Beauty and Belief

I also attended the keynote address given by Lori Branch, as well as the hour before that which included Matt Wickman, Paul Fortunato and John Schwiebert. It was very interesting. Professor Wickman talked about how skepticism as a critical theory was the search for hidden, often negative, meaning in literature, by diving deep into one subject or experience, like modern short stories tended to do. His talk demonstrated that this did not necessarily yield more truth and that criticism is starting to branch out again to include readings and stories that encapsulate more experiences over a broader range of time. He compared this to faith experiences that require multiple experiences over a period of time. Fortunato talked about the artists ability to transcend the normal through his artistic endeavor, saying this was an almost semi-religious experience. I already talked in class about the "ponderize" talk that Professor Schwiebert presented. It was my favorite because I loved how he was able to link the study of literature with improving individual lives.