Brought to you by the Arts and Humanities Division at Columbia Basin College
Partnering with the East Benton County Historical Society, Franklin County Historical Society, the Mid-Columbia Library System, the Richland Public Library, and the Battelle Memorial Institute
About Humanities Washington
Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state. For more about Humanities Washington, visit www.humanities.org.
About the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau
Speakers Bureau is one of Humanities Washington’s oldest and most popular programs. A roster of 28 cultural experts and scholars provides low-cost, high-quality public presentations across the state, encouraging audiences to think, learn, and engage in conversation. These diverse and engaging speakers cover a variety of topics, including popular culture, photography, architecture, literature, food, film, and history. Best of all – these presentations are free and open to the public. For more about Speakers Bureau, visit www.humanities.org/programs/speakers.
This lecture series is brought to you in part by a grant through the Battelle Memorial Institute.
All lectures are open to the public and admission is free of charge.
2012 - 2013 SEASON
Journeys West: Cowboys and Cowgirls in Story and Song
A Presentation by Bruce and Susan Matley
Thursday, September 20, 2012
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Library – Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Mid-Columbia Libraries
Contemporary life in the American west is profoundly influenced by our rich heritage in the legend and lore of the early cowboys and cowgirls. In song, poetry, and story, this colorful program relates expressions of the work ethic, hardships, and joys of frontier life. These traditions continue and are strong and vibrant in present day agricultural life. The Matleys bring the vibrancy of this tradition to life in this musical and poetic presentation, bringing the exciting lives of the cowboys and cowgirls alive in a more contemporary setting.
Global Climate Change: The Debate about Science and Implications for Energy Policy
A Presentation by Steve Ghan
Thursday, October 11, 2012
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Mid-Columbia Libraries
Why does there seem to be so much disagreement about global warming? Internationally recognized climate scientist and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Fellow, Dr. Steven Ghan will cut through the debate to show why 95% of climate scientists agree that burning wood, coal, oil, and gas is responsible for most of the observed climate change over the last 50 years and that, without deliberate action to reduce such burning, it is highly likely to change the future climate in ways that will be expensive or impossible to adapt to. He will then explain why the key issue is not the science of climate change but the global policy regarding how to meet human energy needs without excessive harm to the environment and inhabitants
Fire and Forests, East of the Cascade Divide
A Presentation by John Marshall
Thursday, October 11, 2012
7 PM, Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library
Photographer John Marshall will lead a discussion on the past philosophies and future policies of forest fire management in Eastern Washington. Lightning strikes and Native Americans historically ignited many small fires, resulting in open forests with a rich mosaic of wildlife habitats. As Europeans settled the area, many began to argue for the vigilant prevention of wildfires. For half a century, the U.S. Forest Service battled all fires and invented Smokey Bear, a character that spread the discredited notion that fire is all bad. Now fires are larger and hotter as forests have grown into living tinderboxes. All of Eastern Washington’s vulnerable forests will inevitably burn. The question for us is: How do we want them to burn?
Tree Army: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington State, 1933-1941
A Presentation by Janet Oakley
Thursday, October 18, 2012
7 PM, Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library
During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to provide jobs for the millions of out-of-work men. But in doing so, he also saved an environment damaged by WW I activities and gave the country new trees, beautiful parks and recreational areas. Thousands of desperate young men from the East Coast came to Washington state to work alongside local boys in the woods to build bridges, roads, and park buildings. During this conversation, historian Janet Oakley will talk about the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps camps in Washington and explore the legacy it left on our state’s natural resources and on the men who worked to preserve them.
Wilderness Warrior in Washington State
A Presentation by Scott Woodward
Thursday, November 15, 2012
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Library- Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society
What is it about a place that draws us to it? What was it about Washington state that drew Theodore Roosevelt and what legacies did he leave behind to ensure a sense of place for generations to come? After exploring the Dakotas, eastern Wyoming and eastern Montana in search of T.R’s western roots Scott and his wife Pamela created a presentation that traveled around the Tri Cities extolling the spirit of Roosevelt’s influence in that region and introducing the audience to sites they may have never seen before. Why not do the same for their home state of Washington? In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt made a 17-stop tour of Washington state inspiring thousands of Washington “pioneers” on both sides of the Cascades. This program historically tracks that tour and documents the legacies that T.R left behind to guarantee our sense of place including our National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests and National Parks.
Mammoth Impacts of the Ice Age Floods
A Presentation by George Last
Monday, December 17, 2012
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Mid-Columbia Libraries and PNNL
During the Ice Age (Pleistocene Epoch) the Tri-Cities was repeatedly inundated by some of the world’s largest fresh water floods. Some of these floods exceeded ten times the flow rate of all the rivers of the world combined. The floods forever changed the face of the northwest from Missoula, Montana to Astoria, Oregon, and are the subject of a new Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. These floods also had profound impacts on Pleistocene mammals that lived in the path of the floods. This presentation will provide an overview of the floods and ongoing efforts to examine their impacts on Columbian Mammoths (the official Washington State Fossil).
