Humanities Washington: Homelessness and the Meaning of Home (Hybrid)

Loss of a home, whether through financial difficulties, divorce, illness, or natural disasters like wildfires, is a widespread and growing problem affecting all of us. Often thought of as only an urban problem, homelessness also occurs in suburban and rural areas throughout Washington State. What are the historical roots of homelessness, and what lessons can we learn from them? What are the common meanings of home to us, and how can we apply those meanings to our responses to homelessness in our communities? 

In this talk, author and professor Josephine Ensign leads audiences through a values clarification exercise that includes individual writing time. Professor Ensign will share her research on the history of homelessness in her hometown of Seattle, along with discussion of what these stories can teach us about the contemporary crisis of homelessness throughout our state and country. 

Josephine Ensign (she/her) is a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her scholarship and practice as a nurse practitioner focus on trauma-informed care and health inequities for people marginalized by poverty and homelessness. She experienced homelessness herself as a young adult. Ensign is the author of several books including Skid Road: On the Frontier of Health and Homelessness in an American City, a 2022 finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Her latest book, Way Home: Ways Out of Homelessness, is forthcoming from Johns Hopkins University Press. Ensign lives in Seattle.

This program is made possible by Humanities Washington’s Speakers Bureau—"Fascinating talks by fascinating people." For more information about Speakers Bureau, please visit https://www.humanities.org/program/speakers-bureau/.

This event is available in person or online. To attend online click on the following link at the time of the event: Google Meet Link  

To join online you will need a computer, tablet or phone with a camera and microphone.

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