Will the real Charles Mingus please stand up
Graduate Student Fellow Varun Chandrasekhar looks to French philosophy to evaluate what made musical legend Charles Mingus tick.
Deep time in the era of doomscrolling
Francisco Tijerina found inspiration in his work on time scales to revaluate his (dis)connection to the world.
Modern memory: An origin story
Many of us imagine memory as a storehouse stocked with experiences, facts and feelings, ready for retrieval when needed. We imagine a lifetime of learnings stored in neat boxes in the brain, some more accessible than others, some getting misplaced along the way. This seeming truism — now so ingrained that it’s hard to conceive alternative explanations — owes a debt to philosophers of the early modern period, says Faculty Fellow Rebecca Copenhaver.
A playwright for all seasons
The 2025 Washington University International Humanities Prize recipient Lynn Nottage tells stories that uplift and give voice to those who are often not seen, who are not centered and who are, in many instances, the least of us, writes Ron Himes.
About the Center
At Washington University in St. Louis, the Center for the Humanities facilitates the labor of humanists by nurturing innovative research, transformative pedagogy, and vibrant community engagement locally and globally.
Read More About Our Mission and Our History
upcoming
events
Lynn Nottage – Washington University International Humanities Prize
Mallinckrodt Center, Edison Theatre + Umrath Lounge
Lecture and reception for playwright and MacArthur “Genius” Lynn Nottage, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Sweat” and “Ruined” and winner of the 2025 Washington University International Humanities Prize
View EventKim Stanley Robinson on "The Ministry for the Future"
Graham Chapel
View EventEngaging the Local Humanities Colloquium & Workshop
McMillan Cafe
A colloquium by and for STL area graduate students on the public humanities
View Event
A fair look at women’s writing from Imperial Germany
How to be healthy: A modern history
Sign up for our monthly newsletter and event announcements!
Keep up with all the news and events organized by the Center for the Humanities — and dive into some great feature stories from our blog, Human Ties. The newsletter is published monthly during the academic year, and events are promoted throughout the year. We welcome all readers!
SUBSCRIBE