The Friends of Cedarmere will partner with the New York Council for the Humanities this spring to host a reading and discussion program, “Making Sense of the Civil War.”
The program will be held at Cedarmere, the historic home of William Cullen Bryant, a major voice in journalism throughout the Civil War period, and an important advising supporter of Abraham Lincoln.
The program will comprise of six sessions—from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on consecutive Monday evenings—running March 23 through May 4, including a one-week break. Readings are thematically organized, and assigned from a wide variety of historical short pieces and longer interpretive book extracts, drawing mainly from an anthology titled America’s War, compiled by the National Endowment for the Humanities, on loan to each registered participant. The volume will serve as the primary text for the program.
Discussions will be held in the Great Room at Cedarmere, facilitated by Dr. M. Cristina Zaccarini, professor of history, Adelphi University. Among Zaccarini’s recent classroom offerings is a course on “Spiritualism and the Civil War,” a subject entailing a nuanced view of this most famous conflict in America’s first century. Apart from the more familiar context of battleground history and interpretation, the program will explore causes and consequences of the war. Images, music and Bryant’s poetry will supplement the discussions.
Period inspired refreshments will be offered at each session. A concert reflecting the program’s many themes will be held in mid-April, directed by Paul Baserman. Details on each session, a registration link, plus general information are all found at www.friendsofcedarmere.org.
Advance registration is required. Attendance is limited to 35 participants per session. Occasional participation is possible only if registered per session and the occupancy limit is not already reached. The Friends will confirm all registrations for each session.
