“Fireside Chats” will be a continuing series at Compass Inn Museum where experts on diverse topics will sit down with our guests to talk about their field of study. Dr. Emily Barth works as the Head Museum Interpreter at Compass Inn Museum and will lead this short series of 2 “Fireside Chats” this fall. For visitors who attended this past spring, this is a repeat/reprise of the “Histories and Mysteries of Language” lectures that were held earlier in 2022.

In this lecture, titled “Serious Wordplay” we’ll cover and discuss these topics: Is a crayfish a fish? Who’s Nick in nickname? And what does humble pie actually taste like? All of these questions will be answered in "Frankenstein's English," the first session in this November's Fireside Chat series on the histories & mysteries of language. We will talk about all of the weird and wonderful ways that English has been mashed together from a number of sources and is continually twisted around by its own native speakers into a constantly-evolving monster of a language. It's alive!

“We are beyond excited to have the opportunity to showcase the diverse knowledge of our qualified staff members here at Compass Inn Museum,” said Theresa Gay Rohall, Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s Executive Director. “Language is a historical artifact that we use every day. I’m looking forward to sharing this unique historical topic with a new audience,” added Dr. Barth.   

General Admission is $8. This event is recommended for adults only due to the complex nature of the topic. Walk-ins are also welcome for this event. Advance tickets may still be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fireside-chats-serious-wordplay-tickets-453831992707 or by calling the Historical Society at (724) 238-6818.

We look forward to celebrating the fall season with casual conversation and refreshments. We hope to see you all soon!