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An epic read: Paul Saint-Amour on “Ulysses,” James Joyce, and Bloomsday
English professor Paul Saint-Amour has spent a lifetime reading, studying, and teaching the work of James Joyce. On June 16, known as Bloomsday to Joyce historians around the world, the Rosenbach Museum and Library will host a day-long public reading of selected passages.
Reclaiming a fragmented history
Digital humanities scholars are orchestrating an epic crowdsourcing effort to sort and transcribe handwriting on thousands of documents discarded hundreds of years ago, known as the Cairo Geniza.
A product of the 1980s: Q&A with English professor Dagmawi Woubshet
English professor Dagmawi Woubshet describes himself an “African-Americanist” in his literary pursuits. An immigrant from Ethiopia, he focuses on the 1980s in his research and his courses.
Honoring the fallen: a Q&A with Ken Lum
The School of Design professor and chair of the Fine Arts Department discusses the challenge of designing a war memorial, and shares which memorials he finds most compelling.
The World on View
The world is on view at the Arthur Ross Gallery, interpreted by 13 students in André Dombrowski’s history of art curatorial class. They chose more than 100 objects from 14 institutions to represent World’s Fairs from 1851 to 1915.
Pen to paper: journey to discovery
In a freshman seminar on travel writing, students wrote articles about their experiences during Spring Break. Yonathan Gutenmacher described his family’s journey to Brazil to explore his mother’s childhood.
Exploring the sounds of the Middle Ages
In a seminar on the sounds of the Middle Ages taught by music professor Mary Channen Caldwell, freshmen learned about period music and instruments, the carillon bells in a historic church on Philly’s Rittenhouse Square.
A reading and discussion with Charles Blow, following a deep dive into his work
For their class at Kelly Writers House, Penn students read 82 columns and a personal memoir written by Charles Blow, an opinion writer at The New York Times.
A life of books
Books define the life of Peter Stallybrass, an English professor who has retired after 30 years at Penn, known for his History of Material Texts workshop. He explains the five seminal books of his storied academic career.
48 years ago: PennDesign Dean Frederick Steiner on Earth Day
The dean of the School of Design discusses his inspiration for the original environmental awareness event, and its surprising endurance.