article by Rod McKenzie

Reading books on American history, through the PLATO courses lead by Michael Stevens, is an experience that has moved my perspective about the nation’s founding, and its evolution from a series of coastal settlements along the Atlantic shores, to a growing, transcontinental union. The book selection is always significant, going into depth about the times, the personalities whose imprint has been made, not just in that time, but in the subsequent generations. Reflecting on the reading, with other members of the group is always interesting, and informative. We each with our own perspective, take from the reading different impressions, and that feeds into an often-spirited discussion of the text. It has helped me see where present-day events are clearly linked to the past, whereas others are genuine departures.

Members of the course are frequently alumni, so we have seen each other before, and get to know one another a little bit. We come to recognize our biases, and what we will find important, or problematic in the material we read together. Michael often starts the first session the opening line from L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between, that states, “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” As we read these books we get to learn about those differences, and how it has shaped who we are as a country, who we are, and who we are becoming as members of this society.

There is also the option of going deeper. As a result of these classes, I have been inclined to look to the bookshelves of our Madison Libraries, local bookstores, (and Amazon if necessary), to see if the titles referenced in the bibliographies are available. Another book for the night stand, of course.

These classes have been a turning point in my own thinking about who we have been as a country, and why we find ourselves in a time of such large social changes in how we relate to each other, and how we interact as a country on the stage of international affairs. It has also informed me about the relationship that we have with our own Indigenous Nations, and what we can do to heal and restore what has been lost.

I regard the courses offered by Michael Stevens as one of the best reasons to belong to PLATO and thank the Curriculum Committee for organizing the course offerings each year.