Yesterday in the Digital Humanity Center, I was fortunate enough to listen and learn from Dr. Steve Mentz, Professor Pressman, and Professor Leong in their conversation on Blue Humanities. It was immediately clear that Dr. Mentz was a very distinguished guest to have in the Digital Humanity Center. His expertise and the way he articulated himself made it very clear that his love for Blue Humanities is something that has developed over the last couple of decades. I read the preface or introduction to his book An Introduction to the Blue Humanities and something that I really appreciated about him as a person is how much credit he shared in the coining of the term “Blue Humanities” and to whom he gives thanks for his own inspiration, especially to his late colleague and friend, ocean historian pioneer, John Gillis.
Dr. Pressman gave a great scholarly introduction to Dr. Mentz. I honestly had very little knowledge of what Blue Humanities was besides my short reading before the presentation. Though, it was immediately clear that Dr. Pressman’s scholarly work on mermaids came to fruition through Dr. Mentz’s own works. I was particularly interested in a question that Dr. Leong posed to Dr. Mentz which was something along the lines how do people with physical barriers to bodies of water interact with the concept of Blue Humanities. Dr. Mentz was drawn back to the question during the presentation as it was something that he was acutely aware of but had not a specific answer. I appreciated his candor. Like Dr. Leong, I was wondering how does Blue Humanities affect people who may be in a land locked state where bodies of open water are less accessible than the west or east coast. I think even more apparent though is what occurs when people are physically unable to experience water via physical sensation of swimming, or having that immersion in water. Dr. Mentz landed along the lines of every local body of water possessing a culture and an understanding around it. Likewise, water is literally the essence of our daily lives in the way we utilize it and drink it.
It was really fascinating to listen and learn what Blue Humanities entailed. The scholarly perspective led me to eagerly listen and engage with how water is woven as a classical motif in literature due to the historical phenomenon and obsession of the ship-wreck.
Maybe a bit off-topic but I am drawn to one of my favorite quotes or aphorisms from Bruce Lee. He says, “Be like water make its way through its cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find around or through it. Be water, my friend.” My mind also just now draws connection to David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, “This is Water”. It felt so easy to listen to the conversation yesterday because it flowed naturally and that speaks to what the thought process of Blue Humanities invites.