ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth Library is excited to host a Badger Talk by University of Wisconsin- Madison Professor Mark Louden at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. This program is free and open to the public and offered in collaboration with UW-Madison’s Badger Talks, Amery, Augusta, Clear Lake, Ellsworth, Ladysmith and Prescott Libraries. Participants may watch this program online at youtube.com/user/AMPLWI or contact the library to watch the recording of this program.

Professor Louden will present an overview contrasting widely-held myths with facts about the Amish and closely related religious groups such as the Mennonites, of which he is a practicing member. He will cover history, tenets of faith of the various branches, lifestyle, customs, and much more. After the presentation, Dr. Louden welcomes the chance to talk with you and answer your questions.

Mark Louden is a linguist who received his training in Germanic linguistics at Cornell University. A fluent speaker of Pennsylvania Dutch, he has published extensively on this language and other German-American varieties, as well as Yiddish. In addition to his position as the Alfred L. Shoemaker, J. William Frey, and Don Yoder Professor of Germanic Linguistics, he directs the Max Kade Institute for German- American Studies and is affiliated with the Religious Studies Program, the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies, and the Department of Linguistics. He serves as an interpreter and cultural mediator for Amish in multiple settings.

Badger Talks reflects our tradition of the Wisconsin Idea — to extend the resources of the university to citizens of the state. Over 200 Badger Talks are hosted around the state each year, featuring faculty and staff with expertise in a variety of disciplines. Talk topics range from cutting edge discoveries to happiness in the workplace and everything in between. Professional, community, and civic organizations, as well as schools, are invited to request a UW– Madison speaker.

This group of libraries plans to offer Badger Talks monthly. In March, look for information on upcoming events. For more information about Badger Talks or to find a speaker for your next event, contact 608-262-3880 or [email protected] uwmad.wisc.edu. For more information, please visit ellsworthlibrary.org, contact the Ellsworth Public Library at 715-273-3209, e-mail [email protected] or visit the library at 312 W. Main St., Ellsworth, WI.

Submitted by Ellsworth Public Library