U.S. Intellectual History Blog

Conference Announcement: In the Footsteps of William James

In the Footsteps of William James, a Symposium… for honoring—and making use of—William James

The William James Society, in cooperation with the Chocorua (NH) Community Association and Harvard’s Houghton Library, is planning a long-weekend symposium, August 13-16, 2010, to honor the life of James on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death. In the spirit of James, the symposium, “In the Footsteps of William James,” will be an opportunity to explore the places where James lived and to reflect on James’s ability to encounter experience afresh and approach problems creatively.

The symposium will be held in two places: in Chocorua, NH, and Cambridge, MA, and it will include:
-opportunities to explore James’s settings in Chocorua, including his summer home and hiking trails, along with performance of period music and stories of his experiences in the area;
-attendance at the opening of the Houghton Library’s exhibition on James;
-tour of James’s Cambridge, including his home and work settings;
-presentations by leading scholars and public intellectuals on James’s life, work, and impact; and
-seminar conversations with James experts to allow more informal and in-depth exploration and reflection.

Please see the Society web page for more information, as it becomes available, on registration, schedule, speakers, and more. Or contact a member of the organizing committee:

*Lynn Bridgers, Secretary-Treasurer of the William James Society: [email protected]; or 7705 Spring Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110

*Paul Croce, President of the William James Society: [email protected]; or Box 8274, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32720

*John Kaag: [email protected]; or Department of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 102 Olney Hall, Lowell, MA 01856

Join the conversation, as we apply the insights of William James to our time.

When you visit the Society at its web page, please also explore other activities of the Society ranging from publication of the journal William James Studies and sponsorship of sessions at academic conferences to raising the profile for the significance of James for the scholarship of many fields and in the public culture of our time.