Fall 2008
Annual Theme 2008–09:
Disciplinarity IPRH 11th Annual Conference: April 9–10, 2009
Letter from the Director, Dianne Harris It is with great pleasure that I begin my first year as Direc-
of prominence in our academic and intellectual lives thanks
tor of the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities.
to the talent, vision, and efforts of past directors Michael
Trained as a historian of the built environment, I envision the
Bérubé, Suvir Kaul, Matti Bunzl, and continuing Senior
IPRH spatially, as the public square of the University of Illi-
Associate Director Christine Catanzarite. Their impact as
nois. Historically, of course, plazas and public squares served
leaders, and of the IPRH as an institution, can be variously
as the sites in which everyday discussion, debate, even riots
measured. Since 1998, for example, 57 faculty members
and revolutions took place (although I confess to hoping that
received a semester of release time to pursue the production
our revolutions are primarily intellectual, despite my scholarly
of scholarship; 66 graduate students received fellowships
fascination with riots). For many of us, public squares, as
that assisted in the completion of their dissertations; IPRH
Dean John Unsworth of the Graduate School of Library and
brought 71 speakers from other universities to speak at its
Information Science recently reminded me, are now virtual
annual symposia, and 38 outside speakers to participate on
spaces. Yet the physical location and material presence of
panels and to give lectures. Chris Catanzarite has organized
public squares still matters around the globe. Unsworth’s
dozens of film screenings, and our exhibition space has
remarks, as he noted, were based on Lawrence Lessig’s
hosted the work of artists from near and far. With Krannert
pessimistic 2001 predictions about the fate of the commons
Art Museum and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts,
in the digital era, but from where I sit, public intellectual life
IPRH continues to connect faculty, students, and commu-
appears stronger and more dynamic than ever.
nity members with visual and performing artists through a
As the IPRH begins its second decade, I hope it will increasingly serve as the physical locus and as the virtual site for wide-ranging discussions among Illinois faculty, students, and community members—that it will increasingly be viewed as our own public square. IPRH occupies a place
series of hosted conversations. We’ve co-sponsored myriad campus events, and sponsored hundreds of campus reading groups that help bring faculty and students together to share ideas in an atmosphere conducive to creative and critical thought. Because of these, the University of Illinois boasts