COMMENTS ABOUT TOM DIGBY'S MULTIMEDIA TALKS
"The students were very transformed by your work, and I keep hearing about the talk weeks later. Indeed, some students referred to it as their favorite talk that they had seen at Brooklyn College. I found myself admiring not only the content, but your ability to present it in a way that spoke to a student audience without condescending to them. I learned a lot!"
– Serene Khader, Jay Newman Chair in Philosophy of Culture and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Brooklyn College; Associate Professor of Women's Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center
"As a professional academic, I'm rarely moved to tears by academic presentations. Tom Digby's presentation affected me in profound ways. The truths he's revealing – how a militaristic and patriarchal culture harms men and prevents the tender forms of love – strike close to the heart. Tom presents these insights with humor and accessibility, in a way that creates a space for holistic reflection and not only critical, cerebral distance."
– Johanna C. Luttrell, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Visiting Scholar in Political Philosophy, The Hobby Center for Public Policy, University of Houston
– Johanna C. Luttrell, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Visiting Scholar in Political Philosophy, The Hobby Center for Public Policy, University of Houston
"It was a pleasure to host Tom Digby at the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin this evening. His talk on the cultural shaping of masculine identities was in equal parts thought-provoking, funny, and profound. Moreover, I've never seen any academic so quickly acquire a legion of devoted student fans."
– Richard Moore, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
– Richard Moore, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
"Tom Digby's thoughts on the mutual implications of militarism and gender norms—especially the heterosexual masculinity that dominates both our own society and many others around the world and throughout history—are not only highly relevant but urgent. Drawing from the work he presents in Love and War: How Militarism Shapes Sexuality and Romance, he speaks in an engaging and entertaining style that is simultaneously accessible to philosophical novices and intriguing to experts. After hearing him speak, several of my students told me how surprisingly enjoyable they found it, the points he made remaining fixed in their minds in the best possible way. (The last sentence is absolutely true; I've heard a version of part or all of this from virtually event one of my students who was at either talk.)"
– Michael Barnes Norton, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy & Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
"Tom Digby has become one of the most fascinating, stimulating, and passionate voices in the world of gender theory. I say that partly based on his book, Love and War: How Militarism Shapes Sexuality and Romance, but also on the basis of a lecture I heard him give at the University of Illinois. He gave a powerful, captivating description of the intersections of gender and militarism. Digby's insights enable him to explain the ubiquity of sexism and violence against women in militaristic cultures around the globe, including the United States. A major factor is the central role played by misogyny in the construction and reinforcement of masculinity. Digby also provides a convincing explanation for why heterosexual love is often characterized, quite aptly, as a "battle of the sexes," even though it is valorized as the ideal form of love. His lecture was spiced with humor and examples from popular media and news stories, sometimes adroitly presented with short video clips. The result was the most engaging, even moving, public talk I have seen in a very long time."
– Sandra Bartky, Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Gender Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, and author of Femininity and Domination: Studies in the Phenomenology of Oppression.
"Professor Tom Digby’s visit to our campus had a tremendous impact on our community. By articulating connections between subjects such as sports and gender, misogyny and militarism, and rap music and the relevance of feminism to men’s lives, Tom helped both feminist theorists and students new to feminism to see familiar worlds in a new light. At the same time, his humor, personal examples, and engaging video clips brought feminism close to home for many students. Tom has a knack for communicating with people, and stayed to engage students in animated discussion until well after his formal lecture ended."
– Shari Stone-Mediatore, Professor of Philosophy, Ohio Wesleyan University
“My students and my colleagues were completely captivated by Tom Digby’s compelling depiction of what masculinity means—both for women and for men—in America today.”
– Ruth Sample, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of New Hampshire
"Tom Digby's engaging lecture offered a unique opportunity to thoughtfully consider the intersection of war, gender, and social and cultural practices. Digby's masterful presentation allowed students and professionals alike the ability to consider such themes from new perspectives as well as to challenge harmful and oppressive stereotypes within a safe, but challenging context of dialog, humor, and encouragement. Weeks later, the students are still talking about it!"
– Roxy Green, PhD, Executive Secretary, Eastern Division, Society for Women in Philosophy; Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
– Michael Barnes Norton, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy & Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
"Tom Digby has become one of the most fascinating, stimulating, and passionate voices in the world of gender theory. I say that partly based on his book, Love and War: How Militarism Shapes Sexuality and Romance, but also on the basis of a lecture I heard him give at the University of Illinois. He gave a powerful, captivating description of the intersections of gender and militarism. Digby's insights enable him to explain the ubiquity of sexism and violence against women in militaristic cultures around the globe, including the United States. A major factor is the central role played by misogyny in the construction and reinforcement of masculinity. Digby also provides a convincing explanation for why heterosexual love is often characterized, quite aptly, as a "battle of the sexes," even though it is valorized as the ideal form of love. His lecture was spiced with humor and examples from popular media and news stories, sometimes adroitly presented with short video clips. The result was the most engaging, even moving, public talk I have seen in a very long time."
– Sandra Bartky, Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Gender Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, and author of Femininity and Domination: Studies in the Phenomenology of Oppression.
"Professor Tom Digby’s visit to our campus had a tremendous impact on our community. By articulating connections between subjects such as sports and gender, misogyny and militarism, and rap music and the relevance of feminism to men’s lives, Tom helped both feminist theorists and students new to feminism to see familiar worlds in a new light. At the same time, his humor, personal examples, and engaging video clips brought feminism close to home for many students. Tom has a knack for communicating with people, and stayed to engage students in animated discussion until well after his formal lecture ended."
– Shari Stone-Mediatore, Professor of Philosophy, Ohio Wesleyan University
“My students and my colleagues were completely captivated by Tom Digby’s compelling depiction of what masculinity means—both for women and for men—in America today.”
– Ruth Sample, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of New Hampshire
"Tom Digby's engaging lecture offered a unique opportunity to thoughtfully consider the intersection of war, gender, and social and cultural practices. Digby's masterful presentation allowed students and professionals alike the ability to consider such themes from new perspectives as well as to challenge harmful and oppressive stereotypes within a safe, but challenging context of dialog, humor, and encouragement. Weeks later, the students are still talking about it!"
– Roxy Green, PhD, Executive Secretary, Eastern Division, Society for Women in Philosophy; Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock