About the Eva Brann Workshop

This year’s seminars are offered as part of the Eva Brann Workshop, honoring the legendary St. John’s tutor and her lifelong dedication to liberal education and to the work of teachers. Eva Brann (1929–2023) was the longest-serving tutor in the history of St. John’s College and a former Dean of the Annapolis campus. Awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2005, she was a prolific scholar and beloved teacher whose writings and seminars reflected her lifelong passion for liberal education. The Eva Brann Workshop carries forward her vision of supporting educators through serious study, conversation, and community. 
 

Program Summary

What does it mean to speak of “the canon” today? Leslie Marmon Silko’s short story "Yellow Woman", rooted in Pueblo storytelling traditions, opens questions about how multiple cultural voices shape our understanding of literature, identity, and education. Alongside the story, Silko’s essay "Language and Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective" invites us to consider how language itself carries cultural meaning and how literature both preserves and reshapes communal identity.
 
This seminar will ask what it means for teachers to navigate a “canon” that is both enduring and pluralistic. Teachers joining us for our free online Saturday seminar will meet from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. ET in a small, interactive class led by St. John’s faculty. The seminar will conclude with discussion about incorporating diverse texts into the classroom.
 

Silko's "Yellow Woman" short story reading is LINKED HERE. And Silko's essay "Language and Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective" is LINKED HERE.