In Fall 2007 we shall celebrate our twentieth anniversary, bringing friends, supporters, fellows and visitors together to join in numerous events between October 2 and December 4, 2007.

Highlights of October 5 will include Twenty/Twenty in Academia, our full day of reflection for the University community and others interested in where the humanities have been in the last twenty years, the diversity of kinds of writing (poetry, creative non-fiction, essay, scholarship, et al.), where the humanities are headed and how the Institute may crest the trends.

Highlights of October 19-20 will include our annual Fall Seminar, Intellect in Motion.  Presented will be glimpses into what is emerging in the humanities by bringing back outstanding faculty and graduate Fellows to speak to the diversity of their projects in light of what is happening in their disciplines.  This will be an extravaganza of the Institute for the Humanities in our widest iteration.  We will offer an exhibition, performances, scholarship, literary readings and energetic conversation about the Institute’s strong foundation, to honor what has been done and to build connections to the future.

We invite you to read a few of the papers in our 20th-anniversary lecture series exploring intellectual legacies from 1987, the moment of intellectual ferment when the institute was formed.

Vassilis Lambropoulos: “What Happened to Theory?”

ART EXHIBITIONS

September 10 – October 19, 2007
20 Years, 8 Fellows: Art & Design at the Institute
Reception, Wednesday, October 3, 4:30-6:00pm, 202 S. Thayer St.

November 7 – December 14, 2007
20 Years, 12 Poets: Ceramics by Rachid Koraïchi
Reception, Wednesday, November 7, 4:30-6:00pm, 202 S. Thayer St.

BROWN BAG TALKS

Tuesdays, October 2 – December 2
12:00-1:00pm

“What Happened to…?” our noontime talks will explore trends in the humanities.

Featuring former and current Fellows including UM and other faculty members and scholars:
Geoff Eley, David Halperin, Nadine Hubbs, Steve Mullaney, Helmut Puff, Pat Simons, Anne Stevenson (poet, England), Valerie Traub, Patsy Yaeger and Haiping Yan (UCLA, Theater)

CONFERENCE: Twenty/Twenty in Academia

Friday, October 5
Forum Hall, Palmer Commons, 100 Washtenaw Ave.
9:00am – 5:00pm

Scholars and writers comment and speculate on the past, present and future of the humanities.

Fellows from our twenty years’ existence will reflect upon three different areas: “What Happened to…?,” “Diversity of Writing” and “The Humanities at the Cutting Edge.”

Presenters will include Linda Gregerson, Tom Laqueur (UC-Berkeley, History), Terry McDonald, Christi Merrill, Eileen Pollack, Michael Schoenfeldt, Tobin Siebers and others.

$ FALL SEMINAR: Intellect in Motion

Friday-Saturday, October 19-20

Emerging ideas in the humanities – an exhibition, performances, scholarship, and literary readings come together for an event celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Institute for the Humanities.

Preregistration is necessary for the Fall Seminar, October 19-20, and that is the only part for which we charge a fee.  All other Institute for the Humanities twentieth anniversary events are free and open to the public.

Friday, October 19

Atrium and Gallery, 202 S. Thayer St
6-9 PM

Reception and dinner.

Saturday, October 20

Lurie Building, 1221 Beal Ave
9:15-12:30 PM

Graduate student experiences of our former Fellows and the paths in research and art they are forging.

Stearns Building, 2005 Baits Dr
2-4 PM

Literary reading by Uwen Akpan (teacher, Zimbabwe), and musical performances given by Evan Chambers and Mark Jonello (Johns Hopkins).

Assembly Hall, Rackham Graduate School Building,
915 East Washington Street
6:30-9 PM

Reception and dinner.

For further information about the Institute’s twentieth anniversary celebration and other events, contact dcoval@umich.edu.

Current and Upcoming Events for 2008: 20th Anniversary Celebration