Vth Form Hears Award-Winning College Scholar Discuss Beloved

Members of the Millbrook English department regularly attend the Institute for Writing and Thinking at Bard College, an incredible professional development opportunity that allows our faculty to share the "writer as reader" model with our students, and to really dig into what they’re teaching. 

In fall of 2022, some Millbrook faculty attended Dr. Stephanie Dunson's workshop on Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Beloved, studied by Millbrook students in the Vth form. Dr. Dunson is an award-winning scholar and collaborative process specialist. Drawing on her teaching experience at Bard and Williams, Dr. Dunson engaged Millbrook Vth formers in a college-style lecture.

Millbrook English instructor Will Dore attended Dr. Dunson’s workshop and recognized the benefits of her exploration of some of the fundamental questions of Beloved with students. The most notable question Dr. Dunson tackled, according to Mr. Dore, was “How do you speak the unspeakable?” Mr. Dore added, “Slavery and its aftermath, especially in the context of Beloved, is such a demanding topic, yet Dr. Dunson makes the reading more accessible, which is what a lot of our students are looking for. And while I'm sure there are plenty of questions lingering, Dr. Dunson makes it clear that it's important to embrace the discomfort and unknowing in the text. It is the experience of reading Beloved that is the most rewarding.” 

Students appreciated the visit by Dr. Dunson and emerged better equipped to grapple with  the unique structure and style of the award-winning novel.