Podcasts

Have you ever loved a book so much you wished you could write a letter to its author? That’s the foundation of our annual letter-writing contest for middle and high school students, Letters About Literature. A national Library of Congress program that is facilitated in Maryland by Maryland Humanities, Letters About Literature promotes reading and writing skills and inspires creativity in its many participants. Kimberly Dyar, teacher librarian at Rising Sun High School in Cecil County and recipient of the 2015 Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year award, tells us how this program allowed her to connect with one of her students.

What is the importance of the humanities to the future of our nation? Dr. Jim Salvucci, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Buena Vista University offers this reflection of how the humanities bring meaning to our lives. Air date: October 5, 2017

Place-making is the idea of utilizing a community’s local assets in order to create quality public spaces that contribute to the wellbeing of the community and create a sense of belonging through place. Silvia Blitzer Golombek, nonprofit consultant and board member at Maryland Humanities, shares how public libraries serve as such spaces for local communities.

Each fall Maryland Humanities One Maryland One Book program brings together diverse people in communities across Maryland through the shared reading of one book. What some may not realize is that this program also serves as a valuable tool for educators. This week we offer a reflection from our archives. Nicole Little Cook, Library Media Specialist at Seneca Valley High School in Montgomery County, reflects on the 2014 One Maryland One Book, “The Distance Between Us: a Memoir” by Reyna Grande.

One Maryland One Book, a program of Maryland Center for the Book at Maryland Humanities, is the state’s largest reading and discussion program. Each fall, this program brings together diverse groups of Marylanders from across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book. Andrea Lewis, Program Officer at Maryland Humanities, tells us more.

A common question faced by liberal arts majors and educators alike is how their education will serve them later in life. William Egginton, director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins University, tells us more about the new Institute and how it serves its students through the humanities.

A little over one year ago, Historic Ellicott City was struck by severe flash flooding. What can the response to and recovery from this natural disaster tell us about the value of historic preservation? Nicholas Redding, executive director of Preservation Maryland, tells us more.

The cornerstone of Maryland Humanities’ mission is to engage all Marylanders in lifelong learning in the humanities. Judy Pittenger, a former Roland Park Country School teacher who now offers continuing education courses through the school’s Kaleidoscope program, tells us more about the value of lifelong learning.

The transformative power of literacy is well documented. Reading Partners Baltimore, a local nonprofit, seeks to ensure every Baltimore student has the tools to become a lifelong reader. Allison Jones, regional site coordinator and AmeriCorps Fellow, tells us more.

How can the humanities be used to help doctors provide better care for their patients? Dr. Meg Chisolm, Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine, tells us more.