Kulturraumstudien USA, Ways to Stay Immersed in Cultural Studies in the Break

 There is no homework per se for our next meeting at the end of March, but here are some ways to stay immersed in our subject matter:

- watch the Inauguration coverage on January 20th.

- follow the impeachment proceedings of Donald Trump. 

- read some of the sections in These Truths that weren't assigned and flip ahead to see what we'll be covering next semester (at the very least, have a look at the visuals).

- listen to podcasts on NPR (public radio broadcast from the US).

- check out documentaries on Netflix produced by PBS, Ken Burns, or the American Experience.

- find US youtubers to listen to who create content in topic areas that interest ("BookTube" is a favorite of mine where users review books of all kinds; start by typing in a book title you're interested in and you'll generally find a number of YouTubers reviewing that book).

- check out the YouTube channels of institutions like the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, etc. or a publication like Newsweek, TIME, or The New Yorker and check out some of their content on YouTube and other social media platforms.

- consider making it a goal to read a piece of US literature (it needn't be a classic!) before the end of the academic year (for classics, this is a fine place to start: Library of America (loa.org) ).

- watch some classic US film over the break (this list is a great place to start and even if you're not interested in watching the entire movie, you can easily access the classic scenes on YouTube, Vimeo and other video platforms): AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 MOVIES | American Film Institute

- listen to US music from the past and present (ideally from genres you are less familiar with) on streaming services, video platforms mentioned above, social media (most artists have various accounts).

- read some poetry by US authors (2020 Nobel Laureate for Literature, Louise Gluck, a US citizen, is also featured here): Poetry Foundation

Interesting links related to today's lecture: 

- Hannah Arendt interview Günter Gaus im Gespräch mit Hannah Arendt (1964) - YouTube

- Letters of Note page (many interesting letters featured here, including this one, "To My Old Master"): To My Old Master – Letters of Note

- Interactive feature from the NY Times concerning where Confederate monuments can be found in the States (notice how many are in northern states): From 2017: Confederate Monuments Are Coming Down Across the United States. Here’s a List. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

- good page for an overview of the Civil War (here: feature on the Emancipation Proclamation): The Emancipation Proclamation (article) | Khan Academy

- full transcript of the Emancipation Proclamation: Transcript of the Proclamation | National Archives

- Lincoln's execution of 38 Dakota in 1862 Largest Mass Execution in US History: 150 Years Ago Today (thenation.com)