When Machado de Assis died on September 29th, 1908 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he was already a widely acclaimed writer. The first president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, he left behind nine novels, several considered among the greatest masterpieces of the Portuguese language. Since his death, his fame has steadily increased; Susan Sontag […]
Machado 21: A Centennial Celebration
Michael Bérubé: Academic Freedom and its Discontents
Michael Bérubé explores conservative complaints about liberal “bias” at America’s universities and the fate of the liberal-arts education. Michael Bérubé is the Paterno Professor in English Literature and Science, Technology, and Society at Pennsylvania State University; his most recent books are What’s Liberal About the Liberal Arts?: Classroom Politics and “Bias” in Higher Education and […]
Janet Browne on Charles Darwin
Janet Browne, Aramont Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University, speaks about Charles Darwin in the context of his place and time. She focuses particularly on his personal finances and what they tell us about his habits and inclinations. She is the author of a two-part biography of Darwin, Charles Darwin: Voyaging and […]
Junot Diaz with Francisco Goldman
Writers Junot Diaz and Francisco Goldman discuss writing lives, through history and fiction. Junot Diaz is the author of Drown and The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which was awarded the Sargent First Novel Prize and was selected by Time and New York Magazine as the best novel of 2007. Francisco Goldman is […]
An Overview of Zoning, Past and Present
Why is zoning necessary? When did it begin? How do you unravel a zoning text? Doris Diether, a long time community activist and zoning expert, demystifies New York zoning in a lecture that considers New York City zoning, from pre-1916 to today. Ms. Diether covers different types of districts and what they permit, different types […]
Katha Pollitt & Anna Quindlen in Conversation
Katha Pollitt, a columnist for THE NATION, speaks with fellow journalist and writer Anna Quindlen about personal and political writing. The forum was held at The CUNY Graduate Center for Humanities.
Brooklyn College’s Corey Robin interviews Pulitzer Prize Winner Susan Faludi about her latest book, THE TERROR DREAM: FEAR AND FANTASY IN POST 9/11 AMERICA. The discussion took place at the CUNY Graduate Center.