Humanities on Demand
Have you ever missed a humanities event because you were away on business, or because it was snowing to beat the band, or because you live in Fort Kent and the event was in Portland? Perhaps you considered attending the Council’s October symposium on All the King’s Men, but it conflicted with the county fair you attend every fall.
There’s no substitute for shaking hands with the audience member sitting next to you at an event, or getting an author to sign a book. Realistically, though, attending these events in person is not always convenient—or even feasible. That’s why the Council has launched a podcast that makes it possible for humanities enthusiasts of all ages to experience the power and pleasure of ideas on demand.
If the mere mention of a podcast fills you with trepidation, you’re not alone. Many people assume that podcasts are off-limits to anyone who hasn’t purchased an iPod (the Apple device that has cornered the market on portable media players). The origins and legal status of the term "podcast" are clouded by debate, but you definitely do not need an iPod, or any other portable media player, to listen to a podcast. In fact, the vast majority of podcast fans report listening via their computers.
So here’s how to turn any computer with an Internet connection into a radio that broadcasts humanities content, available whenever you want it:
- Go to www.mainehumanities.org and click on the Humanities on Demand link.
- Read through the list of recordings with descriptions. You can choose from a series of interviews of Maine writers; authors reading at our partner, the Portland Public Library; and selections from the archive of Council events. New content is being added all the time, but some of the speakers already represented are Richard Russo, Cathie Pelletier, and Huey P. Long (the inspiration behind All the King’s Men).
- Once you’ve found a recording that interests you, either click on the play button to listen to it right away, or download it to play later.
- After listening, you may wish to respond by posting a comment or question to the Humanities on Demand blog. You’ll find a link to the blog underneath the description of each recording.
If, on the other hand, you are comfortable with the technology, but simply don’t care to spend any more time online than is absolutely necessary, consider these added enticements:
- composer Elliott Schwartz created and performed the short sound intros and "outros" that bracket the podcast recordings,
- recordings are forthcoming from institutions such as the Maine Historical Society and Portland Stage Company, and
- if you subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or a similar “podcatcher,” the new recordings will come to you automatically as the podcast is updated.
Happy listening!
The podcast project is supported by a Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
