Who cares who slept with Emily Dickinson?

Tim Devane '09, a member of the English Majors Committee, wants to let everyone know about a lecture being hosted tonight:

Tonight at 8:00 pm at Russell House, The English Majors committee is proud to host Christopher Benfey, Mellon Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College, who will give a lecture entitled: "WHO CARES WHO SLEPT WITH EMILY DICKINSON: Reflections on Literary Biography"

Benfey is an esteemed authority on modern and early 20th-century American Literature. His reviews have been published in the New York Time Sunday Book Review and The New Republic. He has also contributed criticism to the on-line magazine Slate and Travel + Leisure. His recent publications include A Summer of Hummingbirds (Penguin 2008) andThe Great Wave (Random House 2003).

When: Tonight, Tuesday, March 3 at 8 pm
Where: Russell House

VDay Lecture and Dinner at Buddhist House

"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" is a celebration of love
in all its forms. Professor Jan Willis, Bill Johnston, Chaplain Hal Weidner and three
students will be presenting on love in different spiritual practices.

Yummy free dinner from Udupi to follow. We will set aside our individual religious
identities and join together in the common experience of loving and eating.

What? Lecture About Love, Dinner
When? Saturday, February 14th 4:30
Where? Buddhist House (356 Washington)

Conversation with Tony Kushner

Last semester's talk with playwright Tony Kushner is happening this Friday:

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, hailed as "the most highly acclaimedplaywright of his generation" by Salon.com, participates in a conversation about his wide-ranging and controversial body of work. Kushner is best known for his two-part epic, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. He also wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols' film of Angels in America and Steven Spielberg's Munich.

Tackling the most difficult subjects in contemporary history, Kushner rejects ideology in favor of what he calls a "dialectically shaped truth" which, in his view, must be outrageously funny, absolutely agonizing and move society's views forward. He gives voice to characters that have been rendered powerless by the forces of circumstances--a drag queen dying of AIDS, an uneducated Southern maid, contemporary Afghans--and his attempt to see all sides of their predicament has a sly subversiveness.

Kushner will be interviewed by his long-time collaborator Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater.

Profile in The New Yorker

Date: Friday, January 23rd
Time: 8 pm
Place: Memorial Chapel

Lecture: Foucault and Sexual Freedom

Russell House lecture tonight with Jana Sawicki, Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies at Williams College. Part of this semester's Center of the Humanities lecture series on human nature:

In an interview conducted just before his death in 1984, Michel Foucault suggested that homosexual activists might advance sexual freedom by turning away from the discourse of sex-desire and exploring the possibilities opened up within an ethics of pleasure. Cultivating pleasure, he claimed, was more likely to enhance sexual freedom than appeals to the trope of "desiring man."

Professor Sawicki asks, what is the ontological status of the pleasures that Foucault invokes? Why turn to an ethics of pleasure? Finally, why refuse the discourse of desire? Insofar as queer theorists (Judith Butler, Leo Bersani, Michael Warner) rely heavily upon psychoanalytic theory, they appear to have rejected Foucault's sustained critique of the discourse of desire. Are there good reasons to be wary of this reliance upon psychoanalytic thought? Or, must we burn Foucault?

Date: Monday, November 3
Time: 8-9:30 pm
Place: Russell House - Millett Room, free

Professor Barry Chernoff To Speak on Global Warming and Fresh Water Fish

Katie Boyce-Jacino '10 writes in about Professor Barry Chernoff's lecture detailing global warming and its effect on fresh water fish.

Date: TOMORROW, Monday October 20th
Time: 8 pm
Place: Science Hall

Cookies will be served. The event is sponsored by WesAID and Science Hall.

Lecture: Emily Martin on Sleep

Emily Martin, Professor of Anthropology at NYU, is coming to Wes tomorrow to talk about sleep in our modern age. Part of the "Figuring the Human" lecture series sponsored by the Center for the Humanities:

Exploring historical and ethnographic materials from the U.S. since WW II, Professor Martin's illustrated lecture explores how and why sleep has recently become a complex management project dependent on discipline and attention. Even dreaming (for Freud, a chance to hear the unconscious) has become an activity that can be optimized for increased productivity.

Research from American public health experts and sleep scientists together with incitements from the bedding industry and the pharmaceutical industry have contributed to making American sleep an enterprise that demands continuous labor rather than providing sore labour's bath.

