Hall Center to host 11th annual Celebration of Books
LAWRENCE – The Hall Center for the Humanities is pleased to host the 11th annual Celebration of Books published by humanities, social sciences and arts faculty in 2012.
The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 5 in the Hall Center Conference Hall. It is free and open to the public.
The Celebration will recognize the 35 faculty members who published 37 books in the humanities, social sciences and arts last year. Their works explore such varied topics as lowrider car culture, British rock humor, American intentional communities, antievolution controversies and the geography of the Internet, representing the depth and breadth of humanities research at the University of Kansas. The celebration will feature a reception and a display of books.
Three featured faculty authors will make brief presentations on their work and take questions from the audience.
Kij Johnson, assistant professor of English, will discuss "At the Mouth of the River of Bees," Small Beer Press, a sparkling debut collection from one of the hottest writers in science fiction: Her stories have received the Nebula Award the last two years running. These stories feature cats, bees, wolves, dogs and even that most capricious of animals, humans, and have been reprinted in "The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror," "Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year" and "The Secret History of Fantasy."
Adrian Lewis, professor of history, will discuss "The American Culture of War: The History of U.S. Military Force from World War II to Operation Enduring Freedom," Routledge Press, which presents a sweeping, critical examination of every major American war of the late 20th century: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the first and second Persian Gulf wars and Operation Enduring Freedom. Lewis deftly traces the evolution of U.S. military strategy, offering an original and provocative look at the motives people and governments used to wage war, the debates among military personnel, the flawed political policies that guided military strategy and the civilian perceptions that characterized each conflict.
Iain Ellis, full-time lecturer of English, will discuss "Brit Wits: A History of British Rock Humor," University of Chicago Press, which shows how and why humor has been such a powerful catalyst and expressive force in the work of key subversive rock humorists. Distinguishing rock humorists from rockers who are merely sometimes humorous, Ellis trains his attention on those whose music and persona exude defiance—beginning with the Beatles, the Kinks and Pink Floyd; and continuing through the Smiths, the Slits and even the Spice Girls—to investigate the nature of rock humor and the ways in which these groups have used it to attack prevailing social structures.
For those who wish to attend, please RSVP to the Hall Center at (785) 864-4798 or hallcenter@ku.edu.