’s story prompted her to seek answers to questions: How did this novel prompt policy change? How did it...
Julie Mullis, “What Does It Mean to Be Southern ”3:00Julie Mullis, “What Does It Mean to Be Southern ”
Julie Mullis, “What Does It Mean to Be Southern ”
Переглядів 173 місяці тому
Community college teacher Julie Mullis describes how a classroom experience with students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives created a memorable and “multi-colored” sense of place and belonging. The conversations and debates that took place in a Humanities 122 class illuminated a profound truth for Mullis and her students: “We all had this common strand of humanity to us, no matter where...
Joan Hinde Stewart, “The First Book I Ever Checked Out of a Library”2:28Joan Hinde Stewart, “The First Book I Ever Checked Out of a Library”
Joan Hinde Stewart, “The First Book I Ever Checked Out of a Library”
Переглядів 93 місяці тому
In this video, Joan Hinde Stewart recalls the first book she ever checked out of a library - a biography of Joan of Arc - a memory triggered by an experience in her sixties. She describes the fascination she felt about Joan of Arc from an early age and the conflict she felt about reading this biography, as it was unsanctioned by the Catholic church. As she notes, however, “I became positively b...
Roddy Doyle, “Seeing Fellini’s ‘Amarcord’ Was the Greatest Cultural Moment of My Life”4:00Roddy Doyle, “Seeing Fellini’s ‘Amarcord’ Was the Greatest Cultural Moment of My Life”
Roddy Doyle, “Seeing Fellini’s ‘Amarcord’ Was the Greatest Cultural Moment of My Life”
Переглядів 2013 місяці тому
In this video, author Roddy Doyle describes the experience of seeing Fellini’s “Amarcord” for the first time as a boy in Dublin. Growing up in Ireland, at that time a strict Catholic country, it was revelatory for him to see the religion ridiculed in the subversive comedy-drama. The combination of the beautiful and the grotesque mesmerized the young Doyle, who found the film “a great antidote” ...
Steve Oreskovic, “Feeling the American Revolution”3:42Steve Oreskovic, “Feeling the American Revolution”
Steve Oreskovic, “Feeling the American Revolution”
Переглядів 103 місяці тому
History teacher Steve Oreskovic discusses how he gets his students to empathize with the feelings of injustice among colonists in the run up to the American Revolution, helping them gain a richer context for learning about history. Through the practice of experiential learning-a simulation of a tax on school supplies-Oreskovic created an opportunity for his students to imagine the lived realiti...
Daniel Palazzolo, “The Virginia State Capitol, Past and Present”1:48Daniel Palazzolo, “The Virginia State Capitol, Past and Present”
Daniel Palazzolo, “The Virginia State Capitol, Past and Present”
Переглядів 83 місяці тому
Recently I visited the Virginia State Capitol with a group of students and as I looked up at huge white columns and wandered through the building, I began to think more deeply about the transformative nature of this place. I looked past the architecture, the museum pieces and the contemporary issues debated in the General Assembly to the problem of race in the history of Virginia. I also began ...
Christina Lohry, “Without Words”4:52Christina Lohry, “Without Words”
Christina Lohry, “Without Words”
Переглядів 223 місяці тому
Teacher Christina Lohry describes a moment in which she realized how language (and other forms of communication) can profoundly change how we view others, breaking down misconceptions and helping us connect. While volunteering at a cerebral palsy center as a teenager, Lohry took the time to literally look into another person’s eyes. In doing so, her sense of the world was forever changed. Reali...
Theresa Pierce, “What Happens When We Share Our Stories?”2:44Theresa Pierce, “What Happens When We Share Our Stories?”
Theresa Pierce, “What Happens When We Share Our Stories?”
Переглядів 143 місяці тому
Theresa Pierce, “What Happens When We Share Our Stories?”
