Center for the Humanities Presents: Creating Knowledge in Climate Extremes: An Evening with Hester Blum
How has our knowledge of polar regions — from the 19th century to today — been challenged by climate extremes? Join us for an evening of short film and conversation with environmental humanities professor Hester Blum as she reflects on the production of polar knowledge.
Blum participated in the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan, the world’s last surviving wooden whaleship, as well as Arctic expeditions tracking climate change. A documentary, Frozen Obsession, was made of the expedition, for which she served as Arctic historian. She also ventured to Antarctica with Albatros Expeditions and traveled to the International Territory of Svalbard in October 2022 with The Arctic Circle. Blum writes about polar regions for Avidly and is the author of The News at the Ends of the Earth: The Print Culture of Polar Exploration.
Blum will be joined in conversation by Megan Ward, director of humanities initiatives at OSU. Together, they will discuss Blum’s experience with scientific expeditions as a writer and literary historian, as well as what history can teach us about the creation of knowledge under extreme conditions.
Hester Blum is the Lynne Cooper Harvey Distinguished Professor of English and professor of environmental studies at Washington University in St. Louis.
This event is presented in conjunction with the Polar STEAM program.
Schedule:
6 p.m.│Doors and cash bar open
7 p.m.│Talk begins