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Scott Black:
What are the humanities? Why do we need them? In fact, do we need them at all? Welcome to the Virtual Jewel Box podcast of the Tanner Humanities Center. I'm Scott Black, director of the Tanner Humanities Center.

Last spring, we hosted Mark Matheson on the Virtual Jewel Box to discuss the legacy of Obert Tanner, our founder and namesake. Today, I'm delighted to welcome Jodi Graham to talk with us about the next part of our name and our mission: the humanities.

Jodi Graham is executive director of Utah Humanities, a formidable force at the heart of our state's public humanities. I'm delighted to welcome her today. Welcome, Jodi.

Jodi Graham:
Thank you so much for having me, Scott. I'm happy to be here.

Scott Black:
Really glad you're here. Utah Humanities is now celebrating your fiftieth anniversary. I wanted to ask you to start just by talking a little bit about what a State Humanities Council is, what Utah Humanities does, and tell us about your fifty years.

Jodi Graham:
Awesome. Thank you so much, Scott. So a lot of people don't know that every state and the six jurisdictional territories of our country have a State Humanities Council. So there are fifty-six of us. We are all funded in some part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, which was created in 1965, partly because Congress was determined to get across that democracy demands wisdom of its citizens.

At that time, so much money was going toward science and technology that they felt it was important to put some resources toward culture in our country. And so the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities were created. The idea was that we would be the masters of our technology and not its unthinking servants.

1965—that was the focus. Still sounds timely now. And that’s one of the beautiful things about the humanities: they are timeless. There are things we are grappling with today that we grappled with fifty years ago, a hundred years ago, and more.

So yes, we are Utah’s State Humanities Council. We were established in 1975. When we were created, our primary function was really just to award grants. The National Endowment for the Humanities would give us money, and we would turn around and give it out for projects all over the state.

Over the past fifty years, we’ve morphed. We still offer grants, but we also now do our own programming. We try to get out to as many places in the state as we can to bring the humanities to communities that may not always have opportunities to experience it. Salt Lake City is a wealth of cultural programming, especially with the university up here on the hill, but not every community in the state has that.

It is our mandate to get the humanities out far and wide to as many people as we can in Utah. We do it through partnerships—partnering with the Tanner Humanities Center, with organizations large and small—to reach as many people as possible. That’s really what we’re all about: making the world a better place through the humanities.

Scott Black:
That's great. I do want to ask you about the humanities as a thing. It's a strange term for a lot of people. Our associate director has been asked if she works for a humane society with animals.

And I also, you know, I’m in the humanities—the academic humanities—and I’m often wondering what we’re doing. Why the humanities? It’s a strange category. I think there are historical reasons, but how do you explain what the humanities are to people?

Culture, I understand. Arts, I understand. Humanities—maybe a little less intuitive to a lot of people.

Jodi Graham:
Well, and I love that you said you get some confusion because we often have people call to let us know that a neighbor’s dog is in distress or come to us looking for assistance for someone who’s homeless. Humanitarian, humane—we get those things. Which, actually, are all part of the humanities. All the good “h” words.

One of my favorite ways to explain the humanities actually came from an ad campaign that the University of Utah’s College of Humanities did several years ago. It said: science can tell you how to clone a dinosaur; the humanities can tell you why that might not be a good idea.

So it really is the exploration of everything that’s human. I make the case all the time: if humans are involved, it’s the humanities. It could be something as simple as going to a movie and having a conversation with someone about it, to exploring historical texts, to looking at social movements, understanding where we’ve been, who we are now, and where we want to go.

That’s the beautiful challenge and opportunity. They’re broad. They can mean all kinds of things to all kinds of people. It just depends on what your personal connection is. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like the air we breathe. It’s part of life.

Scott Black:
I really agree with you about that conversation-after-the-movie part in particular. This is what I try to explain to my students in English: this is what we’re doing. You’ve just had some kind of experience, and now we’re trying to understand it better, compare notes, have a discussion, and reflect.

That’s actually what I think it means to be fully human—to lead a self-aware, reflective life. Everything we do offers people occasions to do that: a chance to slow down, think again, and wonder if those reactive thoughts you’re having are actually your thoughts.

