The Borders of Our Minds with Historian and Journalist David Mould

Rochester Hills Public Library presents “The Borders of Our Minds” with historian and journalist David Mould on Tuesday, April 6, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. online using the library’s online Zoom platform. 

David Mould stands in front of a statue of a horse and rider.

In his latest book on travel, history, and culture, Postcards from the Borderlands, Mould explores the meaning of borders. Are they simply political and geographical, marked by posts, walls and fences, or should we think of them more broadly? Some borders are set by surveys and treaties and do not consider geography, language, and culture. There are borders within countries—physical, economic, or social. And finally, there are the borders of our minds—the way we may think of unfamiliar places.

Mould’s journey begins with maps and cartoons that show how we view other parts of the US. He moves on to the carve-up of Africa, the artificial (and often straight-line) borders drawn by colonial powers. In South Asia he explores what The Economist called “the world’s craziest border” between India and Bangladesh. He ends up in Central Asia, in that gerrymandered jumble of former Soviet republics whose names end in “stan.”

Mould is Professor Emeritus of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University. He has traveled widely in Asia and southern Africa. Born in the UK, Mould worked as a newspaper and TV journalist before moving to the US. His travel essays and articles have been published in Newsweek, Christian Science Monitor, Times Higher Education, and History News Network. His books include Monsoon Postcards: Indian Ocean Journeys (Ohio University Press, 2019).

This program is open to the public and requires registration to join the live Zoom presentation. All the library’s programs may be found at calendar.rhpl.org.

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