Music and the Titanic (VPR)

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In her commentary for VPR, Professor Colleen Glenney Boggs says she is fascinated by how the sinking of the Titanic “continues to have such a hold on our imagination.”

She says that when she thinks of the Titanic, it is the musicians who come to mind. “It moves me, to imagine the string quartet playing as the unsinkable ship was sinking.”

Boggs concludes, “I think there’s a lesson to be learned from these tragic deaths about what it means to live a good life that involves creating art with others, and for others, in the best and worst of circumstances. To me, the romance in this story is about star-crossed lovers of music and art against the odds—and that keeps it relevant to this day.”

Boggs is a professor of English, a professor of women’s and gender studies, and the director of the Leslie Center for the Humanities.

Listen to the full opinion piece, broadcast 4/14/15 by VPR.

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