Library of Congress: News from the John W. Kluge Center

Karen Carter on “Poster mania in turn-of-the-century Paris”, May 22 at Noon, Library of Congress

Karen Carter, Kluge Fellow, presents a lecture titled “Poster mania in turn-of-the-century Paris” at 12:00 on May 22 in Whittall Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

Author Steven Berlin Johnson discusses book "Everything Bad Is Good for You" at Library of Congress, May 12

A spirited defense of the digital generation will be presented at the Library of Congress by Steven Berlin Johnson, who will discuss "Everything Bad Is Good for You" at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 12, in the Montpelier Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Robert Saladini
Library of Congress

2008-2009 Kluge Fellows selected at Library of Congress

In its sixth full year of operation, the John W. Kluge Center continues to attract the world’s brightest minds to the Library of Congress where they pursue humanistic and social science research making use of the Library's large, varied collections and expert staff. While in residence, they also have the opportunity to interact with the Washington, DC diplomatic community and one another. See the link for the names of those selected.

Robert Saladini
Library of Congress

Application Deadline: April 17, 2008 - David B. Larson Fellowship in Health and Spirituality, John W. Kluge Center, Library of Congress

The Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship in the field of health and spirituality. Made possible by a generous endowment from the International Center for the Integration of Health and Spirituality (ICIHS), the fellowship is named in honor of the Center's late founder, David B. Larson, an epidemiologist and psychiatrist, who focused on potentially relevant but understudied factors which might help in prevention, coping, and recovering from illness.

Robert Saladini
Office of Scholarly Programs
Library of Congress
rsal@loc.gov

Jennifer Sessions lectures on “The Conquest of Algeria at Louis-Philippe's Versailles" at Library of Congress on 4/17

April 17, 2008
Lecture: “An Empire for a King: The Conquest of Algeria at Louis-Philippe's Versailles," Jennifer Sessions, Kluge Fellow, at 12, in Whittall Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations or tickets are required.

Robert Saladini
Office of Scholarly Programs
Library of Congress
rsal@loc.gov

Max Edelson lectures on “Mapping the New Empire: Britain’s General Survey of North America, 1763-1782,” at Library of Congress on 4/16

Lecture: “Mapping the New Empire: Britain’s General Survey of North America, 1763-1782,” Max Edelson, Kislak Fellow, at 12 in Whittall Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Building. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations or tickets are required.

Robert Saladini
Office of Scholarly Programs
Library of Congress
rsal@loc.gov

Joseph Kosek lectures on “God and Gandhi: Radical Spiritual Politics of Rev. John Haynes Holmes” 4/3 at Library of Congress

The Library of Congress, John W. Kluge Center, presents Kluge Fellow, Joseph Kosek, in a lecture titled “God and Gandhi: The Radical Spiritual Politics of the Reverend John Haynes Holmes (1879-1964)” on Thursday, April 3, 2008, at 12:00 p.m., Dining Room A, James Madison Building, Library of Congress. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required. For more information, contact Robert Saladini at (202) 707-2692. Requst ASL and ADA accommodations five days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or <ADA@loc.gov>.

Library of Congress series on âDigital Nativesâ begins April 7

Distinguished scholar and child-development expert Edith Ackerman will present "The Anthropology of Digital Natives" at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 7 at the Library of Congress.
The event, the first in a series on Digital Natives â those who have been raised with the computer as a natural part of their lives â is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are needed. In addition, the lecture will be webcast live at www.loc.gov.

Robert Saladini
Library of Congress
Tel. 202-707-2692

Symposium: "Art, Culture, and Government: The New Deal at 75"

Leading scholars from throughout the United States will join experts from the Library of Congress in the program, "Art, Culture, and Government: The New Deal at 75," on Thursday and Friday, March 13 – 14. The two-day program is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Robert Saladini
Library of Congress
Email: rsal@loc.gov

The Druze Heritage is Subject of Feb. 7 Symposium, Library of Congress

The Druze are a thousand-year-old religious community of the Middle East, whose members today live primarily in Lebanon, Syria and Israel, while others have emigrated to the United States, Europe and Africa. Their historical and intellectual legacy will be examined by 10 scholars from the U.S. and Middle East who will participate in a symposium to be held at the Library of Congress from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7 in Room LJ-119, located on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington D.C.

