Reading Matters, Vol. 1, Issue 1

Publications, Presentations, and other Faculty Matters

Congratulations to Laura Rigal who has received a Collegiate Teaching Award for 2004-05. These awards recognize outstanding faculty teaching within the CLAS. Her portrait will soon join those of previous award recipients, including a significant number from the English Department, which appear in the Main Library.

Congratulations, too, to Doug Trevor, who has been named a 2005-2007 recipient of the Dean's Scholar Award. The Dean's Scholar Award recognizes newly promoted faculty members who excel in both teaching and scholarship or creative work.

Upcoming Events

Thr., Feb. 3, 7 p.m., Shambaugh Auditorium - The Collage Film Series, organized by Ruedi Kuenzli, will present "Collage Films from the Illegal Art Exhibit," with an introduction by Kembrew McLeod from Communication Studies.

Thr., Feb. 10, 7:30-8:30 p.m., University of Iowa Museum of Art - Corey Creekmur will use film clips and music to discuss the "culture" of the post-war road in a talk that is part of the University of Iowa Museum of Art's "Jack Keroac: On the Road" exhibit.

Sat., Feb. 12, The University of Iowa Museum of Art - "Interventionist Collage: From Dada to the Present," curated by Ruedi Kuenzli, will open today at The University of Iowa Museum of Art . The exhibit will last until Saturday, April 3.

Wed., Feb. 16th, 12 p.m.-1 p.m., Oasis Falafel Restaurant, 206 N. Linn Street - Join Aaron Lansky for a lunchtime discussion of Sholem Aleichem's short story "Chava." "Chava" will be available for photocopying in 308/310 EPB shortly. (For more about Lansky, see the next entry below.) This event is part of the University of Iowa's first festival of Yiddish literature and culture. If you have questions about this event, please contact Lara Trubowitz at lara-trubowitz@uiowa.edu or Jerry Sorokin at gerald-sorokin@uiowa.edu.

Wed., Feb. 16, 8 p.m., Prairie Lights Bookstore - Aaron Lansky, president of the National Yiddish Book Center, MacArthur recipient, and author of "Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books (2004), will be speaking on "Live from Prairie Lights" (WSUI). Before his talk, there will be a public reception at Galleries Downtown, located at 218 E. Washington Street. The reception will begin at 6pm. All are welcome. This event is part of the University of Iowa's first festival of Yiddish literature and culture. If you have questions about this event, please contact Lara Trubowitz at lara-trubowitz@uiowa.edu or Jerry Sorokin at gerald-sorokin@uiowa.edu.

Thr., Feb. 17th, 10 a.m. - Aaron Lansky will be interviewed on "Talk of Iowa" (WSUI). This event is part of the University of Iowa's first festival of Yiddish literature and culture. If you have questions about this event, please contact Lara Trubowitz at lara-trubowitz@uiowa.edu or Jerry Sorokin at gerald-sorokin@uiowa.edu.

Thr., Feb. 17th, 6 p.m., Gerber Lounge - James McPherson of the Writers' Workshop will talk about Isaac Babel, whose mother tongue was Yiddish. Here's a chance to hear how a Jewish writer from Odessa who grew up speaking Yiddish affected a major American writer from Savannah. This event is part of the University of Iowa's first festival of Yiddish literature and culture. If you have questions about this event, please contact Lara Trubowitz at lara-trubowitz@uiowa.edu or Jerry Sorokin at gerald-sorokin@uiowa.edu.

Fri., Feb. 18th, 12 p.m.-1 p.m., Oasis Falafel Restaurant, 206 N. Linn Street - Join us for a lunchtime discussion of I. B. Singer, one of Yiddish literature's most important writers. Story to be announced. This event is part of the University of Iowa's first festival of Yiddish literature and culture. If you have questions about this event, please contact Lara Trubowitz at lara-trubowitz@uiowa.edu or Jerry Sorokin at gerald-sorokin@uiowa.edu.

Sat., Feb. 19th, 7 p.m., 101 BCSB - Come to a screening of Edgar Ulmer's 1938 Yiddish film, The Singing Blacksmith, which will be introduced by Claudia Pummer, from the department of Cinema and Comparative Literature. This event is part of the University of Iowa's first festival of Yiddish literature and culture. If you have questions about this event, please contact Lara Trubowitz at lara-trubowitz@uiowa.edu or Jerry Sorokin at gerald-sorokin@uiowa.edu.

Thr., Mar. 3, 7:00 p.m., University of Iowa Museum of Art - Claire Fox will introduce the Collage Films directed by Ximena Cuevas, part of the University of Iowa Museum of Art's "Interventionist Collage" exhibit. Discussion will follow screening.

Fri., Mar. 4, 4 p.m., Gerber Lounge - Claire Sponsler and John Raeburn will present a Faculty Colloquium.

Thr., Mar. 10, 7:30-8:30 p.m., University of Iowa Museum of Art - Rudolf Kuenzli will give a gallery talk about the "Interventionist Collage" exhibit.

Fri., Mar. 25, 4 p.m., Gerber Lounge - Chris Merrill and Barbara Eckstein will present a Faculty Colloquium.

Wed., Mar. 30, 7 p.m., Gerber Lounge - Alan Trachtenberg will give the Carver Lecture: "The Naked Reader in Melville and Whitman."

Fri., Apr. 8 - Sun., Apr. 10, IMU - The 5th Annual "Craft, Critique, Culture" conference

Fri., Apr. 8, 7:30 p.m., IMU - Garrett Stewart will be a guest speaker at the "Craft, Critique, Culture" conference.

Fri., May 6, 4 p.m., Gerber Lounge - Lori Branch and Doug Trevor will present a Faculty Colloquium.

Future Issues

Please send any items for Reading Matters to Carolyn Jacobson at carolyn-jacobson@uiowa.edu. Reading Matters will appear every other Wednesday, and submissions should be received by 5 p.m. on the preceding Monday. Please send submissions for the next issue by 5 p.m. on Feb. 14. Thanks very much.