WHAT: “Culturetalk: A Conversation With Philippe Petit and Elizabeth Streb“
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3 @ 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Foellinger Auditorium, south end of the quad
From the event announcement: “Innovative risk takers, inspired creators, and tenacious artists: action hero Elizabeth Streb and high-wire artist Philippe Petit live life without a net. Join them on the ground for an engaging conversation about their fearless philosophies, unduplicated feats, and artistic longevity.”
WHAT: “The Future of New China: Revolution in Fiction,” David Der-wei Wang; Chinese Literature, Harvard University
WHEN: Thursday, October 4 @ 4 p.m.
WHERE: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 South Gregory Street, Urbana, Illinois
From the event announcement: “The lecture seeks to interpret the dialectic between revolution and fiction in modern and contemporary China. It starts with a rereading of Liang Oichao’s famous manifesto of ‘Fiction Revolution’ and his science fiction The Future of New China (1902) which projects China in 2062. In many ways, the novel anticipated the literary and cultural politics of China in subsequent decades. The lecture calls attention to the resurgence of Chinese sciene fiction in the new millennium, ranging from utopia to dystopia, from extraterrestrial fantasy to futurist escapade, and argues that the dialectic of revolution Liang invoked in fictional terms remains as relevant to ‘the future of new China’ now as it was then.”
WHAT: “Setting the Record Straight: Preserving Social Security & Medicare,” Barbara Franklin, President, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans
WHEN: Friday, October 5 @ 12 noon
WHERE: University YMCA, 1001 S Wright St.
From the event announcement: “This lecture is part of the University YMCA’s fall series, Beyond the Rhetoric: Key Issues in the 2012 Elections. This semester’s free, public lectures will feature expert views on vital policy questions and shed light on local, state, and national races as they unfold. Lectures take place September 14–November 2, every Friday at 12 noon. All lectures are free and open to the public. Lunch available ($6.25/3.00 student).”
You live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Perhaps you were not aware of this fact, or were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities for possible enlightenment. If that’s the case, Smile Politely understands and is here to help. Here are several events going on in town this week. Check out one or more of them if you have time. Get your learn on, as they say, and join the cognoscenti. It’s free, you know. Plus, sometimes there’s free food, too!
If you have a community event, speaker, or film event that you’d like to see featured on Listen Up!, send the event information to joelgillespie [at] smilepolitely [dot] com by Friday the week prior to the event. Listen Up! runs on Mondays when classes are in session.