Convened by Jonathan Rattner at Vanderbilt University, Jon Winet at University of Iowa, Don Unger at University of Mississippi, Bridget Draxler at St. Olaf College, and Andrea Feeser at Clemson University

A contemporary Detroit-based poet famously noted: “The train ceaselessly reinvents the station.”  In the arithmetic of successful collaborations where one + one equals a number greater than two, we  anticipate the project to yield activities beyond what we are presently imagining. Our collective practice,  interaction with faculty, students and community members will inform the nature of our activity  together and our final work. Principles of civic engagement and celebration of democracy are the core of  our practice and will guide our project. 

With the exception of our University of Mississippi colleague Don Unger, we are all Imagining America  National Convenings alums – having organized and or participated in panels in Atlanta, New York, Atlanta  and New Orleans. We all share a boundless enthusiasm for the organization’s aspirations.  

The U.S. midterm elections are an important marker in the landscape of fall 2026. Bridget Draxler will  explore its possibilities in her fall 2026 St. Olaf course, “Practicing Democracy: Language, Identity, and  Election Engagement Writing-Intensive First-Year Seminar.” It will include a short (projected at two week  at present) interdisciplinary collaboration with one of Don Unger’s civic engagement seminar – “Community Writing” in UM’s Writing & Rhetoric Department. In parallel, Jonathan Rattner at  Vanderbilt will create a cinematic essay video project in his Film Production course. Students will work  on constructing visual and sonic journeys that wander, circle back, and reflect on the ordinary, moving  between personal experience and the wider social and political landscape.  

Jon Winet will provide project coordination and planning, and contribute to the courses.  Andrea Feeser at Clemson will provide feedback as an consultant on the overall project. It is our hope the project will benefit our approaches to teaching, research and community interaction,  and in the process benefit our students, institutions and communities.