Event Lectures and Symposia Live! At the Library—Marvin Gaye: Melancholy and Genius in Black Culture and Media

Date and Location

Part of Concerts from the Library of Congress

The event is free, but tickets are required, and there may be special restrictions. Click the "Get Tickets" link below for more information and to secure your ticket.

Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov.

Marvin Gaye: Melancholy and Genius in Black Culture and Media
Dr. I. Augustus Durham, University of Toronto

Commemorate Black Music Month with an engaging talk that explores connections between Marvin Gaye's music and the influence of George Gershwin. Dr. I. Augustus Durham (Assistant Professor of English, University of Toronto) and Morgan Davis (Music Reference Specialist, Music Division, Library of Congress) discuss Dr. Durham's analysis of how Black male creators, and Marvin Gaye specifically, were influenced by the "opera-gospel communion" that serves as a tenet of the aesthetic of Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." Dr. Durham’s work examines melancholy and genius in black culture and media, from the nineteenth century to present day. He is the author of "Stay Black and Die: On Melancholy and Genius" (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2023).

Tickets available for this event starting at 10am on Wednesday, March 12th