It’s almost our favorite time of year again! October marks National Arts and Humanities Month in the United States, a month-long opportunity to reflect and recognize how the humanities help us connect communities, celebrate culture, and highlight our shared humanity. Throughout the month, humanities councils will be facilitating meaningful conversations and showcasing creative works across the county. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events during National Arts and Humanities Month:
“Ann Plato of Hartford: Pioneering Black Writer”
On October 6, Capital Community College Professor, author, and Connecticut Poet Laureate Antoinette Brim-Bell will explore the life and work of author Ann Plato during a Hartford History Lecture sponsored by CT Humanities. During this hybrid event, Brim-Bell will discuss how Plato, the first African American writer to publish a collection of essays in 1841, situated her publication as “a treatise that strategically optimizes the author’s opportunity for social and physical mobility.”
“Human Ties: Conversations that Matter – Change”
The Idaho Humanities Council will host a community conversation on the topic of “change” in Boise on October 6. Their new program, “Human Ties: Conversations that Matter,” was created to bring communities together to have respectful conversations about “challenging topics that are meaningful to Idaho.” Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair to the council’s front porch in historic downtown Boise for the event.
“2022 Kentucky Book Festival”
The 41st annual Kentucky Book Festival will take place on October 29 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. Hosted by Kentucky Humanities, the hybrid festival will feature 150 invited authors including Barbara Kingsolver, Jon Meacham, Geraldine Brooks, Wendell Berry, Crystal Wilkinson, Silas House, and many more. Learn more about the 2022 Kentucky Book Festival events and authors lineup at the council’s event website.
“Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong and the Black String Band Tradition”
On October 11, Tennesseans will explore the life and legacy of country blues musician Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong. During this “Tennessee 101” session, Grammy Award recipients, artists, music historians, and Armstrong acolytes Dom Flemons and Dr. Elijah Wald will honor their connections to Armstrong and discuss his world legacy. This event is supported by Humanities Tennessee.
“Lit Youngstown Fall Literary Festival”
From October 20-October 22, the 6th annual Lit Youngstown Fall Literary Festival will take place in-person in Youngstown, Ohio. Supported by Ohio Humanities, this conference aims to “sustain and enhance discussion on real and imagined literary places that shape our memory, experience and identity.” Learn more about this year’s conference theme, “The Places That Make Us” and the events schedule at the Lit Youngstown website.
Written by Jazzy DiMeglio
