The Oxford English Dictionary defines “keywords” as words that are of “great importance or significance.” In the digital universe, keywords organize vast quantities of complex information. These words are nodal points in many of today’s most dynamic and vexed discussions of political and social life, both inside and outside of the academy. Drawing on their experience editing Keywords for American Cultural Studies, Bruce Burgett (Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington) and Glenn Hendler (English and American Studies, Fordham University) will discuss the critical and creative potential of keywords to catalyze interdisciplinary conversation. This a public program connected to “Revolutionizing American Studies.” For further information on this and other Seminars in the Humanities, see http://centerforthehumanities.org/seminars.
