1. ‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Launches New Season With Episode Featuring Holly Pickett

'W&L After Class' Podcast Launches New Season With Episode Featuring Holly Pickett In the podcast's first episode of season six, Pickett, professor of English, discusses the power of humanities in a rapidly changing world and the life lessons that can be continuously unearthed in Shakespearean text.

By Laura Lemon
January 15, 2025

Give yourself permission to follow your passions. Do what you love, and you will gather the skills that you need along your journey. If you're doing what you really love, you will be so enthusiastic and succeed."

~ Holly Pickett, professor of English

What is it about Shakespeare's words that continue to hold relevancy in a society - with its electricity, fast travel and instant access to information - that's so markedly different than his own? As Holly Pickett, professor of English at Washington and Lee University, describes in the latest episode of the "W&L After Class" podcast, Shakespeare speaks to the universalness across generations of grappling with the nuances of humanity. And as the world continues to rapidly change, she delves into how the humanities can provide long-term security and adaptability to those who study it.

In this episode, "Weathering the Storm of a Changing World," Pickett talks to associate director of Lifelong Learning Ruth Candler about her unenjoyable introduction to Shakespeare in high school and how a college professor changed her opinion. She discusses breaking down the barriers with the playwright by having students "experience the text," not just read it. She details the making of her 2024 book, "The Drama of Serial Conversion in Early Modern England," and the interdisciplinary nature of her research that has her investigating subjects from 16th-century history to modern TV. And looking at the humanities as a whole, she argues how those subjects, and the critical skills they teach, can endure amid societal transformation and uncertainty.

"I would say that the humanities are a great place to study something you love and then build those skills that are going to weather the storms of a changing society," Pickett said. "So, you're going to have those core skills of critical thinking, communication analysis, but they are the things that are going to not change, even as society changes rapidly and computers can do more. You still have to be able to pivot, think on your feet, decide if something is good and write. All of those skills are going to be even more valuable, I believe, in the future than they are now."

This episode marks the launch of the podcast's sixth season. "W&L After Class" began in the spring of 2020 and is a collaborative effort of Lifelong Learning, Alumni Engagement and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Each episode invites listeners to experience conversations with W&L's expert faculty, giving listeners worldwide a chance to stroll the Colonnade in the comfort of their homes. W&L faculty members discuss their teaching, research and special interests. Previous topics include chemistry, advertising, witches, AI and free speech.

Listeners in the W&L community and beyond are invited to listen to past episodes and seasons here or wherever they listen to podcasts.

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