 |
 |
 |
 |
Lecture and Discussion Series
Unless otherwise noted, all courses in the lecture and discussion series take place at:
Boston University's George Sherman Union (GSU)
775 Commonwealth Avenue
Conference Auditorium, 2nd floorA POTPOURRI OF PROFESSORS
Professors at Boston University are renowned for their breadth of knowledge and academic expertise. This three-week lecture series provides a unique opportunity to experience the many facets of intellectual exploration occurring in the University’s schools and colleges. Students will gain first-hand insight into topics or areas that are of particular interest to each professor.
October 7: “Water and Food: Contextualizing Consumption, Countering Crisis” Ellen Messer, Visiting Professor of Gastronomy
October 14: “The Failure of the U.S. War Against Drugs: Some Possible Remedies”
Christine Rossell, Professor of Political ScienceOctober 21: “Beethoven’s Late Music”
Jeremy Yudkin, Professor of Music
TIMES: 10–11 a.m.
TUITION: $30 for the series
JAZZ: AMERICA’S MUSIC FORM WITH FRED BOUCHARD
Jazz has been whirling around the globe for the last century, influencing (and being influenced by) world music, including classical, folk, and Afro-Cuban. Join musicologist Fred Bouchard for music-driven lectures on topics such as the wizards of the piano lounge, jazz singers, and men of the saxophone.
DATES: Three Wednesdays, October 7, 14, 21
TIMES: 12:30–2 p.m.
TUITION: $40
BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES WITH TALINE VOSKERITCHIAN
This lecture and discussion series is taught by Taline Voskeritchian of Boston University’s College of Communication. Readings are from Best American Short Stories 2008, Salman Rushdie, editor. For the first class read “Admiral” by T.C. Boyle and “The King of Sentences” by Jonathan Lethem.
DATES: Six Wednesdays, October 7, 14, 21, 28; November 4, 18
TIMES: 2:15–3:45 p.m.
TUITION: $60
AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE
Culture pervades all media, encompassing customs as well as values and ideals. In this three-part series, we’ll explore our own culture through popular forms of communication to see how ideas permeate our everyday experience.
October 28: “The Uproarious Gravity of American Humor”
Joe Boskin, Professor Emeritus, Department of HistoryNovember 4: “Rethinking the 1950s: Rules and Rebels in Postwar America”
Brooke Blower, Professor of HistoryNovember 18: “Why Music History Needs the Rolling Stones”
Victor Coelho, Professor of MusicTIMES: 10–11 a.m.
TUITION: $30 for the series
THE SALON OF GEORGE SAND WITH VIRGINIA ESKIN
Chopin, Liszt, and their circle of friends were like modern soap opera characters—they were compelling, but up to mischief. Join world-renowned pianist Virginia Eskin for a behind-the-scenes tour of their private lives as she discusses their world—loves, literature, paintings—and performs their music.
DATES: Three Wednesdays, October 28; November 4, 18
TIMES: 12:30–2 p.m.
TUITION: $40
PSYCHOLOGY GOES TO THE MOVIES WITH MICHAEL FLEMING
Join Michael Fleming, of Boston University’s psychology faculty, as he introduces films that capture our fascination and make indelible impressions that reverberate throughout our lives. Such films seize elements of the collective unconscious and provide a focus for inquiring into the hopes and fears that drive humanity. The class will explore theories of psychology that shed light on the subtexts of these films.
DATES: Four Saturdays, November 14, 21 December 5, 12
TIMES: 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
TUITION: $40
PLACE: This series will take place in the College of Arts & Sciences, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, CAS room 313