Date: Monday, October 6
Time: 8-9:30 pm
Place: Russell House - Millett Room

Food stuffs: delicious, free, and open to the public

Turns out it won't take a smooth $250 to get a taste of the Food: Power and Identity event, which is sponsored by the Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns (Ben Kweller or Sly & The Family Stone... take your pick).

Food: Power and Identity
This lecture by Marion Nestle is free and open to the public.

Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor in the department of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University. She is the author of the award-winning books Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health and Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism. Her latest book, What to Eat, won the James Beard Foundation award for best reference book. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Date: Friday, April 4
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Memorial Chapel

Other affiliated events, also open to the public, include:

Screening of Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
A movie with a food reference in its title.

Date: Thursday, April 3
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Goldsmith Family Cinema

Farmers' Market
Organized by the students of Long Lane Farm.

Date: Friday, April 4
Time: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Usdan courtyard (rain site: Beckham Hall)

Professor Lecture at Alpha Delt

This Wednesday, Professors Donald Moon and Mary-Jane Rubenstein will be speaking on the topic of faith, nonviolence, and political action at Alpha Delt. The lecture will be followed by dinner with both of them at the Star and Crescent*

Date: Wednesday, April 2nd
Where: The Alpha Delt Greene Room
When: 4:15

*limited seating, and you still have to pay for meals

Craig Mello at Wes on Thursday

You guys better not take my seat, but Nobel Prize in Medicine winner Craig Mello (of UMass Medical School) is going to be speaking this week at Wesleyan. His lecture is called "Return to the RNAi World: Rethinking Gene Expression, Evolution and Medicine".

Date: Thursday, February 28th
Time: 5:15
Venue: Shanklin 107

There are enzymes called slicer and dicer! Sweet! (also, here he is with a fly?)

More info on Dr. Mello

Adelstein Lecture at ADP

"Parties of Ideas in American Politics: Why Libertarians and Socialists Can't Get Elected."

A lecture by Professor Adelstein, Professor of Economics and CSS tutor.

When:Wednesday, February 27th,
Where:Alpha Delta Phi Society living room.
Time: 4:15-5:00,

Followed by dinner and discussion with Professor Adelstein at the Star & Crescent.

WestCo Guest Lecture Series: Lolcats

This Sunday, February 10th, the first iteration of the WestCo Guest Lecture Series will be delivered by Ben Bernstein '10. Ben will be giving a "cultural, social, and artistic critique of the lolcat phenomenon, complete with pictures, which makes a lot of sense, because the lecture's on lolcats. It will take place in the WestCo Lounge starting at 10 PM. These lectures typically run about half an hour, with time for questions afterwards. There will be food, because this is typically combined with WestCo snacks, but probably no cheeseburger.

Date: Sunday, February 10
Time: 10:00 PM
Location: WestCo Lounge (knock, somebody will let you in)


For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, the original post on the Lecture Series is here.

WestCo Guest Lecture Series

Last semester, Ben Seretan '10 started a program in WestCo called the Guest Lecture Series, which ran biweekly throughout the fall. The Guest Lecture Series is, umm, a series of lectures delivered by anybody who wants to give one. The program in the fall had lectures on the basics of anarchism, the ecology of the suburb, tattoo culture, self-defense and subversive crafting. WestCo is continuing the program this semester, and anybody who wants to give a lecture is absolutely welcome. It runs biweekly on Sundays at ten, and there is sometimes food. The first one will not be during the Super Bowl, but rather the weekend after that.

If you're interested in delivering a lecture, email me at nmarshall@wesleyan.edu.
If you're interested in coming, just show up.

Seriously, it can be about anything that interests you.



By the way, I'm Nick Marshall, I live in WestCo and I'm running the series this semester. The lecture series isn't affiliated with Wesleying.

Science and Art lecture series

Wesleyan professor Hilary Barth wrote in to inform us all about an upcoming event in the Science and Art lecture series:

Dr. Stephen Palmer, a cognitive scientist from UC Berkeley, will be on campus to give a lecture on "Aesthetic Science: Understanding Preferences for Color and Spatial Composition" at 4pm on Monday, September 17th in the Chapel. A reception in the Zelnick Pavilion will follow the talk.

