All upcoming Lectures

When classicist Michael Ventris deciphered the Linear B script in 1952, he shed light on our understanding of the politics, economy, society, and religion of the world of Late Bronze Age Greece, sometimes referred to as "Mycenaean." Classicist and archaeologist Dimitri Nakassis examines what this writing system and a second still-undeciphered “Minoan” script, Linear A, can tell us about life in the Aegean during the second millennium B.C.E.

The late 18th century was a period rife with revolutionary fervor and transformative ideas that altered the course of history. The American Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776, and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, ratified in 1789, were radical manifestos that proclaimed new principles of governance and human dignity and challenged centuries-old political and social structures. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze explores these groundbreaking documents and the individuals who dared to imagine a new order that ignited flames of liberty that spread throughout the world.

Since the days of Christopher Columbus and the earliest European explorers, Italians have made their way to American shores. But only since the late 19th century have Italian immigrants by the millions made a major impact on American culture. Writer and lecturer Adam Tanner tells a personal story of sleuthing into the archives of Southern Italian villages to uncover the ancestry of his grandfather, who moved to the United States at the peak of this immigration boom. His broader narrative examines how Italian Americans changed our popular culture, politics, and, of course, food.

Tea and the ritual of its consumption are an integral part of life in Taiwan, and the southwestern region of Alishan is home to the producers of some of the most sought-after teas in the world, including oolongs. Before performing a traditional tea ceremony, tea connoisseur Hung, Chung-Lun explains how it embodies the unique cultural background of place, connects us with the important moments in life, and represents the spirit of Taiwanese culture. A reception with a tasting of regional Alishan teas follows the program. This event will be moderated by Sojin Kim, curator of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Presented in partnership with the Taiwan Tourism Administration

A searing account of a former slave woman, Sethe, and her relationship to a mysterious figure whom she associates with her lost daughter, Toni Morrison’s Beloved provides insight into the horrors of slavery as well as the ways in which past personal trauma can continue to haunt the present. Joseph Luzzi, professor of literature at Bard College, considers the cultural, historical, and social issues in the novel; explores the brilliance of Morrison’s prose; and explains how and why she emerged as one of the most important American novelists of the last half century.

New York City in the early decades of the 20th century was a shaping force of America’s national culture. Cultural historian George Scheper explores the impact of the Progressive Era and the subsequent Jazz Age as reflected in the art, literature, and architecture created in the metropolis. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

What is Indian food in America today? Food writer, journalist, and former restaurant editor at Food & Wine Khushbu Shah answers the question in her new cookbook, Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora. The dishes in Amrikan (UM-ree-kan—it’s “American” with a South Asian accent) are neither fully Indian nor fully American in their origin. In conversation with Helen Rosner, food writer at The New Yorker, Shah discuss her inspiration behind the book, along with her favorite recipes and some clever tips and tricks.

When the doors of Radio City Music Hall opened in 1932, New Yorkers entered a new world: a dazzling Art Deco fantasy of an entertainment palace far removed from the drab realities of the Great Depression. Join actor Tim Dolan to explore the Music Hall’s stories, secrets, traditions, and trivia, illustrated by rare photos that bring its excitement and glamour to life—including the beloved Christmas Spectacular, in which Rockettes have been kicking up their heels since 1933.

Though the publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852 helped propel the nation into the Civil War, the author has generally been thought of as having little engagement with the conflict itself. Author and scholar Robert S. Levine addresses that assumption by reviewing key moments in Stowe’s career from 1852 to 1870, focusing on the Civil War period with a discussion of her letters, novels, and essays—and providing a new picture of Stowe as a vigorous exponent of interracial democracy long after the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s the United States saw an explosion of exhibitions of art and artifacts from the pre-Columbian Americas. As World War II loomed, America promoted cultural diplomacy with its hemispheric neighbors as part of the Pan-Americanism movement, which sought to create greater international understanding and collaboration. Ellen Hoobler, a curator at Baltimore’s Walters Art Museum, explores the idea of cultural diplomacy and the important role art can play between nations. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)