Smyser appointed to Kissinger Chair at Library of Congress

W. R. Smyser, adjunct professor in the BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University, has been appointed to the Henry Alfred Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy and International Relations in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Tom Zeller lectures on parkways in Germany and U.S., 1920-70; 1/23 at Library of Congress

Library of Congress Kluge Fellow, Thomas Zeller, presents a lecture titled “Consuming Landscapes: Parkways in Germany and the United States, 1920-1970" on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. in LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. This event is free and open to the public.

Van Der Wee on Economic Globalization through history, 1/17 at Library of Congress

Economic globalization is a new word for an old process, according to economic historian Herman Van der Wee, holder of the Chair of the Countries and Cultures of the North in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Van der Wee will explain this concept in a lecture titled "Economic Globalization in the Mirror of History" at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

Sponsored by the Kluge Center, the event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are needed.

Lecture: Mario del Pero on Henry Kissinger and international repercussions of the Portuguese Revolution, Library of Congress 12/12

December 12 at 12:00 noon
Lecture: "Which Chile, Allende? Henry Kissinger and the International Repercussions of the Portuguese Revolution,” Mario del Pero, Kluge Fellow, at 12:00 in LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations or tickets are required.

Michael Schiltz to give lecture on Japanese diplomat, Megata Tanetaro, at Library of Congress, 12/5

Lecture: âA Money Doctor from Japan: Megata Tanetaro in Korea, 1904-1907),â Michael Schiltz, Kluge Fellow, at 12:00 in LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

Ethicist William F. May gives lecture on Nov. 29 at 4, Library of Congress

"Containing Runaway Fear in Foreign Policy: Recovering Our National Identity" will be discussed by William F. May, holder of the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in American History and Ethics, at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

The lecture starts at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington D.C. Sponsored by the Kluge Center, the event is free and open to the public; no reservations are needed.

In his presentation, May will discuss the religious apprehensions, such as good versus evil, embedded in American politics. He will look at American foreign policy during the last 60 years, as political anxieties in the West shifted from the mind-set during the Cold War (the West vs. tyranny) to the current apprehensions (the West vs. anarchy).

Writers From Iowa's International Writing Program Read Their Works, Nov. 15 at Library of Congress

Writers from the distinguished International Writing Program at the University of Iowa will read from their works at the Library of Congress at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC. This event is free and open to the public, no tickets are required.

David Orique on Bartolome de las Casas, Oct. 18 at Library of Congress

Kislak Fellow, David Orique, presents a lecture titled “What seemed to be or not to be a 1528 letter of Bartolomé de las Casas to Charles V: an historiographical opinion about the Parecer” on October 18, 2007 at 12:00 in Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Congressman Major Owens and Distinguished Panel To Discuss "A New Challenge to Black Congressional Caucus" on 10/1 at Library of Congress

What did Ossie Davis envision in 1971 when he proclaimed to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) that "it’s not the man, it’s the plan"? In a special forum on Oct. 1 at the Library of Congress, Congressman Major Owens will host a distinguished panel of U.S. representatives and political scientists in a discussion of his forthcoming book, "The Peacock Elite: A Subjective Case Study of the Congressional Black Caucus and Its Impact on National Politics."

The forum will start at noon on Monday, Oct. 1, in the Members’ Room on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are needed.

William F. May Appointed to Maguire Chair in American History at Library of Congress Kluge Center

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed William F. May to the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in American History and Ethics at the John W. Kluge Center for a three-month tenure from September to December. May will conduct research on the shift of political anxieties in the West, from the mindset during the Cold War (the West vs. tyranny) to the current apprehensions (the West vs. anarchy). He will bring a religious interpretation to the political analysis. May is conducting the research to prepare for the Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Princeton Professor, Jenna Joselit, on the 10 Commandments in America, 10/11 at Library of Congress

Jenna Weissman Joselit, a Princeton University professor who spent the summer as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library's, John W. Kluge Center, will wrap up her research with a lecture titled "Holy Moses! A Cultural History of the Ten Commandments in Modern America."

