Andrea Foroughi, professor of history, will serve as the local project scholar for, “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War,” which will be held at the Voorheesville Public Library in 2012.
Andrea Foroughi
The local library was one of 65 nationwide to be awarded an American Library Association/National Endowment for the Humanities grant for this program which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. This five-session series will explore the complexities behind the Civil War from a broad range of perspectives. It is also a component of the NEH We the People initiative which encourages American history scholarship.
As the project scholar, Foroughi will facilitate discussions about five major themes centered around the Civil War: “Imagining War,” “Choosing Sides,” “Making Sense of Shiloh,” “The Shape of War” and “War and Freedom.” Discussions will be supplemented by relevant texts such as March by Geraldine Brooks, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam by James McPherson and America’s War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries, edited by national project scholar and program visionary Edward L. Ayers.
“I hope that the discussion series will appeal to those who already have an interest in some aspect of the Civil War but want to deepen their knowledge about other aspects of the war years,” said Foroughi. “Moreover, I hope that those who didn't like history but hear and see the Civil War mentioned in news reports or popular media….will participate in the program and discover that history is not only interesting but relevant in today's world.”
The series starts in January and will be held once a month through May. Contact library project director Suzanne Fisher at (518) 765-2791 for more information.