Dear Friends of UMIH, We have a lot to share with you about upcoming UMIH programming. Please mark your calendars and join us at one or more of the following events.

“Impersonal Love: Theorizing Antisocial Maternity in the Wake of Leo Bersani”

A Presentation by Dr. Rachel Shields (McMaster University / UMIH Research Affiliate)

Thursday February 27; 2:30- 4:00PM; Tier 409

In this talk, Dr. Shields will explore connections between Leo Bersani's queer theory and views on motherhood that resist conventional pressures of “maternal love.” Please attend to learn from Dr. Shields as she explores critiques of modern motherhood and analyzes both literary works and films that showcase alternative, “antisocial” maternal approaches. All are welcome.

“Dear Alice: Writing and Stitching with Archival Materials”

A Free Two-Part Hands-On Workshop with CCWOC Writer-in-Residence Dr. Sonja Boon

Monday March 3; 2:30- 4:00PM; UM Library’s Archives & Special Collections

Monday March 17; 2:30- 4:00PM; Tier 409

This two-part workshop, co-hosted by CCWOC and UMIH, brings archival materials, found poetry, and textile art into conversation with one another. The first session, to take place in UM Library’s Archives & Special Collections, will introduce participants to power, politics, and possibilities in the archives, while the second session, in Tier 409, will introduce found poetry as a mode of inquiry and creative exploration. Participants will create individual blocks of a quilt that will be stitched together by Sonja Boon. All are welcome.

“Bleeding Hearts: Missions, Philanthropy, Gender, and Indigenous Peoples in Saskatchewan, 1890-1920”

A Presentation by Karen Brglez (Department of History / UMIH Graduate Fellow)

Thursday March 6; 2:30- 4:00PM; Tier 409

Sentimentality was at the core of female missionary efforts in Saskatchewan. This presentation explores the strategic use of sentimental rhetoric by female missionaries who worked in the Canadian Indian Residential School System and on First Nations reserves during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. All are welcome.

A UMIH Crafternoon: Book Binding for Beginners

Thursday March 13; 2:30- 4:00PM; Tier 409

Our final Crafternoon of 2024-2025 will introduce you to the basics of book binding. Focusing on coptic stitch, we’ll explore methods for creating, collating, and stitching a booklet of blank paper for you to take home and use after the workshop. No registration required; no experience required. All materials and instruction ARE provided. Space is limited; please arrive no later than 2:40. All are welcome.