Banned Books: Exploring Our Most “Dangerous” Reads
A Presentation by Andrea Campbell
Thursday, January 17, 2013
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Mid-Columbia Libraries
The act of banning books has been around for centuries, and each year more and more titles appear on lists of inappropriate reading materials. What are we so afraid of? Why are some books considered dangerous? Books are banned due to offensive language, blasphemy, sexual references, occult material, violence, and various other reasons. But is censorship the answer? Perhaps we are missing out on some important conversations when books are banned. Professor Andrea Campbell will examine the history of book banning and discuss some of the most widely banned titles, including The Grapes of Wrath, James and the Giant Peach, and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Economic Espionage 101
A Presentation by Greg Curtis
Thursday, January 31, 2013
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Mid-Columbia Libraries and PNNL
Economic espionage by foreign adversaries costs the United States, conservatively, 400 billion dollars annually. Eighty-six percent of the world’s intellectual property is developed within this country, yet we enjoy only 50 percent of the economic outfall of this resource. The other 36 percent is systematically and intentionally stolen by other countries competing with the United States in the world market. By not having to provide the huge financial resources needed for research and development of new technology, these countries can produce and subsequently market the same product at greatly reduced costs as compared to the United States. Hence, the economic strength of this country is weakened, which manifests itself in a host of negative impacts to our well-being, as well as our national security. The tradecraft and operations involved in economic espionage are typically comparable to those used by foreign spies to gain top-secret military and political information from the United States. In fact, much economic loss can be attributed to traditional intelligence gathering operations by foreign intelligence services. Attendees will hear topics including: brief history of espionage, the United States Intelligence Community (USIC), why people spy, elicitation techniques, the recruitment cycle employed by foreign intelligence services, espionage case study, defensive countermeasures, and collaboration risks.
Slavery in the Northwest: The Charles Mitchell Story
A Presentation by Eva Abram
Thursday, February 21, 2013
7 PM, Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library
Storyteller Eva Abram will share the history of one of the few documented cases of slavery in our state’s history. Charles Mitchell, who was born a slave, was brought to Washington Territory in 1853. A tempest was building, and citizens all over the state had opinions about a possible Civil War, influencing their opinions about Mitchell’s status as a slave. In this climate, Mitchell made a break for freedom – and his actions nearly started a war between the U.S. and Canada. Through this story, we will examine how ideologies move geographically. The migration to Washington attracted Americans with different socio-economic experiences from both Northern and Southern states. Did moving to Washington affect peoples’ opinions on slavery?
Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology
A Presentation by Jennifer Stuller
Thursday, March 21, 2013
7 PM, CBC HUB Main Stage
Hosted by Franklin County Historical Society/Soroptimist International of Pasco/Kennewick
From Wonder Woman to Buffy Summers, Emma Peel to Sydney Bristow, Charlie’s Angels to the Powerpuff Girls, superwomen are more than just love interests or sidekicks who stand by their men. In this lively multimedia presentation, pop-culture historian Jennifer K. Stuller will help us explore how the female hero in modern mythology has broken through the boys’ club barrier of tradition. Using comics, television, and film, we will discuss female action and super heroines from the 1930s to the present day. How do social and political forces affect pop culture – and vice versa? This conversation will examine women’s representations in media and women’s roles as media makers, inspiring us to think deeper about popular culture, media, images, and storytelling.
Hidden Treasures in Washington’s Museums
A Presentation by Harriet Baskas
Thursday, April 18, 2013
7 PM, Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by East Benton County Historical Society
Space restrictions allow most museums to display only about 10 percent of their holdings. However, there are often surprising political, philosophical, artistic, environmental, and historic reasons why museums keep objects from view. Journalist Harriet Baskas will present a fast-paced, photo-filled and, at times, somewhat offbeat tour of Washington history through the stories of museum artifacts that are rarely – or never – shown to the public. Examples include Bing Crosby’s toupees in Spokane, a quilt made of Ku Klux Klan robes in Yakima and Native American spirit boards in Tacoma. We will explore how those objects came to be in the local collections and who makes decisions about what is kept from view.
How to Write a Novel in Only 30 Years
A Presentation by Shawn Wong
Thursday, May 16, 2013
7 PM, CBC HUB Main Stage
Hosted by Jim and Doris Kelly
While the title of the presentation is a joke, there’s a lot of truth in it. Award-winning author Shawn Wong’s first novel, Homebase, was published when he was 30. His second novel, American Knees, was published when he was 45, reducing the time by half. What goes into a novel? What is the creative process like? And why does it take so long? People often talk about “the creative process,” but this discussion, led by Shawn Wong, will unpack that phrase and explore how a work of fiction is made. Attendees will talk about how writing might move from something autobiographical to something fictional, how we construct fiction out of something real, and how we “edit” the story of our lives, through what we leave out and what we include.
One Trail, Many Voices: Songs of the Oregon Trail
A Presentation by Hank Cramer
Thursday, June 20, 2013
7 PM, Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library
The version of the Oregon Trail journey that most of us learned as children presents hardy, American-born pioneers heading west for adventure. The truth is far different. This vast stream of “emigrants” was a hugely diverse group, and for the most part was fleeing something – whether they were Easterners fleeing the financial Panic of 1837, Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famines, blacks escaping slavery, or Germans and Italians fleeing civil war. Along their way, Native Americans seldom attacked – in fact, many emigrant groups would not have made it without their aid. Folksinger and storyteller Hank Cramer will share the traditional folksongs of these cultures and explore how immigration via the Oregon Trail affected the travelers, their songs and the culture of the Pacific Northwest.