November's Nerd Nite (Wed. Nov 14) is all about the Russkies and features both a Nerd Nite co-boss and a prominent member of LFK's esteemed PBR Book Club. And once again it's scheduled on the same night as another important nerdy event: a KU visit from one of the world's greatest Shakespeare scholars and recent National Book Award winner Stephen Greenblatt
Here's the scoop on both events.
Nerd Nite 11: Soviet Bloc Party
This month's presentations are:
--You Sunk My Citizenship? – The Estonian Singing Revolution & Citizenship Dilemma by Dave Trimbach
--Notes from the Underground: Dissident Music in the Soviet Union by Austin Charron
--Bar Talk: Bela Bartok, Polymodal Chromaticism & Modern Classical Composition by Steve Dahlberg
A quick survey of the titles reveal board game references, Dostoevsky references, and musical terminology that sent us scurrying to Google (thanks, Steve!). Yes, this will be nerdy indeed. And we understand that there will be a happy hour in the Star Bar preceding the event and that there won't be food service this time in the ballroom (and the bar will be cash-only) as a way of squeezing even more nerds into the event. (Will seating be in rows like a nerdy ol' classroom? Perhaps). Visit the FB event page here
Stephen Greenblatt: Woodruff Auditorium, 7:30, Nov. 14
Here's a bit of the Greenblatt bio from KU's Hall Center info page :
"Greenblatt is regarded as the father of New Historicism, a form of critical theory that seeks to unite literature, historical context, and cultural theory. He is the author of twelve books about Shakespeare, the Renaissance, and early modern culture, including the hugely popular Will in the World (2004), a biography of William Shakespeare. His most recent work, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern received the 2011 National Book Award, and demonstrates how something as seemingly insignificant as a poem could influence the cultural world."
So where will you be, local nerds? (hint: only one of these events is booze-drenched).
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But what if you're neither a nerdy scenester nor a left-leaning academic type? Don't worry: you can spend an "Evening With Newt Gingrich" at the Dole Institute on Wednesday, where he'll be talking politics and pimping his new historical novel Victory at Yorktown.
Chip: "Not everyone realizes that Newt's novels contain terrific sex scenes, such as the following from his alternate-history novel 1945. Not enough sex scenes contain the word 'athwart.' "
'I like this arrangement,' she laughed softly. 'Mistress to the chief of staff of the President of the United States. Nice title, don't you think? Such a book I could write.' ... Suddenly the pouting sex kitten gave way to Diana the Huntress. She rolled onto him and somehow was sitting athwart his chest, her knees pinning his shoulders. `Tell me, or I will make you do terrible things,' she hissed."
[Excerpt via The Atlantic Wire ].
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But perhaps you need even more lectures this week!
How about equal-pay activist Lily Ledbetter tonight at KU (7:30 in Woodruff).
Chip: "This should be a great place to meet women!"
Also at KU, on Tuesday, is something called "Daniel Packards Live Group Sex Therapy Show" (7:00-8:00 in Woodruff). We have no idea that this means, but Chip hopes that people will actually be fucking on stage. A bit of info here . ("... a unique comedy that combines humorous stories to entertain audiences. Unlike other shows, this one asks you to turn on your cell phone at the start of the show to allow for interactive fun.").
And at Free State on Tuesday, the Science on Tap series takes a look at the Mayans with KU prof John Hoopes who "will look at the myths surrounding December 21, 2012, and the commodification of ancient cultures." The event is scheduled from 7:30-9:00 (so maybe we duck in after the KU game??). Gather your conspiracy-minded East LFK buddies and grab some brews and check it out. More info here .
What did we miss? Are YOU giving a lecture this week that needs to be included? Let us know.
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