“Uncertain Together” PAHS 2022 Forum Updates!
Greeting Stewards!
Happy summer! As of last week, PAHS completed our first two forums of the “Uncertain Together” 2022 Series. Each forum this year has a different reading, and so far we’ve looked at “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo and an excerpt from Claudia Rankine’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, A Father Tells This Son The Thing He Regrets Most About His Life.”
After the close reading of these Harjo’s poem, people on their memories of the beginning of the pandemic as a warm-up. Some spoke about their social distance experiences. One example was sitting on their patio six feet apart from neighbors, friends, and family—one of the only safe forms of social interaction other than the internet. Others spoke about where they were when the pandemic first was announced, and the uncertainty and fear that soon emerged. One participant spoke about the fun they had at their dining table over the past two years, while another spoke about the various holiday dining tables throughout the pandemic. There was a sense of relatability and comfort in sharing our collective experiences with one another.
In our second forum, while exploring Claudia Rankine’s piece and the theme of worry as a unique and unavoidable aspect of human experience, we eventually came find understanding and compassion for the experience of worry, despite how unpleasant it can be to feel besieged by it. One participant even described worry as a treasured family friend. The writing shared by participants was intensely insightful, vivid, and moving.
If you would like to take part in this experience, registration is still open using the button down below! Check out our Forum page for more information too.