Professor Heather Hicks spoke at the Phi Beta Kappa Ceremony, reflecting on her research, teaching, and the power of narrative to address human-made climate change. Here's the text from her talk: As a scholar with an interest in apocalyptic narrative, I’ve had the opportunity over time to read depictions of the end of human civilization in many forms and genres. I’ve read ancient apocalyptic musings, like those in Hesiod’s Works and Days ; I’ve studied and taught the Book of Revelation; and I’ve considered apocalyptic visions ranging from the 1600s to the present that have taken the form of religious verse, romantic poetry, ballads, short stories, novellas, novels, graphic novels, plays, radio programs, songs, television shows and films. I’ve been fascinated by the prominence of this narrative form throughout human history: storytellers in the very earliest civilizations were already predicting humanity’s end. I’ve also been int...
