I’ve managed to schedule two invited talks within three days of one another. I believe both are open to the public. The Johnson-Krauss talk (Normal, IL, 26 Mar.) definitely is open to the public, and the Harry Potter talk (Pittsburgh, PA, 23 Mar.) offers no indication that public needs permission to attend. So, if you’re in the area, stop on by! Here are more details.
March 23, 2012
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
I’ll be speaking on “Harry Potter: A Cultural Biography” at 1:30 pm, in 324 Cathedral of Learning. This is part of a day-long Harry Potter conference attended by University of Pittsburgh students. Karin Westman is also giving a lecture, “Harry Potter and the Object of Art,” in the same location at 3:15 pm. You can learn more about the event on this University of Pittsburgh webpage.
March 26, 2012
Illinois State University, Normal, IL
I’ll be speaking on “Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature” at 7 p.m., in 138 Schroeder Hall. This is the spring’s Lois Lenski Lecture, and it will allow me to premiere what will be the “book talk” for my biography of Johnson and Krauss (which, not incidentally, has the same title as the talk). You can learn more about the talk here. They’ve got a spiffy poster for the event, too!
