Think Humanities

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Danielle Clore, founder and Executive Director of Kentucky Nonprofit Network (KNN). KNN serves as Kentucky’s state association of nonprofits. It provides resources, education, and a unified public policy voice for nonprofits. Danielle discusses their major upcoming philanthropy event, Kentucky Gives Day, set for May 22nd. This is a 24-hour online fundraising marathon in which Kentuckians can support nonprofit organizations that promote healthy, vibrant communities. You can visit kygives.org on May 22nd to support your favorite nonprofit organization, including Kentucky Humanities.

Host Bill Goodman welcomes U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith to Kentucky as part of her National Project Rural Tour of America. Bill is also joined by Robert Casper, who heads the Poetry & Literature Division of the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress. Tracy and Robert reflect on their visits to Bowling Green, Glasgow, and New Haven, and describe their appreciation for the Kentuckians who engaged in a thoughtful discussion of poetry and their experiences in rural Kentucky. Bill also speaks with Maurice Manning, a noted Kentucky poet and professor in the Department of English at Transylvania University. Maurice discusses the importance of having a poet of such magnitude visit rural Kentucky.

Bill Goodman visited Guthrie, Kentucky to deliver a special announcement introducing Kentucky Humanities’ new statewide literacy initiative, Kentucky Reads: All The King’s Men. The project will use Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to guide a statewide conversation on contemporary populism and political discourse, and their relationship to journalism. Bill was joined in this announcement by Carrie Cantorelli and Mona Frederick. Carrie Cantorelli, Curator of the Robert Penn Warren Birthplace Museum, discusses the impact of Warren's literature that led her to become the Museum Curator, as well as her hopes for the museum's future. Mona Frederick is the Director of the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. She discusses the early life of Warren in Guthrie, his time at Vanderbilt, and the Center’s work to make Warren’s interviews more accessible as digital archives.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by actress, director, writer, and teacher, Janet Scott. Janet is a veteran actress, having portrayed two acts for Kentucky Chautauqua in addition to numerous roles for stage, television, and film during her thirty-year professional career in New York City. She channeled her appreciation for her hometown of Shaker Heights, Ohio when she portrayed "Mary Settles: The Last Shaker at Pleasant Hill for Kentucky Chautauqua." She currently portrays "Mary Carson Breckinridge: The Frontier Nursing Service." She discusses her acting career in New York; her dedication to community-based arts programs; her work with Lexington’s new Actors Equity Theatre Company; and her experience teaching for UK’s Opera Theatre.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by historian Dr. William Ellis. He is the author of several books, including "A History of Education in Kentucky," "The Kentucky River," and "A History of Eastern Kentucky University." Dr. Ellis provides a thoughtful discussion of the history, funding, and future of education in Kentucky. In addition, Dr. Ellis details his latest book, "Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall of an American Humorist" which studies one of the highest paid and most celebrated American journalists of the early twentieth century.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by professional actress and comedian Debra Faulk. A native of Lexington, Debra earned her MFA from California State University, Los Angeles. Debra discusses her experience developing her career in California before returning home to Kentucky. Debra has taught theatre at the University of Kentucky and served as an instructor at the LFCUG Family Care Center. She currently portrays “Nancy Green: Being Aunt Jemima, the Pancake Queen” for Kentucky Chautauqua.

George McGee joins host Bill Goodman on this week’s episode of THINK HUMANITIES highlighting our Kentucky Chautauqua program. George McGee is a professor of theatre at Georgetown College and has been a Chautauqua actor since the program was created in 1992. McGee’s two roles include Elijah Craig and his current portrayal of Kentucky's Great Statesman, Henry Clay. He has performed Henry Clay over 900 times in schools, libraries, parks, and communities across the state for a total audience of more than 118,000. McGee discusses what drew him to theatre in college after serving in the army; the development of his character; and his experience traveling the state sharing the life and legacy of Senator Henry Clay.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. Eli Capilouto, President of the University of Kentucky. Dr. Capilouto explains the shifting landscape of higher education; the value of a humanities-based liberal arts education in developing critical thinking, deep reading, and the articulation of thoughts and ideas; and the physical transformation that the University is undergoing in its academic, research, residential, health care, and community spaces.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by actress, graphic designer, and writer Kelly Brengelman. Kelly has been a Chautauqua actress at Kentucky Humanities for fourteen years, portraying four influential women of Kentucky’s past. Kelly currently portrays two roles: “Madeline McDowell Breckinridge: Votes for Women!” and “Rose Leigh: Rosie the Riveter.” Kelly discusses the importance of preserving Kentucky's history through Chautauqua, her roles throughout the years, and how she connects with her audiences.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by author Hannah Pittard. She is an associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky and is the director of creative writing in the MFA program. Pittard has written four novels, including "Listen to Me" (a New York Times Editors' Choice) and the forthcoming "Visible Empire" which will be available this June.