360°: Transplants

The world around us contains numerous examples of hidden histories: objects, stories, or perspectives that appear one-dimensional, or familiar, on the surface, but contain other meanings—or other pasts. The contemporary world’s narratives are composed of words and images embedded in cultural, social, and scientific contexts; knowledge of these contexts can unearth these overlooked histories. This cluster uses multidisciplinary tools from language and culture, literature, and environmental science to reveal histories hidden in and around the city of Angoulême, France. Students will explore how connections between the Old and New Worlds were established, refracted, and changed over the course of its history, delving into the ways that texts obscure or embed multiple meanings within words and images. An interdisciplinary exploration of how plants and people have shaped one another over millennia and on a global scale will provide case study material for these explorations. The cluster will place a particular emphasis on building skills necessary for the production of field notes, graphic narratives, and shared universes.