Humanities Connection

From politics and religion to race, education and healthcare, Humanities Connection brings together some of New Jersey’s most fascinating people.

Does Place Matter?

Aired: May 26, 2013

Does it matter that Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona, or would the story be the same no matter where it was set? Does place affect our literature? On this episode of Humanities Connection, Neil Baldwin, Montclair State University, Jim Bloom, Muhlenberg College, and Victoria Larson, Montclair State University, discuss how place shapes our cultural expressions. Inspired by the lecture series, Jersey: A Sense of Place, this episode focuses on how New Jersey affected two important American writers: Philip Roth and William Carlos Williams. As told to host Bob Mann, the Garden State had a deep affect on each of these very different artists.

Great literature expresses universal themes often through the use of very specific, concrete details, including place. Vicky Larson discusses the role of place and her series, Jersey: A Sense of Place.

Neil Baldwin talks about William Carlos Williams, who he sees not only as a great writer and the subject of his scholarship, but as a role model of a writer who combined art with a career as a physician.

Considered one of the greatest American authors, Philip Roth set many of his books in his hometown, Newark, NJ. Jim Bloom talks about the effect of setting on Goodbye, Columbus, what he calls “the Jewish version of The Great Gatsby.”

 

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How YA Lit Reflects Its Generation

Aired: April 28, 2013

With bestseller lists (and movie theaters) full of stories of teens and tweens battling their way through dystopian futures, it’s clear that adolescence has changed. While young adult literature has been around for generations, it’s transformed in recent years, becoming hugely popular genre with young people and adults in the process. The content has changed too, as Dr. Laura Nicosia, author of Educators Online: Preparing Today’s Teachers for Tomorrow’s Digital Literacies and professor of English at Montclair State University, and Flynn Meaney, author of two young adult novels, discuss in this episode of Humanities Connection. As the world around us becomes increasingly troubled, the literature of adolescence has become darker in tone.

What is dystopian fiction? Why are young adults so fascinated by vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures? Laura Nicosia and Flynn Meaney discuss why adolescence and dystopia work so well together.

Young adult literature reflects young people’s concerns in historical moments. In this clip, Laura Nicosia talks about how young adult literature has changed over the last half-century and why.

Flynn Meaney, author of two successful young adult novels, talks about how she came to write YA lit, when she was only a few years older than her characters.

 

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Six Guys from Hackensack: Looking for the Real New Jersey with George Kirsch

Aired: November 25, 2012

If we believed TV shows, New Jersey is only populated by mobsters, “real housewives,” and tanning enthusiasts. In reality, New Jersey is a microcosm of the rest of the nation—and has often been on the leading edge of change. We were one of the first truly racially and ethnically diverse states, we helped created industrialization, and we pioneered suburbanization as well. This real New Jersey is the subject of George Kirsch’s book Six Guys from Hackensack: Coming of Age in the Real New Jersey. A history professor at Manhattan College, Kirsch talks with Bob Mann about life in Hackensack, memoir writing and the history of baseball—his professional passion.

As Kirsch says, “Hackensack was the heart and soul of Bergen County before the George Washington Bridge.” Located in northern New Jersey, Hackensack in the mid 20th century was a diverse town, as represented by the six guys of the book’s title. Kirsch describes his return to Hackensack following the death of his wife and the inspiration for his memoir.

While the 1950s are often remembered as the heyday of American security and prosperity, there was a dark side as well. Racism divided the nation—though schools were integrated in Hackensack, as Kirsch describes. The Cold War and polio both cast long shadows over Kirsch’s youth that shaped him and his friends.

“If anybody writes that Abner Doubleday invented baseball on an exam, not only will they fail, but they’ll be expelled!” In this segment, Kirsch talks about the history and mythology of baseball, including its connection to New Jersey.

 

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The Last Newspaperman–Mark DiIonno

Aired: October 28, 2012

Award-winning Star Ledger journalist Mark DiIonno stopped by Humanities Connection to discuss his new novel, The Last Newspaperman, a fast-paced, thought-provoking story that raises questions about our contemporary media culture through a fictional reporter’s experiences working at a tabloid newspaper in the early 20th century. From celebrity scandals and obsession with crime, it’s clear that today’s newspapers draw a great deal from their predecessors. In this interview, DiIonno talks about the media and why what we read in the paper matters.

Standing in line at any supermarket or convenience store, it’s clear that tabloid journalism is thriving. With screaming headlines about celebrity misdeeds, these ragsheets may seem to be perfectly attuned to our contemporary obsessions. In reality, though, they have deep roots in the yellow journalism of the 1920s and 1930s, as described by Mark DiIonno, when publishers began to marry celebrity and crime coverage in newspapers. The Last Newspaperman examines how tabloid journalism corrupted news journalism from this period on.

