HOW WE WORK
Our four series begin with reading and take the form of talks, shared reading, participatory discussion, and cultural experiences. Each brings literature, philosophy, history, and art into everyday public life.
One person’s inquiry opens new perspectives for others.
A public humanities series organized around talks.
Researchers, practitioners, and people with a sustained interest in a subject discuss their work and observations. Topics range from literature, history, philosophy, and art to technology, economics, and the natural sciences.
Reading need not be solitary.
Our longest-running program, and where Elsewhere began.
We read books together, share reading updates, and meet for discussion. These practices give readers a way to exchange ideas and find company in their reading.
Explore 10+ interest groups
Take time with the question.
Small-group discussions in which everyone takes part.
Our discussions begin with questions drawn from philosophy, literature, social life, and personal experience. They have no simple answers, but repay closer attention.
Small groups allow time to consider each other’s experiences and examine differences in perspective.
Everyday life is a way of knowing.
Cultural activities that extend reading and reflection into daily life.
We work with local cultural venues, artists, and practitioners on activities involving tea, craft, art, movement, nature, and urban life. These experiences extend the attention we bring to reading into the things we do and the places we inhabit.
02 / INTEREST GROUPS
More than ten interest groups have grown out of Elsewhere Humanities, covering reading, art, exercise, and everyday life. Shared interests bring people together; continuing conversations help the community take shape.
4 groups
A monthly online reading check-in with no set book. Read and keep notes at your own pace.
Read around a shared theme and exchange interpretations and responses.
Reading and discussion on pregnancy, infancy, parenting, and natural approaches to raising children.
Share questions and approaches from mathematics and physics, and consider how they shape our understanding of the world.
5 groups
Share exhibitions and music events, and find people to attend with.
Watch films together and discuss their stories, images, and connections to everyday life.
An ongoing practice in drawing and sketching. Four sessions have taken place so far.
Photography exercises around abstract themes, with room for members to organize discussions and outings.
Write from observation and experience, developing a voice through practice and discussion.
4 groups
Share exercise and everyday routines, and help one another keep going.
Discuss podcasts, share experiences, and find others interested in the same questions.
Meet over a meal organized around a theme, and get to know one another at the table.
Exchange travel ideas and find people to plan a trip with.