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Friends of the Heyman Center
The Friends of the Heyman Center, under the direction of James V. Mirollo, Parr Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature, is made up of people who help ensure the advancement and vitality of the Heyman Center for the Humanities. For more than twenty years, the Friends have contributed to the support of the myriad activities of the Center, including its superlative lecture series, which continues to be free and open to the public.
Friends of the Heyman Center Carl Hovde Colloquia Series
In Memory of Carl Hovde, Chair, 1999-2009
About
The Friends of the Heyman Center offers discussion courses led by Columbia's most renowned teachers and scholars to alumni and friends of the University who wish to continue organized education without the need for academic credit. These colloquia are planned as active discussions rather than lectures, and the faculty leaders are among the best teachers in the University. No papers or examinations are required. We charge only a small fraction of normal tuition, and after expenses these funds help both to improve our programs and maintain the building -- one of the most congenial on campus.
We offer two courses each term, typically one dealing with East/West topics, and another about some aspect of Western thought. Classes meet from 5:30-7:30 every other week for six sessions. This fall and spring the charge is $500 for one course and $800 for both -- and at this higher level, spouses are welcome without further charge. You would pay far more for courses carrying academic credit, and at the Heyman Center, you will be studying with Columbia's finest teachers.
The colloquia this fall and spring will be led by four outstanding teachers, most popular with those who often attend our courses. Books for both courses can be purchased at Book Culture (formerly Labyrinth Books), located on 112th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave, and can be reached by phone at 212-865-1588. These courses are not listed in the regular University Bulletin; if there is confusion, ask for the text-book department.
Fall 2011 Colloquia
"Nobelist Fiction: The Local and the Global"This colloquium will be led by James V. Mirollo, Harry Parr Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, Chair of the Friends of the Heyman Center, and Director of the Carl Hovde Colloquia. We will peruse a sampling of prose and poetry by Nobel laureates. These works are based in specific cultures but also deal with ideas and issues of universal interest, particularly the intersection of the political and the personal. The six texts and the poetry handouts chosen for this semester, though by different authors and in different styles, have in common a concern with African and Caribbean settings and themes. "Nobelist Fiction: The Local and the Global" syllabus and dates (pdf) | "Two Cultures: The Humanities versus The Sciences in the Search for Truth"Professor Peter Pazzaglini, Senior Scholar at the Heyman Center, will examine the critical relationship between the two cultures of the humanities and the sciences, especially within a 21st century university, in the search for knowledge. How do these two cultures approach methods and objects of knowing, ideas of progress and truth, ethics and value, and a deep understanding of human nature, self, and character? What role will technology and globalization play in developing fresh perspectives on diverse academic disciplines, both new and old, narrow and broad? Individually and collectively, these two cultures now face enormous global challenges of redressing economic disparity, setting educational priorities, and supporting environmental sustainability, justice and peace. Who will become the great synthesizers and public intellectuals of an emerging third culture, and who will help us to create new social contracts between the individual and the community? "Two Cultures: The Humanities versus The Sciences in the Search for Truth" syllabus and dates (pdf) |
Spring 2012 Colloquia
"Anton Chekhov and the Short Story"This colloquium will be led by Cathy Popkin, Jesse and George Siegel Professor in the Humanities, former Chair of both Literature Humanities and the Department of Slavic Languages, and editor of the forthcoming Norton Critical Edition of Anton Chekhov's Selected Stories. While Chekhov is best known in the west as a dramatist, it may be his stories that the Russians cherish above all. As boldly innovative as his plays, Chekhov’s stories virtually redefined the genre, sparking the development of what we now know as the modern short story; even today, more writers cite Chekhov as their principal influence and source of inspiration than any other author. Indeed, Chekhov’s stories make for remarkably enjoyable—even easy—reading. And yet things are not as simple as they seem, and interesting things emerge when you pay extremely close attention. Since the best possible understanding—and the greatest pleasure—comes of reading Chekhov’s stories both in detail and in plural, we will read a great many of them for a sense of the whole tapestry and how artfully each element illuminates the others, but we will focus closely on selected individual stories, not only for an appreciation of how they work, but for what they have to tell us about living deeply and well. "Anton Chekhov and the Short Story" syllabus and dates (pdf) Reading 1: "Elements Most Often Found in Novels, Short Stories, Etc." (pdf) | "Transatlantic Crossings"This colloquium, taught by Deidre David, Professor Emerita of English, Temple University, will place three pairs of British and American novels in dialogue with each other as a means of exploring connections between British and American literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some important issues for discussion will be thematic similarities (for example, the social and political importance of money, the position of women, ideas of social justice); differences in historical moment and setting; divergences from and resistance to the presence of transatlantic connections; and overlapping histories of transatlantic literature. |
Register
Additional support beyond our fees is very much appreciated and brings notices of the Lunchtime Lecture Series at the Heyman Center. All support beyond the course charge is fully tax-deductible. A gift of $25 or more also brings a subscription to the Columbia University Record.
Acceptance is on a first come, first served basis, and you will be notified of your registration status upon the Heyman Center's receipt of your registration form with payment. To register for one or both of this semester's colloquia, click the following link:
Registration Form (pdf)
Please contact Christina Dawkins at 212-854-4631 ced2154@columbia.edu with any questions.
For directions to the Heyman Center, please Click Here. Classes are held in the Common Room, one floor up from the entrance level.