Sept. 21, 2005
Contact: Jo Ann Lloyd
Cal Poly Public Affairs
(805) 756-6530; jlloyd@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly Professor Will Talk to Library of Congress About American Dreams
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly English Professor and author Larry Inchausti will speak to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., next week about Americans’ dreams and the spirit of democracy.
Inchausti will participate in a panel discussion as a part of a book launch for the anthology “Deepening the American Dream: Reflections on the Inner Life and Spirit of Democracy.” He will be joined on the panel by Vincent Harding, the well-known Civil Rights activist and historian.
An essay by Inchausti, “Breaking the Cultural Trace: Insight and Vision in America,” is included in the anthology. “My essay explores the role education plays, particularly the study of literature and history, in deepening our imaginative reach and echoes Emerson’s great aphorism: ‘No scholarship without the heroic mind,’” Inchausti said.
The publication of “Deepening the American Dream” marks a milestone in a multi-year project to reflect on the dreams of the American people and the inner nature of democracy in the 21st century, according to the Fetzer Institute. The anthology intended to spark a national conversation about the dimensions of freedom, the aspirations of Americans, and America's relationship to the global community.
The Fetzer Institute began the project in 1999 to “sow the seeds of a national conversation on the inner nature and spirit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Public forums are being held around the country to examine the questions raised in the essays. The forums will continue into 2006.
In addition to Inchausti’s essay, the anthology includes essays by Jacob Needleman, professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University; Elaine H. Pagels, faculty member at Princeton University; David M. Abshire, president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency; the late Gerald G. May, a psychiatrist and author of numerous books and articles on spiritual growth and enlightenment; and Parker J. Palmer, writer, speaker and community activist
“This important book brings together some of the most creative thinkers in the nation to look beyond the troublesome reality of our time and to imagine a bold new way of thinking and living. It challenges us to cross the boundaries which keep us apart, and points, inspiringly, to a future which unites us with all human beings,” said Howard Zinn, noted historian author of “A People's History of the United States.”
# # #
About Robert Inchausti
Professor Inchausti has had several books published. His most recent,
“Subversive Orthodoxy: Outlaws, Revolutionaries, and Other
Christians in Disguise,” takes a provocative look at the meaning
of Christianity.
The book, defends Christian Humanism by examining the way various Christian visionaries have responded to the new, emerging world civilization, Inchausti said.
An essay in intellectual history, “Subversive Orthodoxy” is written for serious students and scholars seeking connections among the many avant-garde religious thinkers and artists of our time, Inchausti said.
Inchausti has been a member of Cal Poly’s English faculty since 1983. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 and a master’s degree in 1976, both from California State University, Sacramento. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1981.
About the Fetzer Institute
The Fetzer Institute is a private operating foundation based in
Kalamazoo, Mich. Its mission is to foster an awareness of the power
of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community.