Resources That Inspired and Influenced Us
Dr. Liz Morrell:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is an essential read for learning about the damaging impacts of colonial activity and the interrelationships between human and natural environments. I would also recommend reading as much as possible from Ibram X. Kendi’s Anti-Racist Reading List.
Ava Collopy:
The famous TEDx talk by Nigerian author and orator Chimamanda Adichie, “The Danger of the Single Story.” In that inspiring piece, Adichie talks a lot about who tells our historical stories, how they tell them, and why they tell them the way they do, specifically focusing on white Western accounts of Africans in colonial times, and other common issues that promote racist views based on ignorance and misinformation.
Jay Miller, more specifically this installment of his From the President column in Legacy. This article really speaks to the issue of who tells the stories told in our society, and who writes history and with what agenda? He focuses on an interpreter’s responsibility to be a truth teller.
Natalie Teboul:
My inspiration is Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus because she also made learning an adventure!
Liz Mueller:
The biggest inspiration for my interpretive work was my Naturalist Outreach Practicum course during my undergraduate studies at Cornell University. The course as a whole opened my eyes to the field of interpretation, and inspired me to pursue this as a career.
Megan Mahon:
Something that has inspired me since I began my career in interpretation has been this article by Andrew M. Davenport from the Smithsonian Magazine, about interpreting stories of enslavement at Monticello. It reminds me that interpreters have a responsibility to represent everyone’s stories, and to ensure that no narratives are forgotten in the ultimate story we tell of a person, place, or event.
Hannah Baker:
For me, the book Fresh Banana Leaves by Jessica Hernandez is a great reminder that western conservation can be problematic. When thinking about interpreting sustainability, Hernandez’s book has helped me to keep in mind how the climate crisis is linked to colonialism.
TC Sheridan:
My passion for historical interpretation has always been fueled by the work of Living History Museums in places like St. Augustine, Mystic, and the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown, Virginia. Now, I am fully immersed in the vibrant Living History community of the Historic Triangle, particularly as it prepares for the America 250 celebrations. Here, my mission is to bridge the gap between the past and the present, engaging visitors in meaningful and lasting ways.
