May 2019
The Trials of Socrates by Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon
featuring Al Duncan, Assistant Professor of Classics Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, May 21 and 28 "Lampooned in 406 B.C.E. in a blistering Aristophanic satire, Socrates was tried in 399 B.C.E. on a charge of corrupting the youth, convicted by a jury of about five hundred of his peers, and condemned to death. Glimpsed today through the extant writings of his contemporaries and near-contemporaries, he remains for us as compelling, enigmatic, and elusive a figure as Jesus or Buddha."—Hackett Publishing "The trial and…
Find out more »From the Front Porch to the Smartphone: A Bluegrass Perspective on the Changing World of Music
Russell Johnson, Lecturer in Music and Director, Carolina Bluegrass Band Also featuring: Reese Krome, Rick Lafleur, Max Owre, and Alice Zincone. Russ Johnson, former member of the popular bluegrass band Grass Cats, will share his insights on how the music business has changed with technology, and he will play several songs from his long career. Join us for this engaging and informal country-style conversation and demonstration. All Flyleaf Summer Series Wednesdays events take place at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill. There are no preparatory…
Find out more »June 2019
What If? Learning from Reimagined Pasts in Science and Literature * Cancelled*
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this seminar has been cancelled All past roads lead to now, but what if we had taken another route? Would we end up in the same place? This seminar explores how thinking counterfactually can help explain why the present is the way it is. Participants will learn how biologists consider the possibility of divergent paths to today’s distinct species as they examine the processes behind evolution.We will also discuss how writers have explored “what if ”…
Find out more »A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
featuring Hilary Lithgow, Teaching Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, June 4 and 11 "Considered by many the greatest bildungsroman in the English language"—Encyclopedia Britannica "James Joyce’s supremely innovative fictional autobiography is also, in the apt phrase of the biographer Richard Ellmann, nothing less than 'the gestation of a soul.' Joyce immerses the reader in his emerging consciousness, employing language that ranges from baby talk to hellfire sermon to a triumphant artist’s manifesto. The result is a…
Find out more »The Call of Freedom: Slave Narratives Written and Sung
William L. Andrews, E. Maynard Adams Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature LaToya A. Lain, Assistant Professor of Music Readings and discussion of William Andrews’ new work, Slavery and Class in the American South: A Generation of Slave Narrative Testimony, 1840-1865, will be interspersed with vocal performances by world-renowned singer LaToya Lain, who will offer commentary from her performative lecture “Narrative of a Slave Woman: Songs of Hope, Justice, and Freedom.” All Flyleaf Summer Series Wednesdays events take place at Flyleaf Books…
Find out more »Spies and Deception: The History of Espionage in the United States
Images of eavesdropping technicians in vans and trenchcoat-wearing operatives exchanging information in dimly lit alleyways dominate our public imagination of espionage, but what is the reality behind these fanciful cinematic notions? This Dialogues seminar will pair two experts on spywork to discuss the history of the U.S. intelligence regime in the modern era, starting with the origins of the CIA and including the development of other intelligence agencies and strategies for deceiving enemies.We’ll investigate how well espionage actually works, the…
Find out more »Monday French Language Lunch
Interested in polishing or refreshing your foreign language speaking skills in a warm and welcoming environment? Join faculty discussion leaders at Weathervane restaurant in Chapel Hill for a lunch where partici- pants are encouraged to speak only in a foreign language. Prior to the lunch, all participants will receive a short foreign language article that will serve as the foundation for our discussion. Foreign Language Lunches take place from 12:00–1:30 pm. Space is limited, so sign up early to reserve…
Find out more »A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
featuring Hilary Lithgow, Teaching Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, June 4 and 11 "Considered by many the greatest bildungsroman in the English language"—Encyclopedia Britannica "James Joyce’s supremely innovative fictional autobiography is also, in the apt phrase of the biographer Richard Ellmann, nothing less than 'the gestation of a soul.' Joyce immerses the reader in his emerging consciousness, employing language that ranges from baby talk to hellfire sermon to a triumphant artist’s manifesto. The result is a…
Find out more »Measured Tones: The Science of Musical Sound
Laurie E. McNeil, Bernard Gray Distinguished Professor of Physics What makes a guitar sound like a guitar, and a flute like a flute? Join physicist and mezzo-soprano Laurie McNeil as she demonstrates key mathematical and acoustic concepts behind tone, timbre, time, and harmonics.With live music demonstrations (including some hands-on instruments avail- able for audience participation), we’ll explore the mysterious world of waves and numbers underpinning musical sound. All Flyleaf Summer Series Wednesdays events take place at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill. There are no…
Find out more »New Media, the Newspaper Crisis, and the Future of Democracy
Local newspapers have long been essential contributors to public debates, investigations of government institutions, economic information, community identities, and demo- cratic political life.The rise of new social media and the rapid decline of newspapers, however, is now transforming the ways in which news is gathered, communicated, and linked to civic life.This seminar will examine the current newspaper crisis and explore its implications for the future of democratic public life in the United States.Three experts with wide knowledge of the modern…
Find out more »Mansfield Park by Jane Austen *Sold Out*
This event is sold out. Email human@unc.edu with your name and phone number to be added to the waitlist. featuring Rachel Gurvich, Clinical Assistant Professor of Law "Mansfield Park is considered Jane Austen’s first mature work and, with its quiet heroine and subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, one of her most profound...unique in its moral design and its brilliant interplay of the forces of tradition and change."—Penguin Random House "Ignore its uptight reputation—Mansfield Park seethes with sex…
Find out more »Singapore and Chicago: Modern Global Cities in Social Transition
Singapore and Chicago became vibrant centers of global commerce in the late 19th century, and they remain major cities in contemporary economic and cultural life. They are also places in which the most notable patterns of modern social life continue to evolve, though in the different contexts of Southeast Asia and the American Midwest. Two experts in social and economic history (both long- time Chicago residents) will examine how these cities have evolved through changing economic contexts, urban redevelopment, modern…
Find out more »Mansfield Park by Jane Austen *Sold Out*
This event is sold out. Email human@unc.edu with your name and phone number to be added to the waitlist. featuring Rachel Gurvich, Clinical Assistant Professor of Law "Mansfield Park is considered Jane Austen’s first mature work and, with its quiet heroine and subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, one of her most profound...unique in its moral design and its brilliant interplay of the forces of tradition and change."—Penguin Random House "Ignore its uptight reputation—Mansfield Park seethes with sex…
Find out more »From Slavery to Civil Rights: An Aural History Tour
A combination of spirituals, protest songs, and inspiring gospel, this performance by acclaimed singer Mary D. Williams will take you on an aural history tour from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement. This event is free & open to the public. RSVP is not required. Time, Date, & Location: 5:15 – 6:15 PM, Thursday, June 27 Wayne Learning Center Auditorium at Wayne County Community College 3000 Wayne Memorial Dr, Goldsboro, NC 27534 This event is sponsored by Carolina Public Humanities,…
Find out more »Authoritarian Populism and Endangered Democracies
The end of the Cold War led some analysts to believe that the demise of communism in Eastern Europe would ensure a steady expansion of democracy throughout the world. Democratic values and institutions are currently facing new challenges around the globe, however, and this seminar will examine some of the places in which anti-democratic trends are evoking concerns. Our interdisciplinary faculty will discuss recent events in Turkey, Brazil, Hungary, Poland, Britain, and Germany, providing perspectives to interpret the meaning of…
Find out more »July 2019
Monday French Language Lunch
Interested in polishing or refreshing your foreign language speaking skills in a warm and welcoming environment? Join faculty discussion leaders at Weathervane restaurant in Chapel Hill for a lunch where partici- pants are encouraged to speak only in a foreign language. Prior to the lunch, all participants will receive a short foreign language article that will serve as the foundation for our discussion. Foreign Language Lunches take place from 12:00–1:30 pm. Space is limited, so sign up early to reserve…
Find out more »Pillars of Antiquity: Space and Time in Egypt, Greece, and Rome
People in the ancient world developed complex ideas about time and place to help them understand their place in the geographic and cosmological order.This seminar will provide new perspectives on how ancient cultures in Egypt, Greece, and Rome described the meaning of the cosmos, the importance of prophecies, and the significance of time in human lives. Join us for a discussion of how the ancient world created social practices and cultural legacies that endured for centuries in the Mediterranean world…
Find out more »August 2019
Tuesday French Language Lunch
Interested in polishing or refreshing your foreign language speaking skills in a warm and welcoming environment? Join faculty discussion leaders at Weathervane restaurant in Chapel Hill for a lunch where partici- pants are encouraged to speak only in a foreign language. Prior to the lunch, all participants will receive a short foreign language article that will serve as the foundation for our discussion. Foreign Language Lunches take place from 12:00–1:30 pm. Space is limited, so sign up early to reserve…
Find out more »