Geography Colloquium | Borders of Our Minds, March 19

The Geography Colloquium Series presents historian and journalist Dr. David Mould discussing "Border of Our Minds," a journey to borders, both real and imagined on March 19 at 3 p.m.

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• Meeting ID: 608 431 5136
• Passcode: 9urZKa

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, set by surveys and treaties, take no account of geography, language and culture. There are borders within countries—physical, economic and 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 poke fun at how we view other parts of the United States. 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, Professor Emeritus of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University, has traveled widely in Asia and southern Africa. Born in the UK, he worked as a newspaper and TV journalist before moving to the U.S. 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) and Postcards from Stanland: Journeys in Central Asia (Ohio University Press, 2016).

Kirkus Reviews describes Mould as “a genial travel guide … an academic who does not write like an academic.” Rick Steves, in a recent interview for his radio show, said: “ Monsoon Postcards reads like you’ve got a friend who’s really connected and committed to these cultures.”

Read Mould’s travel blogs on Facebook and at www.davidhmould.com