Stephen Kidd, “From the Silk Road to the National Mall”3:49Stephen Kidd, “From the Silk Road to the National Mall”
Stephen Kidd, “From the Silk Road to the National Mall”
Переглядів 93 місяці тому
Stephen Kidd, “From the Silk Road to the National Mall”
Kathryn Bentley, “Unlocking the Code”4:43Kathryn Bentley, “Unlocking the Code”
Kathryn Bentley, “Unlocking the Code”
Переглядів 213 місяці тому
Kathryn Bentley, “Unlocking the Code”
Esther Mackintosh, “Things Usually Turn Out Alright”4:06Esther Mackintosh, “Things Usually Turn Out Alright”
Esther Mackintosh, “Things Usually Turn Out Alright”
Переглядів 93 місяці тому
Esther Mackintosh, “Things Usually Turn Out Alright”
Deborah Jung, “Spreading the Love of Libraries”2:12Deborah Jung, “Spreading the Love of Libraries”
Deborah Jung, “Spreading the Love of Libraries”
Переглядів 93 місяці тому
Deborah Jung, “Spreading the Love of Libraries”
Ken Burns, “The Day My Interest in Race in America Was Born”5:26Ken Burns, “The Day My Interest in Race in America Was Born”
Ken Burns, “The Day My Interest in Race in America Was Born”
Переглядів 963 місяці тому
Ken Burns, “The Day My Interest in Race in America Was Born”
Ken Burns, “Why We Always Come Back to Abraham Lincoln”3:14Ken Burns, “Why We Always Come Back to Abraham Lincoln”
Ken Burns, “Why We Always Come Back to Abraham Lincoln”
Переглядів 963 місяці тому
Ken Burns, “Why We Always Come Back to Abraham Lincoln”
Ken Burns, “Answering the Question ‘Who Are We?’”1:45Ken Burns, “Answering the Question ‘Who Are We?’”
Ken Burns, “Answering the Question ‘Who Are We?’”
Переглядів 783 місяці тому
Ken Burns, “Answering the Question ‘Who Are We?’”
Mirah Horowitz, “Growing Up with the Humanities”3:17Mirah Horowitz, “Growing Up with the Humanities”
Mirah Horowitz, “Growing Up with the Humanities”
Переглядів 73 місяці тому
Mirah Horowitz, “Growing Up with the Humanities”
Carol Quillen, “Reading St Augustine’s ‘Confessions’ in Latin”2:30Carol Quillen, “Reading St Augustine’s ‘Confessions’ in Latin”
Carol Quillen, “Reading St Augustine’s ‘Confessions’ in Latin”
Переглядів 513 місяці тому
Carol Quillen, “Reading St Augustine’s ‘Confessions’ in Latin”
Kamille Bostick, “Eyes on the Prize”1:41Kamille Bostick, “Eyes on the Prize”
Kamille Bostick, “Eyes on the Prize”
Переглядів 113 місяці тому
Kamille Bostick, “Eyes on the Prize”
C Allen Parker, “I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to a van Gogh exhibition ”2:55C Allen Parker, “I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to a van Gogh exhibition ”
C Allen Parker, “I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to a van Gogh exhibition ”
Переглядів 193 місяці тому
C Allen Parker, “I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to a van Gogh exhibition ”
Ben Vinson III, “A Lifelong Passion and Appreciation for History”1:40Ben Vinson III, “A Lifelong Passion and Appreciation for History”
Ben Vinson III, “A Lifelong Passion and Appreciation for History”
Переглядів 213 місяці тому
Ben Vinson III, “A Lifelong Passion and Appreciation for History”
Scott Gartlan, “Fathers and Sons”1:54Scott Gartlan, “Fathers and Sons”
Scott Gartlan, “Fathers and Sons”
Переглядів 43 місяці тому
Scott Gartlan, “Fathers and Sons”
Kevin Guthrie, “Haunted by Homer’s Sirens”2:12Kevin Guthrie, “Haunted by Homer’s Sirens”
Kevin Guthrie, “Haunted by Homer’s Sirens”
Переглядів 103 місяці тому
Kevin Guthrie, “Haunted by Homer’s Sirens”