April 2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the first shots fired in the American Civil War. This war changed the way Americans approached disagreement and fostered the birth of the one major American contribution to philosophy: pragmatism. One hundred and fifty years later, how can the lessons of this national crisis inform the ways we conduct our current debates?

This is the focus of “Brother Against Brother: Pragmatism, Civility and the Civil War,” a free conversation with Linfield College associate professor David Sumner on Tuesday, March 6th at 6:00 p.m. at the Downtown Bend Public Library, Brooks Room at 601 NW Wall Street in Bend. This program is hosted by the Deschutes Public Library and the City Club of Central Oregon and sponsored by Oregon Humanities.

Sumner is an associate professor of English at Linfield College where he teaches courses in American literature, philosophy and literature, and rhetoric. Sumner has published in a variety of newspapers, literary journals, and books, including a series of interviews with contemporary nature writers such as Terry Tempest Williams, Barry Lopez, and David Quammen.

Through the Conversation Project, Oregon Humanities offers free programs that engage community members in thoughtful, challenging conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state's future. For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Lisa at 541/312-1034.