Watch the Replay

Within days of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, artists and writers of all levels drew inspiration from the seemingly unreal and inherently symbolic nature of the disaster, and a new cultural industry of Titanic myth-making was born. In the century since, fascination with the Titanic has scarcely subsided, and the Titanic as historical event and myth has been endlessly examined and reimagined in poems, stories, films, documentaries, and plays. In this presentation, Prof. Anderson will explore how the Titanic disaster has influenced our collective imagination and worked its way into our language and culture, and he will discuss the ways in which the Titanic has been depicted in film, literature, song, and lore. Along the way, he will provide some insights as to why we continue to be fascinated with this 100-year-old shipwreck and why it continues to be a source for imagination and inquiry for storytellers, historians, and filmmakers.