1st Wednesdays

Humanities Lecture Series at the Rutland Free Library

October through May, 2009 - 2010
7:00 PM


October 7

The Intimate Privilege of Being With the Dying
Being present through the final days and at the moment of a loved one's death can be one of the most profound experiences we have. Author Marjorie Ryerson shares compelling stories she gathered for her book. Sponsor: The Lodges at Otter Creek & Shelburne Bay

November 4

The Impossible Presidency: Presidential Greatness in the Post-Modern World
Presidential scholars have long ranked the greatness of presidents. UVM professor Frank Bryan considers why no president since 1952 has been ranked as great. .

December 2

A Year After the Election: The Obama Administration
Journalist and UVM lecturer Gordon Robison considers whether President Obama's policies toward the Middle East actually differ from his predecessor's, and where the new administration is headed.

January 6

Stanley's Red Pajamas
Before actors utter a single word, their costumes have already spoken volumes. Middlebury College artist-in-residence Jule Emerson discusses the relationship between dramatic literature and costume design.

February 3

John Milton, Marriage and Friendship
Long before he wrote Paradise Lost, Milton urged the English Parliament to revise marriage laws to permit divorce more broadly, using classical theories of friendship. Dartmouth professor Tom Luxon explores how Milton's redefinition of marriage unintentionally charted a path toward making same-sex marriages imaginable.

March 3

Transforming History Into Fiction: The Story of a Born Liar
Howard Frank Mosher, longtime resident of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and author of eight novels, considers the challenges and possibilities of writing historical fiction.




April 7

Secrets of Eden
Bestselling author of Midwives and The Double Bind, Chris Bohjalian, talks about writing his new book, Secrets of Eden, a novel of shattered family ties, intimate secrets, and the nature of sacrifice.

May 5

Einstein's Century: 1905-2005
In 1905, at the age of twenty-six, Einstein published five papers that laid the foundation of modern physics. Middlebury professor Susan Watson explores the nearly mythical influence of one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century.