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Indiana Humanities 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

The Indiana Humanities team offers our own suggestions for gifts this holiday season: Keira– Memberships to local cultural organizations make a great gift and provide essential support to this vibrant part…

The Indiana Humanities team offers our own suggestions for gifts this holiday season:

Keira– Memberships to local cultural organizations make a great gift and provide essential support to this vibrant part of our community.  In many ways it’s the gift that keeps on giving providing the recipient with activities throughout the year including exclusive experiences, subscriptions to publications and sometimes cool swag.  Muncie’s Minnetrista Center offers a $40 family membership that includes free admission to the new Bob Ross Experience, subscriptions, and discounts to The Orchard Shop.   

KristenCelebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage with a gift to commemorate the occasion. The Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial shop page has lapel pins, stickers, tote bags and t-shirts for those who want to display their support, and books for those who want to learn more about the national and Indiana suffrage movements. 

Leah– Don’t let the colder temperatures and shorter daylight keep you cooped up! Bundle up, pack a thermos of something warm, grab Next Indiana Campfires: A Trail Companion and hit the wintry trails. I love the restored prairies of Prophetstown in winter; Jared Carter’s “Glacier,” one of my favorite pieces in the anthology, conjures up an appropriately icy vision for your hike.  

George– It’s not exactly going to spread holiday cheer, but if you’re buying for an Indiana history fancheck out James H. Madison’s latest bookThe Ku Klux Klan in the HeartlandThrough fascinating storytelling, Madison outlines facts and myths behind the Klan’s rise to power in Indiana and sheds insight into how the Klan’s influence persista hundred years later. Visit the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association website to learn where you can purchase a copy locally.    

Megan– For the Hoosier readers in your life, check out this brand-new anthology, Indiana Christmas, edited by Indiana Authors Award winner Bryan FurunessThe collection features Indiana classics, like Jean Shepherd’s story that inspired A Christmas Story, to our great writers past and present – James Whitcomb Riley, Kurt Vonnegut, Shari Wagner, Barbara ShoupScott Russell Sanders, Curtis Crisler, Karen Joy Fowler and many, many more.  

Claire– Have a Poe fanatic on your list this year? Give them a COVID-19 friendly experience in Poe’s home. You can purchase tickets to a live virtual tour of the Edgar Allan Poe House led by a docent who will share about Poe’s life, mysterious death and writings he created while living in the Baltimore home.  

Bronwen– Inspire your friends and family to #ReadLocal this holiday season by giving them some of the winning and shortlisted titles from the 2020 Indiana Authors Awards, which you can purchase through our online Bookshop.org storefrontThen, throw in a Read Local t-shirt to make sure everyone you know will be reading in style! 

Beth– Know someone who loves the outdoors? Challenge them to visit all 25 Indiana State Parks in one year, with a 2021 Annual Entrance Holiday Gift Pack. Pick the Camping pass or the Inns pass, but don’t pass up the chance to learn about the history of our state parks, which were given as a gift to the people of Indiana on the state’s 100th birthday in 1916! 

Tom For the more eclectic music lover I would highly recommend Stuart Hyatt’s UltrasonicThe album uses echolocation of endangered Indiana bats as it’s source materiaand lets them tell the story in their own voice. The way Hyatt has mixed the ultrasonic waves into swells of an orchestra reminds me of breathing deeply and gazing into a night sky full of wonder. Clear. Calm. Curious. Check out the trailer and order the album here 

Connie– 2020 has shown us the importance of local news. Yet, as we discussed at our September Chew on This, local journalism is under threat. This holiday season support local reporting by gifting a subscription to a local publication. You can find your local paper using this list of Hoosier State Press Association member publications.