Writers, Artists Explore Evolving American Landscape In ‘Tensions Of Change’

August 4, 2003

University Park, Pa. -- Nationally and regionally prominent writers and artists involved with conservation, design, health and the environment, sprawl, transportation and tourism will explore the ways our society safeguards and simultaneously dismantles and remakes beloved spaces in a series, “Tensions of Change: Writing and Making the American Landscape” at Penn State’s University Park Campus.

Throughout the fall, six major public events, three concurrent college courses and numerous ancillary programs will be conducted and organized by individuals in the Master of Fine Art program in English and the Department of Landscape Architecture at Penn State. The writers and artists will interact directly with students, faculty, and community members throughout the length of the program.

All events occur on Penn State’s University Park campus and are open to the public. Events will include:

—Poet, essayist, and environmental activist Alison Hawthorne Deming will serve as the first writer-in-residence for Penn State’s Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing. During her time at University Park, Deming will give several public readings of her work and lectures on land issues during the week of Sept. 6–13, including a public lecture on Monday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. in Pattee Library’s Foster Auditorium; a poetry reading on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m., also in Foster Auditorium; and a lecture as part of the Feminist Scholars Series on Wednesday, September 10, at 7 p.m. in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium.

—An evening of readings by Pennsylvania poets Harry Humes, Judith Vollmer, Sherry Fairchok, and Jerry Wemple will occur on Monday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in Pattee Library’s Foster Auditorium.

—Naturalist and essayist John Elder will give a lecture and reading on Monday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in Pattee Library’s Foster Auditorium.

—Urban planner, landscape architect, and writer Ann Spirn will give a public lecture and photo talk on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in Pattee Library’s Foster Auditorium.

—Artists John Bowman and Sallie McCorkle will present slides and give a lecture on intersections of art and landscape on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in Pattee Library’s Foster Auditorium.

—Philosopher and naturalist Evan Eisenberg will deliver a public reading on Monday, Dec. 8 at 7 p. m. in Pattee Library’s Foster Auditorium.

Project sponsors include the Mary E. Rolling Lectureship in Creative Writing, Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities, the University Libraries, the Master of Fine Arts program in English, the Department of Landscape Architecture, the Center for Watershed Stewardship, the Bracken Lecture Series fund, the College of the Liberal Arts’ Research and Graduate Studies Office, the Women’s Studies Program, the Rock Ethics Institute, and the College of Arts and Architecture’s Research and Graduate Studies Office.

"Tensions of Change" is one of a number of interdisciplinary initiatives sponsored by Penn State's Institute for the Arts and Humanities. The Institute is in the midst of a three-year National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant to support humanities projects at Penn State.

For more information on the Tensions of Change project, contact project organizers Matt Seigel mbs212@psu.edu and Gabriel Welsch gjw106@psu.edu by email.