Chang,

Thanks for covering this project!

I think this project is so important – archives of oral histories like this one can help support groups. On The NYC Trans Oral History’s page they note that one of their purposes was to help support the creation of a trans community in NYC, as well to better organize towards their ultimate goal of…[Read more]

Hi Sara,
Thanks for covering this project!
I think it’s also important to highlight the fact that this project focuses on a very specific community – not just the LGBTQ+ community, but those members who reside within Southwest Virginia. By focusing on such a specific audience, this project probably has an easier time encouraging public…[Read more]

Thanks, April!
Yes, I also think collaboration extends beyond just this class. We might consider WattPad’s emphasis on collaboration and the fluidity between reader/author that it supports as a guiding light for our public humanities projects – we might work towards a similar collaborative practice and a similar fluidity between public and…[Read more]

Hi Rhiannon,

Thanks for covering this project. It’s actually designed, built, and managed by Prof. Andrew Newman, a professor within the English Department at Stony Brook University!

While Wickman is right to say that it’s impossible to know exactly how the public will interact with and use the projects we put out there, it’s certainly…[Read more]

Xinyu,

Thanks for this post. I like the way this project offers the public different ways of interact with its material – from a self-guided walking tour to its archive of oral history.

You mention that it doesn’t seem like academics are as involved in this project as the public are, but I’d argue that they are very involved- it seems like…[Read more]

Hi Brenna,

Thanks for covering this project!

I wish SBU had a project like this!

It’s interesting to consider this project through the lens of the readings we completed for Module 3, which explored the distinctions between the public and an audience. While the Carleton Covid-19 Archive is designed with a specific audience – Carleton…[Read more]

Thoraya,

Thanks for bringing up these important questions!

I think you’re right to believe that you can create for both an audience and the public. Choosing a specific audience is important to the creation process, as it will guide your work and will help you to make important decisions about the language and medium your project uses, as…[Read more]

Raj,

Thanks for bringing up these important questions! It’s great that you’re considering this now because you’ll need to have an idea of how your project will reach the public/your audience.

One way might be to design for a specific audience, but to also apply Universal Design principles so that the public has enough access to potentially…[Read more]

Chris,

I think this is a potentially helpful way of differentiating between the two. These definitions can also help you determine which group is more appropriate to address whenever you are creating a project based on the project’s goals. Alternatively, you could start the creation process by first determining whether you’d like to work with a…[Read more]

Hi Mostafa,

Titles are also important because they can help make your project searchable online. You might think about what your potential audience will type into Google to find your work – what are some keywords they might use to search for the material or digital space you will provide them with?

I see how a project on implicit racism…[Read more]

Brittany,

I’m glad to hear that these readings helped you to think more deeply about the concept of a ‘public.’ When putting your work out there – especially online – it’s difficult to know exactly who will engage with it. While you may have an ideal audience in your mind for whom you design the project, you never know who else might find and…[Read more]

Hi Brittany,

I agree with Jen- the “Baltimore Traces” project is a great find and definitely something everyone should check out if they have the time – especially those of you interested in teaching.

Thanks also for including a list of Fisher’s five types of engagement- this is a really helpful tool that any of your peers can return to…[Read more]

Chris,

Thanks for sharing this project with us!

I like how actionable “Boom or Bust” is- there’s a clear sense of exactly how this project is helpful, who it serves, and why it’s important. For some public humanities projects, these elements aren’t always so clear.

I also am interested in how many different mediums this project takes,…[Read more]

Hi Mostafa,
Thanks for this post!
As we’ve read, one reason for engaging in public humanities (ph) work might be to bring humanities methodologies and thought processes to the public. You mention near the end of your post something similar, that ph projects are helpful in seeking out different voices, answers, and methods. How does Burdick and…[Read more]

Chang,

Great post!

I like the way you connect the discussion happening between Hsu, Shumway, Wickman, and Ellison regarding the definition of public humanities with your own experience in this class. It seems like involving the public right from the start in the actual process of knowledge-building in public humanities projects is more…[Read more]

Hi Xinyu,

Thanks for this post! Because Krebs covers three different articles, and therefore three different projects, this helps give a sense of how varied public humanities projects can be.

Your definition of public humanities, that it’s the action of bringing humanities disciplines and training outside of the classroom and into the…[Read more]

Ziqing,

I’m glad that this article helped you to better understand public humanities and realize that there are potentially more examples of public humanities work out there than you previously imagined.

I think your emphasis on Howard’s point that public humanities needs to involve a conversation with the public, as opposed to something…[Read more]

Hey Jen,

Thanks for covering this project, I think it’s fascinating! I was looking through the photographs they have in the archive from my neighborhood, and it’s pretty neat (and strangely disorienting) to see things I see on my daily walks on a project like this. It really drives home the fact that we’re living through history.

Thanks…[Read more]

April,

Thanks for this post! I appreciated your focus on Wattpad’s ability to connect authors and readers together. I guess the closest thing to that is in social media spaces like Twitter, where you can tweet at an author, though I suppose this is pretty different, in that it’s all connected directly to the texts themselves. It also seems…[Read more]