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Can't get enough Soul of a People? The series will be continuing sometime in the Fall. To be notified of updates please sign up for our newsletter here.

About the Program

“Soul of a People: Writing America's Story” will give public audiences the opportunity to participate in library-sponsored humanities programs that explore the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Writers’ Project through the American Guide series of state and regional travel guides, regional cultural studies, oral history interviews, films, and photographs. "Soul of a People" will also showcase works of important authors of the twentieth century who got their start in the Writers’ Project. Please contact Donna Browne at 741-5155 or dbrowne@munpl.org for additional information.



Schedule of Events @ MPL
Date Topic
October 3, 2009, Kennedy Library
Soul of a People Kick-Off & Documentary Presentation and Discussion

Soul of a People Kick-Off Celebration begins at 4:30 p.m.

Documentary Film at 6 p.m.

Muncie Public Library invites you to explore The Soul of A People, a look at the activities and impact of the Federal Writers’ Project and other WPA back-to-work programs during the Great Depression.

The Kick-Off Celebration will include live music from the 1930s and a tasting table of regional foods. Special kids’ activities will begin at 4:30 in the Youth Services Department. Kids will enjoy stories, crafts and apples while learning about Johnny Appleseed.

Michael Doyle, BSU Professor, will screen the Soul of a People documentary at 6 p.m. Moderated by Michael Doyle, Ball State University Department of History. Dr. Doyle is also serving as lead project scholar for the Soul of a People lecture Series.

October 15, 2009
Kennedy Library
George Blakey Presents Hoosier Blacks Remember Slavery; Indiana’s Part in the Ex-Slave Narratives Project for the WPA/FWP

Thursday, October 15, 7 p.m. @ Kennedy Library

Interviews with former slaves provide an invaluable record of the lives and thoughts of former slaves who moved to Indiana after the Civil War and made significant contributions to the evolving patchwork of Hoosier culture. George Blakey, author, is the presenter. (Blakey was part of the January 2009 Soul of a People activities and he held the audience spellbound with his lively and thoughtful presentation.)

October 28, 2009
Kennedy Library
The FSA Photographers: Shedding Light on a Nation Presented by Gunther Cartwright, Associate Professor of Applied Photography and Photojournalism at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Wednesday, October 28, 7 p.m. @ Kennedy Library

 

Don’t miss the final presentation in the Soul of a People series. This WPA project  set the standard that became tradition for American documentary photography. By giving Americans a vision of the nation's vastness and diversity, FSA photographers promoted understanding and fostered crucial change.
Ongoing: Creation and presentation of three video oral histories of residents of Muncie in the 1930s.

The Soul of a People project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Library Association, and Spark Media and by financial support of several departments at Ball State University. Thank you!