Humanities Moments

The Second Shelf and Beyond

Contributed by Kathryn Hill, President, The Levine Museum of the New South
Harriet Beecher Stowe, c. 1852
In elementary school, Kathryn Hill itched to move beyond the first shelf of the library books. When she finally reached the second shelf, a new world awaited her: biographies of historical figures. The lives of women such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Dorothea Dix led her to understand that history was all about stories. She realized that her own life “needed to be about something”—and that it could be.

Title

The Second Shelf and Beyond

Description

In elementary school, Kathryn Hill itched to move beyond the first shelf of the library books. When she finally reached the second shelf, a new world awaited her: biographies of historical figures. The lives of women such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Dorothea Dix led her to understand that history was all about stories. She realized that her own life “needed to be about something”—and that it could be.

Source

Biographies of historical figures such as Harriet Tubman and Dorothea Dix

Contributor

Kathryn Hill, President, The Levine Museum of the New South

Identifier

kathryn-hill-second-shelf

Player