There is a public component to the Fulbright grant. All of us, for example, are expected to give a public talk about our research at our respective universities. (I will give one at Debrecen and one at Miskolc about my current research on liberty of conscience and family violence in the early days of colonial Rhode Island). Many of us have been invited as speakers and guest lecturers at other institutions.
Erica Kiss developed this poster to announce my talk at Debrecen…I will be presenting research I completed for a book that I hope to finish this year. I will also do the same presentation at Miskolc in late April.
During our Fulbright orientation, B and I went to dinner with several colleagues after a full day of meetings and presentations. This was in later January, shortly after Obama’s inauguration. We were speculating on the ways in which his administration would respond to the terrorist threat and differ from that of George W. Anyway, as a result of that and subsequent discussions, we developed a proposal for an interdisciplinary panel on the US in the Age of Terror. My colleague, Carol, who teaches American Literature at the University of Pecs, will discuss Cormac’s McCarthy’s award-winning novel, The Road, a post-apocalyptic work that was his response to 9/11. I want to talk about civil liberties and the war on terror–particularly the delicate balancing act between security and freedom, and my colleague Paul, who teaches American culture and film studies at the University of Eger, will discuss the changing images of the twin towers and the commodization of 9/11. We thought this would be of great interest to different age groups and an Hungarian audience coming from a variety of backgrounds. The idea is for each of us to present about 15 minutes and then to engage the audience in Q & A and discussion of the issues. We submitted our proposal to the State Department Cultural Affairs Division, which sponsors the American Corners throughout Hungary. (This is where Bernard and I go for English Conversation Club on Tuesday nights.)
Yesterday, we gave our first presentation at the American Corner in Pecs. Our audience of almost 100 included a large contingent of students from several local high schools, some faculty, and a handful of university students. The impact of 9/11 has been widespread and profound. All of my colleagues on the panel can tell you exactly where we where when we found out Kennedy was shot. When we were at the Berlin conference, the participants on the opening panel on Germany and Reunification began by reminiscing about what they were doing and where they were when they first heard the news in November 1989 that Berliners were literally tearing the wall down with their bare hands. 9/11 is another one of those pivotal, life-changing moments. What is surprising is how many of the Hungarian students, most of whom were babies on that fateful day, know so much about the event. The horror of the attack has transcended all kinds of boundaries and resonates with people of different backgrounds, of different generations, and different experiences. The historical impact of 9/11 connects us all in a very real way.
I must say that we were very pleased with the panel.
We hadn’t been expecting such a large crowd, and they were quite attentive. I want to thank Zsuzsanna Nagy and her assistant for all of their hard work and coordination. The event would not have gone so smoothly had it not been for their efforts. And I know that we all appreciated their wonderful hospitality.
For next week’s presentation, we will work on timing, transitions, and making sure that we reinforce our central themes…Next week, we will present here in Debrecen, this time to a more mixed audience of high school and university students, and to some of the “regulars” who attend American Corner programs. Later in April, we will all travel to Vezprem,where our presentation will be part of a week-long program entitled “America Week.” Finally, because of conflicts in scheduling, two of the three of us will present at the University of Eger. All three of these are co-sponsored by the American Corner and the university. Pecs is located in Transdanubia, the southern and more temperate part of Hungary near the Croatian border. Vezsprem is located in western Hungary near Lake Balaton, and Debrecen, as you may already know, is located on the eastern plains near the puszta. As a result of this road show, a variety of Hungarians will have an opportunity to discuss American perspectives on US politics and culture, and we Americans will have the chance to explore different parts of our host nation. In my mind, it’s a win-win situation.
Thanks for tuning in and best regards,
Marcsi
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