Learn about Justice for Children International

Mandy Ho '09 sends in this event:

Kathy Maskell is the Advocacy Facilitator for Justice for Children International. She will share about Justice for Children International's approach to developing sustainable, strategic solutions that address the epidemic issue of child sex trafficking and exploitation. The forces that drive modern-day slavery—economic, social, cultural—will also be addressed and contextualized. Kathy will share how the call for justice and restoration intersects with our lives in the United States. She will highlight stories from the modern-day abolition movement and the miraculous power of restoration.

Justice for Children International works to abolish child sex trafficking and exploitation through aftercare, prevention, and advocacy efforts. JFCI trains caregivers, multiplies and expands safehomes, aids socioeconomic development programs in high-risk communities, and provides a voice for the victims of modern-day slavery.

Date: Wednesday, April 25
Time: 5pm
Place: Shankling 107

Free food from Typhoon.

Dealing with a Hideous Past

Emily Malkin '08 sends in this event:

Dr. John Daniel will be giving a lecture this Monday entitled "Dealing with a Hideous Past: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa."

Dr. John Daniel is with the Human Sciences and Research Council of South Africa, as the research director in the Democracy and Governance programme and th ehead of the Publications Department. From 1996-1998, John was deployed to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a senior researcher where he was responsible for documenting gross human rights violations committed by the apartheid state outside South Africa. r. Daniel is currently academic coordinator at the School for International Training (SIT) in Durban, South Africa.

Date: Monday, April 16
Time: 4:15pm
Place: PAC 001

Amy Goodman at Con College

Thomas Coen '07 wants you all to know that Award-winning journalist Amy Goodman, host of the daily, grassroots, global, radio/TV news hour Democracy Now!, is on a national speaking tour to mark DN!'s 10th anniversary and launch her second book with journalist David Goodman, Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People Who Fight Back.

She'll be making a stop this week at Conn College!

Date: Wednesday, March 7th
Time: 7pm
Place:
Connecticut College Crozier
William College Center
1962 Room 270
Mohegan Avenue
New London, CT
(directions)

Admission is free, but donations are welcome to cover the cost of the event. No reservations are required.

This event is sponsored by numerous college and community organizations. For questions, please email: scbar(at)conncoll.edu.

The Case for Impeachment

David Lindorff '72, author of the book The Case for Impeachment, discusses the legal argument for removing the President from office. Although it is a subject that is often lightly dismissed, Lindorff argues that impeachment process would greatly benefit the country. For instance, he argues that:

(1) Congressional hearings will expose the administration's corruption/raise public awareness

(2) Holding the president accountable will deter future violations of the Geneva Conventions and the Constitution.

He will be delivering this argument tomorrow. I recommend as this is currently a hot-button issue in the media right now.

Date: Friday, February 2
Time: 7:45pm -8:45pm
Place: PAC 001

Freakin' awesome lecture

Edward W. Snowdon and the Wesleyan University Synapses to Self Series

STEPHEN GROSSBERG
Boston University

The Brain's Cognitive Dynamics: The Link Between Brain Learning, Attention, and Consciousness

Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Time: 8:00 pm
Venue: 107 SHANKLIN

How does a brain give rise to a mind? How can the vividness of daily experience be represented in "the little gray cells" that constitute our brains? How do our brains continue to learn throughout life? Why are we Intentional Beings who learn expectations about what is about to occur and can get startled or upset if it does not occur? Why are we Attentional Beings who can focus upon some events and be oblivious to others? What sort of brain events can become conscious? Finally, do these questions have a unified answer? An enormous amount of progress has been made during the past forty years in discovering and modeling the principles and mechanisms whereby a brain gives rise to a mind. This talk will introduce some of the concepts and models that propose answers to the questions above. In addition, these models have been specialized for use in solving large-scale technological problems that require an ability to autonomously discover and learn intelligent hypotheses about a changing world.

Awesome Lectures this Weekend

The War on Terrorism: Are We Winning?

Weseminar 8: In the summer of 2006, almost five years after the 9/11 attacks, 84 percent of the experts polled by the journal Foreign Policy said that the United States is not winning the war on terror. Does the U.S. have a grand strategy for defeating terrorism? How should we measure policy success? Are our goals too ambitious? Have we chosen the wrong methods? An informed and reasoned public debate on these questions is essential.

Presenter: Martha Crenshaw, professor of government and the Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor of Global Issues and Democratic Thought, a 1995 recipient of the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching, and editor of the books Terrorism, Legitimacy, and Power and Terrorism in Context

■ SAT., 9:30 A.M.