Jodi Graham:
Right. And I think where it is magical is when there are points of tension or disagreement. Especially with the movie example: you may see something you loved and can’t wait to talk about it, but your friend didn’t like it. Then you have to stop and consider—why not? What does that mean? And can we still be friends? Of course we can.

That’s why the humanities are so critically important in this moment. Because of COVID and because of our addiction to electronic devices, we are finding fewer opportunities to really talk to each other and get beneath the surface. That’s where the exchange of ideas can really happen. You’re not going to get that on social media. You’re never going to solve the problems of the world by getting into an argument on Facebook.

But you may come to a greater understanding and appreciation of something you didn’t know about—or were afraid of, or confused about—when you have that human interaction behind it.

Scott Black:
Yeah. And it’s that friction—not just agreement or disagreement and stopping there. Asking your friend or partner: did you see the same thing? If not, can you explain why? Having to give reasons may open up something you weren’t aware of before.

Jodi Graham:
Exactly. And it just really shines a light on the fact that humans are messy. We are beautiful, glorious, messy creatures. We’re not easily described, not easily understood. Those tensions are good—healthy tension.

Scott Black:
Yeah. The arguments, the complexity—that’s actually where things get interesting, where things get fun. Who wants to know how everything works automatically? The nuance, the context—that’s what the humanities bring.

You can take any historical event: Who did it happen to? Why did it happen? What were the results? What led up to it? What have we learned from it? That’s the power of it.

So your job is to give people those kinds of experiences through your programs.

Jodi Graham:
Yes. And we do that in many ways. Because people connect differently, we want to give as many opportunities as we can so that people can find that hook for themselves—the light bulbs go off. That curiosity and continuing learning is what we’re all hungry for.

Scott Black:
I’ve known Utah Humanities for years through the English department and our creative writing program, especially the Book Festival. It’s one of my favorite events in the fall. But in my role at the Tanner, I’ve started to learn about all the amazing things you’re doing.

I’m also aware of the Clemente Program because we’ve had faculty in my department who work with that. Could you tell us a little about the range of things—Museums on Main Street, Clemente, the education programs, literacy and book programs?

Jodi Graham:
Yes. Part of the beauty and the challenge of the humanities is that they’re broad. We could go in a million different directions. What we’ve done is section our programming into centers— not physical, but thematic.

The Utah Center for the Book is the affiliate of the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book. That includes the Utah Humanities Book Festival every October, the Utah Book Awards, Humanities in the Wild (pairing authors and scientists outdoors), and the Utah Poetry Festival every April.

Then we have the Center for Community Heritage, which manages history and museum programming. That includes Museums on Main Street—a collaboration with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition service. Every three years, the Smithsonian puts together an exhibit. We bring it here, tour it to small and rural museums, and each host creates a local exhibit alongside it. Utah actually helped get that program started thirty years ago.

We also do capacity-building with small museums, many of which are run by volunteers and need help with things like mission, vision, collections care, governance.

The Center for Educational Access runs Clemente—a rigorous, year-long humanities course for high school juniors and seniors, designed for students who would be first-generation college-goers. They get a taste of college success and meet faculty, so when they enroll, they see familiar faces.

The Center for Local Initiatives houses our grants and community conversations, where we tackle topics from COVID to any current issue.

And then we have Special Projects—the catchall.

It’s a lot. Any one of those centers could be its own organization. But they all tie together under the mission of making communities stronger through the humanities.

Scott Black:
It is a lot, but it’s important you offer people multiple ways in. And it’s statewide—every corner of Utah has benefited. These programs are designed to foster community conversations.

Jodi Graham:
Exactly. And what excites us most is when communities build the capacity to continue on their own. That strengthens Utah’s cultural infrastructure. The stronger our cultural infrastructure, the stronger we are as a state.

Utah has a long legacy of supporting arts and humanities—from indigenous cultures to early pioneers—and we’re proud to carry that forward.

Scott Black:
I’ve heard you say the humanities are necessary, not a luxury. I agree. They’re fundamental to a good life. They’re how we ask ourselves what a good life is and how to live together.