Joselit will present the talk at the Library of Congress at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event, sponsored by the Library’s Kluge Center, is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

Charles Kupchan discusses bipartisanship at Library of Congress on 9/20

Charles A. Kupchan, holder of the Henry Alfred Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Library of Congress, will give a lecture titled "Dead Center: The Collapse of Bipartisanship and Its Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy" at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sep. 20, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

The event, sponsored by the Library’s John W. Kluge Center, is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

Kay Shelemay on Ethiopian American music at Library of Congress on Sep. 6

Harvard scholar, Kay Shelemay, presents "Music in the Ethiopian American Diaspora: A Preliminary Overview" at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

Shelemay Appointed Chair of Modern Culture at Library of Congress

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Kay Kaufman Shelemay, an ethnomusicologist from Harvard University, to the Chair of Modern Culture in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

While in residence at the Kluge Center, Shelemay will pursue research for a book on Ethiopian music and musicians in the United States.

The End of European Colonial Empires To Be Discussed by William Roger Louis, July 10

One of the great themes of 20th century history is the end of European colonial empires. William Roger Louis, founding director of the National History Center, will discuss the topic in a lecture at the Library of Congress.

The talk will start at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. Free and open to the public, the event is sponsored by the Libraryâs John W. Kluge Center and the National History Center, and is presented in conjunction with the History Centerâs Second International Research Seminar on Decolonization, held in Washington, D.C., from July 9 through Aug. 4.

Crawford Young on African colonial states, 7/25 at 4:00 at Library of Congress

Crawford Young, a distinguished scholar on Africa and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, will discuss "The African Colonial State and the Encounter with Decolonization" at the Library of Congress on July 25.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will start at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.

Nobel Laureates John Mather and Craig Mello discuss origins of life on 7/26 at Library of Congress

Origins of Life and Universe To Be Discussed by Nobel Scientists John Mather and Craig Mello, July 26

Two 2006 Nobel Prize winners will address the fundamental questions pondered by many through the ages: the origins of life and the universe.

Free and open to the public, the event, "On the Origins of Life and the Universe: An Afternoon with 2006 Nobel Laureates Craig Mello and John Mather," will be held at the Library of Congress from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.

Jenna Joselit researches 10 Commandments at Library of Congress

Jenna Weissman Joselit, a Princeton University professor who was recently appointed Visiting Scholar at the John W. Kluge Center, is studying the variety of cultural forms in which the Ten Commandments appear in American culture.

A professor of American studies and Modern Judaic studies at Princeton, Joselit’s appointment at the Kluge Center started June 1. She is conducting research in the Library of Congress collections for her forthcoming book on the Ten Commandments. Joselit is investigating a variety of cultural forms, including synagogue and church architecture, Sunday school pageants and Cecil B. de Mille’s legendary movies.

Kluge Fellow, Tobie Meyer-Fong on "The Taiping Rebellion" at Library of Congress on 6/14

Kluge Fellow, Tobie Meyer-Fong, presents a lecture titled “Ruin and Restoration: An Eyewitness Frames the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)” on June 14, 2007 at 12:00 Noon (LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building).

Lecture: "Creating Adam and Eve" in 16th century Germany" with Crowther-Heyck at Library of Congress

Lecture: Creating Adam and Eve: Body, Soul and Gender in Sixteenth-century Germany with Kathleen Crowther-Heyck on
June 13, 12:00 Noon in LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building at Library of Congress

2007-08 Class of Kluge Fellows Selected at Library of Congress

2007-08 Class of Kluge Fellows at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress has been selected.

Cecelia Tichi discusses social reformer Julia Lathrop on June 28 at Library of Congress

Cecelia Tichi will discuss "Justice, Not Pity: Julia Lathrop, First Chief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau" at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 28, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Kluge Center, the event is free and open to the public; no tickets are needed.

James Sanders on "Contesting Modernity in Latin America" on May 30

James Sanders, Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress will give a lecture titled âThe Vanguard of the Atlantic World:
Contesting Modernity in Nineteenth-Century Latin Americaâ on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. in Room 119, Thomas Jefferson Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. No tickets are required. Request ASL and ADA accommodations five days in advance at 202-707-6362 or <ADA@loc.gov>. For more information, call 202-707-3302.