Four real stories structure The Last Newspaperman. Each, too, had roots in New Jersey, from the Lindbergh baby kidnapping to the Hindenburg disaster. DiIonno uses these stories as a way to illustrate four media narratives, which still frame journalism today. Celebrity, how the media makes mistakes in writing “the first draft of history,” the use of tragedy for political purposes, and how, even in the early 20th century, stories could go “viral,” like Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” broadcast.

Starting out as a sportswriter, DiIonno had the opportunity to meet the last of the press box reporters, men like Barney Nagler and Jerry Izenberg, who mentored him and shaped his career as a journalist. In The Last Newspaperman, he uses their voices in his characters, though, in the end, the novel offers a bleak assessment of the world of journalism.

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Poetry is Essential to Democracy

An Interview with Tracy K. Smith

Aired September 30, 2012

Perhaps the great error is believing we’re alone,
That the others have come and gone—a momentary blip—
When all along, space might be choc-full of traffic,
Busting at the seams with energy we neither feel
Nor see, flush against us, living, dying, deciding,
Setting solid feet down on planets everywhere,
Bowing to the great stars that command, pitching stones
At whatever are their moons. They live wondering
It they are the only ones, knowing only the wish to know,
And the great black distance they—we—flicker in.
“My God, It’s Full of Stars”

Although Tracy K. Smith’s Pulitzer Prize winning book of poetry Life on Mars boldly addresses lofty issues from the existence of god to the possibility of life on other planets using such science fiction icons as Charlton Heston, David Bowie, and the film 2001, she is equally interested in the role that poetry can play in our civic life.

In this episode of Humanities Connection, Smith, a professor of creative writing at Princeton University, talks about what she sees as the essential link between poetry and democracy and how poetry can help make each of us better citizens. Along the way, she reads an excerpt from Life on Mars, talks about why David Bowie is such an inspiration to her, and what it means to see literature as world-changing. Smith is the featured speaker at NJCH’s awards event 40YearsNew, which celebrates the Council’s fortieth anniversary, on October 10, 2012 at Drew University.

Photo by Tracy Chang.

As the 2012 Presidential elections ramp up in volume and velocity, it may seem that there is little connection between poetry and democracy, as least as it’s practiced in its most visible form. But for Tracy K. Smith, poetry is essential to democracy, and an important counterweight to the reliance on soundbites and spin in our media. As she discusses in this clip, poetry teaches us to see the world with new eyes, questioning what we know, and makes us learn to think and express ourselves precisely, all skills of democracy.

  
Although poetry is often seen as being abstract or difficult to understand, Smith mixes the images and tropes of popular culture, from David Bowie to 2001, into her poems, using science fiction’s interest in alternative realities, provocative questions about the future, and sense of wonder to bring her ideas together. In this clip, Smith discusses her love of science fiction, and also reads an excerpt from her poem, “The Speed of Belief.”

 
How does poetry differ from prose? This isn’t a trick question. For Smith, there’s an important difference that has less to do with style, than with form. While prose is usually linear, poetry bring us into contact with unfamiliar language that sparks our senses and that encourages readers to understand associations between things that we usually don’t connect together. This skill—and Smith feels it is a skill—is why, as she explains in this clip, “a poem is one short step to being changed.”

 

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Looking Forward: NJCH and the Future of the Public Humanities

An Interview with Dr. Sharon Ann Holt

Aired: May 27, 2012
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities is taking an opportunity to both look back on four decades of public humanities effort and to look forward to what the future will bring. In this episode of Humanities Connection, Dr. Sharon Ann Holt, Executive Director of NJCH, discusses the important role that the public humanities plays in our daily lives. But first, it’s necessary to begin with definitions—what are the humanities? What differentiates the public humanities? Most critically, why does it matter? The legislation that founded the National Endowment for the Humanities argued that “Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens.” How will we take up this important charge in the next forty years?

 

Defining the humanities is a tricky proposition. It’s easy to fall back on using a list of disciplines—languages; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics, and so on—but that hardly answers the question of why the humanities are important. In this clip, Holt defines the humanities as “what we’re fighting for.” She continues by explaining what makes the public humanities different from traditional academic humanities.

 

 

Over the last four decades, NJCH has impacted the lives of countless numbers of people and strengthened organizations and institutions around the state. In fact, this year alone the Council reached more than 100,000 at the cost of just $9.20 per person! In this clip, Holt discusses some of the Council’s most important longstanding programs, like the Teacher Institute, as well as our plans for the future.

 
As the country prepares for a presidential election, pundits and political organizations are expressing a great deal of concern about encouraging an active, engaged, and informed citizenry. As Holt suggests, the public humanities are more than important in this process, they are essential. NJCH’s goal is, in her words, “empowering, inspiring, and enlarging the lives of the people we touch,” through programs that bring citizens together for deep thinking and conversation.

 

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Poetry Heals—Literature & Medicine Celebrates National Poetry Month

An Interview with Joan Cusack Handler, Teresa Carson, and Mary Rizzo

Aired March 25, 2012

With its evocative imagery and artistic language, poetry can be a visceral way to understand another person’s experiences, to emotionally connect with them, and see through their eyes. Healthcare workers are increasingly turning to literature, including poetry, in their practice, to improve their patient care and alleviate the stress of their jobs.

In this episode, Joan Cusack Handler, editor, founder and publisher of CavanKerry Press, a New Jersey publisher specializing in poetry; Teresa Carson, a poet and development director for CavanKerry; and, Mary Rizzo, NJCH Associate Director and adminstrator of the Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care program, discuss the power of poetry, especially as a tool for healing. Carson reads three poems, written to help her deal with her mentally ill brother’s suicide. These poems, and more than two dozen others, are available at Poetry Heals—Literature & Medicine Celebrates National Poetry Month.

What does poetry have to do with medicine? What transforms a poem about a personal experience from catharsis to art? In this clip, Joan Cusack Handler and Teresa Carson talk about the artistic process and poetry. Mary Rizzo connects literature with medicine, explaining NJCH’s program Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care, which gives healthcare workers the opportunity to participate in facilitated reading discussions.

In 1986, Teresa Carson’s brother, who had suffered with mental illness for much of his life, committed suicide by drowning. To deal with her pain, she wrote a series of poems about her brother’s illness and death, including “The Barking Boy,” which confronts the reader with the marginalization of the mental ill and her own shame.

In this clip, Carson and Handler collaboratively read a poem based on the autopsy report for Carson’s brother. The parallel lines of the poem, contrast the clinical language of the medical examiner with the poetic words of the sister, who is remembering her brother’s life. The juxtaposition demonstrates the power of language in shaping how we understand an experience.

The mission of CavanKerry Press is “lives brought to life.” As Handler explains in this clip, this means that CavanKerry publishes authors who reveal the difficult aspects of life with skill and honesty, as demonstrated in Carson’s poem “Weights and Measures,” which she reads. Carson discusses how her poetry has affected readers, especially healthcare workers.

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The Hellhound of Wall Street: Michael Perino on Ferdinand Pecora and the Great Depression

Aired: January 29, 2012

In 1933, Ferdinand Pecora, the son of Italian immigrants, led a federal investigation into the causes of the Great Depression. Tenacious, intelligent and fearless, Pecora made history by calling Charles Mitchell, the head of the largest bank in America, National City Bank (now Citibank), to the stand, proving financial misdoings at the heart of the crisis. In this interview, Michael Perino, Dean George W. Matheson Professor of Law at St. John’s University School of Law and the author of The Hellhound of Wall Street: How Ferdinand Pecora’s Investigation of the Great Crash Forever Changed American Finance, discusses the Great Depression, Ferdinand Pecora and his impact on American finance. The Hellhound of Wall Street was chosen as an Honor Book by NJCH in 2011.

Unemployment stood at 25%. Shantytowns dotted the landscape. Bread lines snaked around city streets. The Great Depression, which began in 1929, dwarfed all previous financial recessions and raised deep questions regarding social safety nets for regular Americans. In this clip, Michael Perino describes the impact of the Great Depression on the United States, and how the collapse set the stage for financial reform.

 
In the early twentieth century, immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe brought new people to the United States, who often had to face discrimination and prejudice. In this clip, Perino discusses the stereotypes that plagued Italian immigrants, which associated them with anarchism and crime. Yet, Ferdinand Pecora, the son of Italian immigrants, was able to succeed despite these difficulties, becoming a prosecutor renowned for his ferocity.

 
The scene could have come from a Hollywood script: on one side of the courtroom was Ferdinand Pecora, the son of immigrants who had faced discrimination in becoming a lawyer. On the other side was Charles Mitchell, one of the wealthiest men in America and the head of the most powerful bank in the nation. Over the course of ten days, Pecora revealed Mitchell’s improper actions, leading to substantial financial reform.

 

To Learn More Visit:

  • Michael Perino’s website for more information on his book and Ferdinand Pecora.
  • Penguin Press to purchase The Hellhound of Wall Street.
  • The Senate’s webpage on The Pecora Committee.
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Environment, Equity & American History: Environmental Justice

Aired: October 30, 2011
Many social, economic, and political decisions impact the environment, but have all of these impacts been felt by all people? Over the last year, NJCH has delved into the topic of environmental justice by examining the environmental decision-making process and considering the perspective of the Environmental Justice Movement. On this episode of Humanities Connection, Dr. Nicky Sheats, director of the Center for the Urban Environment of the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy at Thomas Edison State College, and Dr. Ana Baptista, Environmental and Planning Projects Director for the Ironbound Community Corporation, two leader of NJ’s environmental justice movement, talk about key issues facing the Garden State and what the movement means to our state and the future of the planet.

Data collected by government agencies and others show that environmental problems—from poor air quality to toxic waste sites—are often located in areas that are inhabited by low-income and nonwhite populations. Recognizing this, the environmental justice movement, as Dr. Nicky Sheats explains, focuses on reversing and mitigating these burdens. New Jersey, in particular, has an active core of community members who are not only involved in this movement but are leading it.

  
When scientists dressed in hazmat suits were seen taking samples in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark in the 1980s it demonstrated the city’s deep environmental problems. Located in the heart of New Jersey’s largest city was a chemical nightmare—the legacy of the production of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. As Dr. Ana Baptista describes, diverse community residents banded together to organize a clean-up, leading to the area being named one of the earliest Superfund sites in the nation.

  
What happens when pollution from multiple sources combine? Is the sum of the parts greater than the problem caused by each separately? As Dr. Sheats explains, current environmental standards measure each pollutant individually, but, he suggests, there might be cumulative impact when multiple pollutants exist. What can be done? Dr. Baptista and Dr. Sheats talk about the necessity of political involvement to make change and to work on reducing the amount of pollution.

  

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Environment, Equity & American History: Sharing the Delaware Bay

Aired: August 28, 2011

Crewmember working onboard Lady Rae, Courtesy Bayshore Discovery Project,Delaware Bay Museum & Folklife Center.

The Delaware Bay is one of the most important wetland regions on the East Coast. Acting as an incubator for vital fish and wildlife, its natural beauty and resources have drawn settlers since the Lenape Indians. It’s also drawn conflict. As demand for access to the Bay’s limited resources grows, commercial fishermen, recreational users and environmentalists each compete to make their voice heard through environmental regulations and state or federal law. At the heart of this issue is the question of justice—who has the right to use natural resources? How have we managed our environmental resources in the past and how should we do so in the future? How do we, as a society, determine fair environmental policies? In this episode, Michael Chiarappa, Quinnipiac University, and Meghan Wren, director of the Bayshore Discovery Project, discuss these issues.

The unique environment of the Delaware Bay has drawn visitors and settlers from the Lenape Indians to European colonists to contemporary watermen, birders and environmentalists. The Bay’s environment has not only created particular industries, like oystering, but has also fundamentally shaped the culture and way of life of this region. Changes along the Bay threaten this way of life. In this clip, Wren and Chiarappa talk about the Bay’s significance and what we can learn from it.

  
Is there room for everybody on the Delaware Bay? How do we ensure that individuals and businesses equitably share in the use of and care for a natural resource like the Bay? In this clip, Chiarappa and Wren discuss the role of regulations in shaping the Bay, historically. From a focus on commercial use and extraction in the 19th and early 20th century to supporting recreational fisheries today, these debates have raged for generations and continue to affect New Jersey.

  
According to the N.J. Department of Agriculture, in the 1800s, Port Norris, a town on the Delaware Bay, was home to more millionaires per square mile than any other N.J. town. These fortunes were built on oysters, which were available in huge quantities in this era. Due to overuse and disease, however, by the post WWII era, the oyster populations were decimated. In this clip, Chiarappa talks about how local watermen responded through compromise, which he sees as a useful lesson for the present.

  

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Latest Episodes:

  • 230px-William_Carlos_Williams_passport_photograph_1921Does Place Matter? Posted on: May 28th, 2013

    Does place affect literature? In this episode, we examine how New Jersey shaped the writings of Philip Roth and William Carlos Williams.

  • Flynn Meaney Book CoverHow YA Lit Reflects Its Generation Posted on: Apr 15th, 2013

    Today's young adult lit is darker than previous generations. Find out why in this episode of Humanities Connection!

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