A granfalloon, according to Kurt Vonnegut – he invented the term, so he should know – is an association of people who feel a sense of shared identity but based on meaningless or arbitrary factors. Vonnegut suggested you think of quote the Communist Party, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the General Electric Company—and any nation, anytime, anywhere. Vonnegut, a Hoosier himself, pointed out that Hoosiers also fall into this category.
Here in Bloomington, Indiana, a granfalloon is a festival of literature, art, music, and ideas. It’s put on by the IU Arts and Humanities Council, and they collaborate with various other groups. Granfalloon has been going – and growing – since 2017. This year it’s undergoing a transformation. We brought in a couple of the main granfallooners to talk about the changes. Adrian Starnes is Associate Director of the IU Arts and Humanities Council, and Natalia Almanza is the Council’s Program and Operations Coordinator.
