Jane Austen (c. 1810), pencil and watercolour, Cassandra Austen

In this first episode of the podcast, I address some of the prevailing questions surrounding the supposed critical and dire conditions of the humanities in institutions of higher learning. I speak with prominent leaders in the field, including Dr. Stephanie Shonekan, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland, Dr. Robert Newman, former President of the National Humanities Center, Dr. Robert Townsend of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Heather Hewett, former Program Officer at the  American Council of Learned Societies. You can see portions of the interviews I conducted with these individuals and others who have collaborated with me here.

Throughout our discussion, we consider such issues as the division between the academic humanities and the place of the humanities in diverse public communities, our very understanding of the humanities, and the importance of the humanities for solving pressing problems of today and tomorrow.

And I consider why Jane Austen may very valuable to the future of the humanities.