The Heart of the Campus

WESeminar 10: In September 2007, Wesleyan will open the Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center and the beautifully renovated Fayerweather meeting and rehearsal spaces. Planning for these important buildings has spanned the past decade and has involved students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Join us for a preview of this state-of-the-art campus center, which will serve the community in many important ways; learn about the services and programs that will bring the Usdan Center to life and are certain to make it the heart of campus.

Presenters: Rick Culliton, dean of campus programs and university center director; Alan Rubacha, consultant, construction services

■ SAT., 10 A.M.

Mary Roach: Queen of the Dead or Just a Curious Gal?

WESeminar 19: Join the author of The New York Times best-sellers Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, for an informal talk about her journey from ordinary journalist to America's premier chronicler of the strange and disgusting.

Presenter: Mary Roach '81 has been mixing science and humor for 15 years: in her Salon.com column and in her magazine pieces for Discover, Health, The New York Times, Outside, and Wired. She is the winner of the 2006 National Press Club humor writing award and her book Spook was a 2005 New York Times Notable Book.

■ SAT., 3 P.M.

Disaster! One Year After: Global Storm Warning

WESeminar 21: In less than two years, we have witnessed at least three catastrophic events: the Asian tsunami, the earthquake in Pakistan, and Hurricane Katrina. Organized on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the exhibition Disaster! One Year After addresses weather-related natural disasters-their causes and their aftermath. Included in the exhibition is a broad range of contemporary works that include installations, sculpture, video, and documentary material that explore this phenomenon through conceptual, poetic, and interdisciplinary approaches. Artists include Donna Dennis, Doug Hall, Mary Lucier, Adam Cvijanovic, Jeremy Blake, and documentary photographers, filmmakers, and videographers. Join curator Nina Felshin, who conceived and organized Disaster! One Year After, and Professor Suzanne O'Connell who will briefly discuss the possible effect of human factors in extreme weather events; and Katie Halper '03, who will present a short political satire about Hurricane Katrina.

Presenters: Nina Felshin, curator of exhibitions, Zilkha Gallery and adjunct lecturer in art history; Suzanne O'Connell, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences; Katherine Halper '03, co-founder of Laughing Liberally

■ SAT., 3 P.M.

Why Jews Laugh at Themselves: The Case of Larry David

WESeminar 25: In an era when Seinfeld has become one of the most popular shows on television, Jewish humor has seen a rebirth. Larry David (cocreator of Seinfeld), Jon Stewart, Adam Sandler, and Sarah Silverman are just four of the "new" Jewish comics who have taken Jewish humor into mainstream popular culture with a new spin. Of course, Jewish humor has been the backbone of American popular comedy for a long time-even on television. The Goldbergs show (with Gertrude Berg) in the early days of television with its roots deep in Yiddish theater, Joey Bishop, Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks-the list is a long one. This seminar will explore what is old and what is new about Jewish comedians and Jewish themes in mainstream popular culture today-through the lens of the HBO hit Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring (and written and produced by) Larry David.

Introduction: Jeremy Zwelling, associate professor of religion and director of the Jewish and Israel Studies Certificate Program
Presenter: Bernard Timberg P'08, media studies scholar and author of Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show (University of Texas Press, 2003), and winner of the American Library Association's Choice Award in 2004

■ SAT., 4 P.M.

Fitness for the Brain: Keeping a Healthier Mind Through Solving Crosswords

WESeminar 28: Much research has been done to show that solving puzzles keeps the mind healthy, adaptive, and alert. Segments on NBC's Today and ABC's 20/20 specifically advocated doing crossword puzzles. So, for those intent on solving the New York Times Sunday crossword, join us for a "chalk talk" on strategies and tips for solving Times puzzles. Then tackle a new Sunday Times puzzle edited by Will Shortz. This will be a challenging, clever, and healthy workout, sure to generate a high-five high!

Presenter: Ed Stein '60 is a veteran puzzle solver and occasional crossword puzzle constructor for The New York Times, Newsday, et al. He has taught adult education courses in puzzle-solving in Westchester (N.Y.) and Fairfield (Conn.) Counties, classes at senior centers and nursing homes, and received his three seconds of "fame" in the movie documentary Wordplay.

■ SUN., 10 A.M.

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