All Shades of Purple

This post was written by Rebekah James, winner of the 2024 Humanities Center Essay Contest.   The British poet William Wordsworth saw the death of his father in the rain. He wrote, I do not doubt That in this later time when storm and rain Beat on my roof at midnight, or by day When …

Crossing the Threshold

This post was written by Ansley Morris, a Humanities Center student fellow.   When I was 18 years-old, there was one word that stopped me from declaring myself an English major: prose. Not writing it, not reading it, but the very word itself. Prose. Those five letters were my roadblock, spelling out every one of …

Changes, Transitions, Decisions

This post was written by Anna-Lisa Halling, a Humanities Center faculty fellow.   I am currently preparing to direct a study abroad program in Portugal, and my children happen to have a lot of opinions about this new adventure. My daughter declared that she prefers Madrid because Lisbon has “too many hills,” a fact with …

The Fire in the Forge: How Trials Help Us Grow

This post was written by Luke Beckstrand, a Humanities Center student fellow.   One of the most challenging and age-old questions in the world strikes us all close to home: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” It’s easy to wonder, if we’ve tried our best to live a good life and spread only …

Meditation in 4149 JFSB

This post was written by Paul Westover, a Humanities Center faculty fellow.   In my English 236 class, a GE course on C. S. Lewis, we recently read “Meditation in a Toolshed,” an essay that begins with a simple anecdote: Lewis, standing in his shed, observes a beam of light entering through a crack at …

Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite

This post was written by Ivy Griffiths, a Humanities Center student fellow.   I often find myself worrying about my future. With so many variables out of my control, there is no way to guarantee success in my endeavors. If life is a game, how can I win when I don’t hold all the cards? …

Humanities Center Faculty Writing Retreat

Call for Applications: BYU Humanities Center Summer 2024 Writing Retreat Deadline: 15 March 2024 Inspired by the productive example of the National Humanities Center, we are pleased to announce that the BYU Humanities Center will sponsor a new Summer Writing Retreat this year at the beautiful Zermatt hotel in Midway, UT. At a location that …