Lecture: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place

The International Museum of Surgical Science hosts a Saturday afternoon lecture by Michael Workman, an artist and writer whose work treats writing as a form of cultural archaeology — excavating the layered relationships between language, identity, and place. Workman, a 2026–27 Illinois Humanities Road Scholar, draws on influences like Theresa Hak Kyung Cha and Charles Reznikoff to explore how geography shapes emotion and memory. The program on September 26, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM (doors at 11:30 AM), blends a short reading or performance with guided writing prompts and group discussion. Presented in partnership with the Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, the lecture is better suited for those already interested in literary or interdisciplinary arts than for casual drop-ins.