But they’re also more than necessity. They’re where we celebrate, where we come together voluntarily, doing things we love.

Jodi Graham:
Yes. During COVID, my email tagline said: survival is insufficient. We can live, but are we alive? That’s the difference.

Right now, with the divisions in our country and our difficulty connecting, I honestly believe the humanities can save us. That ability to dig deeper, find context, and connect—that’s what we’re losing. And that’s at the root of many of our problems.

So yes, they’re a luxury, but also critical. If we can answer the call in this moment, I think the humanities can help heal a lot.

Scott Black:
And the assumption is that if we actually talk with each other, we’d recognize the things we share as human beings, despite differences.

Jodi Graham:
Right. You’re a lot less likely to have a deep, negative reaction to someone you know. That act of getting to know someone—it’s hard, it’s personal, it’s intimate. But it’s critical. And it may mean reconsidering your own assumptions.

Scott Black:
And certainty—that sense of having a lock on what it is to be human—that’s part of the problem.

Jodi Graham:
Exactly. And then introduce AI—and we go down a new rabbit hole. What does it mean to be human in relation to technology that doesn’t go back in the box? How do we manage that?

Scott Black:
Yes, that’s a can of worms. Is there an “AI humanities”? Certainly “humanities in AI.” My colleagues are thinking a lot about how to teach and relate in the age of AI. But fundamentally, what you’re talking about is face-to-face time—recognizing people in their full humanity, in all their nuance and depth. Social media doesn’t give us that.

Jodi Graham:
Exactly. We’ve never been more connected, but also never more lonely. What are we doing to mitigate that?

During COVID we switched to virtual programming. It worked; we learned tricks, we made things more accessible. But the magic happens in person, exchanging ideas, reading body language, being fully present.

Scott Black:
Absolutely. And at events, so much happens informally—before and after. Those conversations are invaluable.

Jodi Graham:
Right. And you just can’t replicate that on a screen. It’s not bad—it’s just different. But embodiment matters. We live in the world, not just in our heads or phones.

When you interact face-to-face, you see impact. Growing up, if you wanted to say something mean, you had to say it to someone’s face—you saw their reaction. Today, you don’t. And that goes for positive things too—you don’t see the joy on someone’s face.

Everything you do has an impact.

Scott Black:
Yes. And it’s important to see how things land. You test ideas—you see if someone lights up. You read the room, which you can’t do virtually.

Jodi Graham:
Exactly. And it’s easier to hate someone abstractly than in person. In person, people are interesting, complicated, harder to dismiss.

Scott Black:
Yes, it’s fundamental. So thinking back over fifty years of Utah Humanities, is there anything you want to highlight? You’ve been executive director since 2018, but involved for twenty years.

Jodi Graham:
Yes. I actually started in 1996 as an administrative assistant. Over the years I’ve done many roles, seen it from many angles.

One of the most important things we do is awarding grants. They empower people and organizations to do what matters in their communities. And the pride people feel—that sense of accomplishment—is remarkable. We’ve been doing that for fifty years, and I hope we continue for the next fifty.

Scott Black:
That’s great. And so important to stress: these programs aren’t about telling people what to think. They allow people to think for themselves.

Jodi Graham:
Yes. People in communities know their communities best. They know what’s important, what’s tricky.

I remind my staff: it’s not our job to give answers, it’s our job to ask questions. For example, when we did programming on banned books, I have strong feelings personally, but in my role, my opinions don’t matter. We present the questions. People come to their own conclusions. And maybe they connect—or maybe they move their chair farther away! That’s okay.

The point is to ask, not prescribe.

Scott Black:
And hopefully the answers spark new questions, endlessly. That’s the beauty of it.

Jodi Graham:
Exactly. Endless creativity.

Scott Black:
Jodi, it’s been a pleasure talking with you today. Thanks very much for coming on the Virtual Jewel Box.

Jodi Graham:
Thank you so much, Scott.

Scott Black:
You’ve been listening to the Virtual Jewel Box podcast of the Tanner Humanities Center. Our music is Jelly Roll Morton’s “Perfect Rag.” Thanks for joining us.