Words, words, words. Both through speech and print, whether via traditional channels (e.g., literature, journalism) or new ones (e.g., vlogs, Zoom), we seek to understand the world by means of the words we introduce and take in. The same words may persuade some and dissuade others; exclude some and include others; offend some and delight others. Deciphering the meanings and intentions of these claims, and determining which ones ought to define us—this work is as important as it is complex. Even on a typical day, we are bombarded with more knowledge and perspectives—more words—than we can possibly absorb. The stakes are only higher in a crisis, as we turn to the media for answers and to the arts for alternative modes of communication and expression. What sorts of cognitive acrobatics enable us to understand language? How ought we evaluate the competing claims of science? How do we construct or identify truths amidst widespread disagreement? This cluster asks what it means to be responsibly literate when we’re adrift in a sea of words.
This cluster will be offered throughout 2021-23.
