Indiana State University Newsroom

A talk by an Indiana State University alumnus about his book concerning the retelling of history is scheduled to air this weekend on C-SPAN2.

During a visit to Cunningham Memorial Library, Kyle Ward spoke about his latest book, "Not Written in Stone," which focuses on how history books through the generations have portrayed different events historical events. Ward, director of social studies education at St. Cloud University in Minnesota, earned his doctorate in history education from ISU in 2007.

The Book TV program is scheduled to air that talk Sunday, Aug. 29 at 6:15 p.m. on C-SPAN 2. (Channel 65 on Terre Haute's Time Warner Cable.)

Ward visited Indiana State's campus in July to speak about researching "Not Written in Stone: Learning and Unlearning American History through 200 Years of Textbooks" and "History in the Making: An Absorbing Look at How American History Has Changed in the Telling over the Last 200 Years." He conducted much of the research for both books using the Floyd and Walker Family's collections of 19th Century textbooks at Cunningham Memorial Library.

"Not Written in Stone," published this spring, is an annotated and abridged version of "History in the Telling," edited by Ward in 2006.

Ward's research for "Not Written in Stone" into three categories: how the perception of some events have changed, disappeared entirely, or remained largely the same. He included in the books excerpts of original textbook passages to show how the teaching of certain events has developed over time.

More information about the program is available at: http://www.booktv.org/Program/11754/Not+Written+in+Stone+Learning+and+Unlearning+American+History+Through+200+Years+of+Textbooks.aspx

Contact: Alberta Comer, dean of library services, Cunningham Memorial Library; 812-237-2649 or Alberta.Comer@indstate.edu

Writer: Nick Hedrick, media relations assistant, Indiana State University, Communications and Marketing, 812-237-3773 or nhedrick2@indstate.edu