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Pro Publica: A Public Classics Workshop

How can we better speak and write about the ancient Mediterranean for the general public? How can academics engaged in the study of antiquity underscore the relevance of Classics in the present day? The Society for Classical Studies and the Department of Classics at Northwestern University invite applications to participate in the Public Classics Workshop (PCW) scheduled on October 18-19, 2019 on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The workshop will explore issues surrounding public scholarship rooted in the study of the ancient Mediterranean through a combination of lectures, mentoring, and workshopping a piece of public-facing scholarship. The ultimate goal will be not only to learn, but also to polish a piece of public scholarship that can be pitched for future publication.

Speakers and Mentors:

Sarah E. Bond

Nyasha Junior

Scott Lepisto

Denise McCoskey

Nandini Pandey

Claire Voon

Donna Zuckerberg

Participants will gather on the evening of Friday, October 18th for an opening lecture panel with Sarah Bond and Donna Zuckerberg on Classics in the Public Sphere. Events on Saturday, October 19th will fall into two parts. In the morning, invited speakers will offer a series of short presentations on topics such as finding the right publication, using accessible language, writing about race and gender, podcasting, pitching pieces to editors, and other issues connected to public scholarship. In the afternoon, participants will break into small groups led by a mentor to workshop a pre-circulated public-facing piece of writing (< 3000 words). Attendees are not required to workshop the piece mentioned in the application, but if chosen, they are expected to circulate a piece to the rest of the group by September 15, 2019. Participants are also expected to provide written and oral feedback for fellow public classicists during the workshop.

The Friday evening lecture panel is free and open to the public. Admission to the Saturday workshop is limited to 20 participants, each of whom will be given a stipend of $250 to cover travel expenses. Applicants should apply using this Google Form by May 1, 2019. Accepted participants will be notified by June 1, 2019. Advanced graduate students and early career professors are especially encouraged to apply.



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