During our fall series, Washed -- which considered the sea as a dynamic space of ungovernability, constant motion, unfixability, and indeterminacy, a space of literal and metaphorical transformation -- we invited the public to to consider the role of water within our histories and futures, and engage with issues around identity, environmental justice, sea rise, fishing and harvesting rights, energy sourcing, and coastal access – impacting all of us who live within the fragile ecosystem of the “Ocean State,” and our region (and world) more broadly. We first welcomed historian Timothy D. Walker on “Sailing to Freedom: Recovering and Re-centering the Maritime Dimension of the Underground Railroad” (editor), Dr. Walker’s talk highlighted little-known stories of freedom-seeking by sea, described the less-understood maritime side of the Underground Railroad, and reconsidered and contextualized the importance of enslaved African Americans’ maritime and waterfront labor in southern ports, as well as how escapes were managed along the East Coast, moving from the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland to safe harbor in northern cities from Philadelphia to Boston. In October, we were joined by science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler on their book, “How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures,” exploring radical models of family, community, identity, and care through the exploration of undersea life forms. Melding marine biology and memoir to find meaning and intertwine ourselves with the more-than-human world, Imbler attunes readers to new ways of thinking about the “natural” world and the “social” world, questioning the distinctions in ways that paradoxically allow us to see each with more dimensionality and depth. These program were made possible in part through funding support from Rhode Island Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. We were also grateful to the University of Rhode Island, and Professor of English Marty Rojas, Director of Graduate Studies and Director, Rumowicz Literature of the Sea Lecture/Seminar Series, for her assistance and department’s support of the series.