Shigemi Inaga lectures on Modern Japanese Arts and Crafts in Kyoto on June 7

Shigemi Inaga, Kluge Chair of Modern Culture at Library of Congress lectures on "Modern Japanese Arts and Crafts in Kyoto: From Asai Chu to Yagi Kazuo" at 4 p.m. Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Library of Congress

Lecture on commercialization of academic research at LC on 5/24

"Commercializing University Research - Threats and Opportunities - The Oxford University Model" is the topic of a lecture scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

Paul Wilson discusses Václav Havel's Book, "To the Castle and Back," 5/17/07 at Library of Congress

Paul Wilson will discuss his English translation of former Czech Republic President Václav Havel’s recently published book "To the Castle and Back," at the Library of Congress on May 17.

The event, sponsored by the Library’s John W. Kluge Center and the Embassy of the Czech Republic, will begin at noon on Thursday, May 17, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The book talk is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Symposium on HIV and Hepatitis Vaccines To Be Held on May 10

Distinguished health and medical experts will participate in a symposium addressing critical issues on the challenges of developing an HIV vaccine and ensuring the eradication of Hepatitis B, on May 10 at the Library of Congress.

The symposium, titled "Combating HIV and Hepatitis B," will coincide with World AIDS Vaccine Day on May 18 and Hepatitis Awareness Week, May 7-11.

The program will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 10, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The experts will focus on HIV in the morning and on Hepatitis B at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; tickets are not required. The symposium will be cybercast live at www.loc.gov.

Yu Ying-shih speaks at Library of Congress on April 24 and April 26

Yu Ying-shih, recipient of the 2006 John W. Kluge Prize for the Study of Humanity, will present talks on China at the Library of Congress on April 24 and April 26. Yu's discussion, at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 24, is titled "China Rediscovers Its Own History." Yu's lecture, at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, is titled "China's Return to Tradition: How to Interpret the New Forces Emerging in China." Both events take place in Room 119, Thomas Jefferson Building, and are free and open to the public.

Raymond Dwek appointed Chair of Technology and Society at Library of Congress

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Raymond Dwek, director of the Glycobiology Institute at Oxford University, to the Chair of Technology and Society in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Gerhard Casper discusses "Caesarism in Democratic Politics" on March 22 at Library of Congress

President Emeritus of Stanford University Gerhard Casper will talk about "Caesarism in Democratic Politics: Reflections on Max Weber" on March 22 at 4:00 P.M. in Room 119 of the Libraryâs Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

John Hope Franklin speaks at Library of Congress on Mar. 6

Historian John Hope Franklin will present a lecture titled "Where Do We Go from Here" at the Library of Congress on March 6, focusing on pressing domestic and foreign policy issues at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

Charles Kupchan named Henry Kissinger Scholar at Library of Congress

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Charles A. Kupchan, a professor in the School of Foreign Service and in the Government Department at Georgetown University, as the Henry Alfred Kissinger Scholar in Foreign Policy and International Relations in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III speaks on 2/27 at Library of Congress

Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III will deliver the fifth Kissinger Lecture on Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Library of Congress on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C., is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

Jaskulowski on Western and Eastern ideas of nationalism, 2/22 at Library of Congress

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress presents Kluge Fellow, Krzysztof Jaskulowski, in a lecture titled "Western and Eastern nationalism?" on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 12:00 P.M. in LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 1st Street S.E. Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Pamela Geller on the Pre-Columbian Maya, 2/21 at Library of Congress

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress presents Kislak Fellow, Pamela Geller, in a lecture titled “Ancient Bodies: A Humanistic Bioarchaeology of the Pre-Columbian Maya” on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 12:00 P.M. in LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 1st Street S.E. Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Lecture on the women in Sigmund Freud’s life, Feb. 14

Inge Scholz-Strasser, director of the Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna, Austria, will present "The Women Around Sigmund Freud -- Patients, Colleagues, Confidantes" at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Michael Brose on foreigners in post-Ming Dynasty China at LC on 1/25

Michael Brose, Kluge Fellow, will present a lecture titled âWhatâs in a name?: Foreigners in Ming Dynasty Chinaâat 12:00 P.M. on Jan. 25, 2007 in Room #119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.

Congressman Major Owens at Library of Congress

U.S. Congressman Major Owens named Distinguished Visiting Scholar at John W. Kluge Center.

Marianne Kamp on women in Uzbekistan

Marianne Kamp will discuss her book "The new woman in Uzbekistan: Islam, modernity, and unveiling under communism" on Jan. 11, 2007.

2006 John W. Kluge Prize Winners Announced

John Hope Franklin, 91, and Yu Ying-shih, 76, have been named the recipients of the third John W. Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity.