Learn about American history and culture with New York Times-bestselling author Sarah Vowell at the 2020 Cline Lecture. The Department of Comparative Cultural Studies, with sponsorship by the English and history departments, will host the event at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5.
With seven published books, Vowell’s work reveals how American history can show up poignantly in the most unexpected places in modern culture. She examines connections between the historical past and present-day times through the use of personal and humorous accounts. Her latest book, published in 2015, is “Lafayette in the Somewhat United States;” it follows Gen. Lafayette’s experiences in the Revolutionary War. It looks at the ideal vision for the revolution versus the reality of what actually took place during that period of war.
In addition to her books, she has two essay collections, “The Partly Cloudy Patriot” and “Take the Cannoli.” She also is the voice of Violet Parr from Pixar Animation Studios’ “The Incredibles.”
Vowell comes to campus as part of the Cline Community Lecture in the Humanities series. The series produces high-quality events that demonstrate humanities in action and discuss the importance of humanities in thought and practice. Topics highlight work that is accessible to the general public and that engages creatively with politics, society and art. Speakers are selected from all areas of the humanities and include performers, practitioners, creators and critics.
The event will be held in the Cline Library Assembly Hall. A book signing will follow the presentation. Admission is free and open to the general public. Parking passes can be purchased on the University Transit Services website.