Heghnar Watenpaugh and Alex Gershman

On the 2/5/25 Edition of Dr Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:Professor Heghnar Watenpaugh joins the show to discuss the 2025 Templeton Colloquium in Art History, which will explore the need for protection of cultural heritage around the world. Watenpaugh outlines the scope of Cultural Heritage within art history, while also describing some of the immediate threats to Cultural Heritage such as unwise development, climate change, and intentional destruction from war. Professor Watenpaigh also shares  how speakers at the event will approach the issues from the lens of archaeological materials and as art critics. The next guest on the show is Alex Gershman, who joins the show to discuss his writing and reading journey as an Undergraduate Creative Writing student. He shares the process of some of his craft, while also explaining how he has worked to build a writing and reading community on his popular youtube channel, @agwriting. Gershman converses about the works of many authors, such as George Saudners, Nabakov, Kaveh Akbar, and Gwendeloyn Brooks. Gerhsman reaffirms the importance of place, and specifically the importance of place within the cityscape in literature and the human experience.Heghnar Watenpaugh is Professor of Art History at the University of California, Davis. She researches the visual cultures of the Middle East, including architectural preservation, museums, and cultural heritage.  Professor Watenpaugh is the author of two award-winning books, a fellow of the Guggenheim Foundation, and is currently the President of the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus. Alex Gershman is a writer from Chicago, Illinois. He’s currently pursuing a degree in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he’s working on several projects, including a novel and an essay collection centered around urban literature. He discusses writing and interviews authors on his YouTube channel, @agwriting, and is the fiction editor of The Madison Review. The Poetry Night Reading Series takes place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. Our next event on February 6th will be a wide open mic.Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.