English professor Beth Ann Fennelly examines the potential impact of the humanities in connecting people with experiences outside their own. This talk was filmed at TEDxUniversityofMississippi. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. To learn more about TEDxSHORTS, the TEDx program, or give feedback on this episode, please visit http://go.ted.com/tedxshorts.