Humanities Open House: A day with Plato, dinosaurs and jazz

Learn to draw, revel in jazz, discover the link between dinosaurs and Native Americans or sit in on one of over 30 other free sessions at the 18th annual Humanities Open House, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 25.

The daylong extravaganza will feature members of the University's faculty and staff presenting a wide variety of free lectures, tours and performances. They will explore new and sometimes surprising research in world cultures, art, language, literature, music, history and more.

Admission to all events is free, but registration is required. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in Ida Noyes Hall and continues throughout the day. Early registration is recommended, as sessions usually fill up quickly.

The Open House presentations will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the keynote lecture is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. For a complete schedule of events or more information, call 702-4847.

This year's keynote speaker will be W.J.T. Mitchell, the Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor in English and editor of Critical Inquiry. Mitchell will examine our culture's fascination with dinosaurs and the association between them and the cultures of aborigines and Native Americans when he speaks on "Dinosaurs and Indians: The Evolution of the Modern Totem."

Other Humanities Open House highlights are listed below.

_ Have unexpected arrivals ever wreaked havoc on your dinner party? Then you'll want to hear Herman Sinaiko, Professor in the Humanities, explain how the conversation at antiquity's most famous banquet was enriched by a quartet of surprise revelers. Join him for "Plato's Symposium: The Uninvited Guests."

_ Trace the artistic path of Lithuanian artist Lasar Segall, whose work documents the Diaspora of the Jews and other issues related to today's global culture and politics, in a special guided tour of the Smart Museum of Art's exhibition "Still More Distant Journeys: The Artistic Emigrations of Lasar Segall."

_ Listen to Richard Stern, prize-winning novelist and the Helen A. Regenstein Professor in English Language & Literature, read from "Audit," a portion of his current work in progress.

_ Learn to draw with Tom Mapp, Associate Professor in the Committee on Art & Design and Director of Midway Studios, who will lead "A Beginner's Class in Drawing."

_ Find out how early members of Islam legitimized their community and affirmed their beliefs when Fred Donner, Associate Professor in the Oriental Institute, presents "Why Muslims Decided to Write History."

_ Learn about the women who were at the heart of musical culture in the 17th and 18th centuries from Robert Kendrick, Associate Professor in Music.

_ Listen to the latest in bebop as Mwata Bowden leads the University's Jazz X-tet.

_ Watch a brief performance from cast members of Court Theatre's Iphigenia Cycle, join in on a panel discussion on Euripides' plays and listen to Christopher Faraone give a special Works of the Mind Lecture on "Women, Sacrifice and Greek Tragedy" in a program that is co-sponsored by the Basic Program of the Graham School of General Studies.

_ Join Jerrold Sadock, the Glen A. Lloyd Distinguished Service Professor in Linguistics, in a lively investigation of "How Much Yiddish Goethe Knew."