Archived Discussions

Julia Scheeres

Julia Scheeres Webcast
September 25 · Sperry 105 · 7:30 p.m.

Author of the acclaimed memoir Jesus Land, Scheeres chronicles the disparate upbringing of her and her adopted African-American brother, David. Raised in a mid-west fundamentalist Christian family, Scheeres describes her book as a “survivor’s tale” and critics have praised it as a “brilliant, sorrow-filled, race-tangled memoir”.

Earl Shorris

“How to Make the Poor Dangerous" Webcast
October 16 · Sperry 105 · 7:30 p.m.

Pioneering educator, activist, and author, Shorris has earned praise for his work teaching the humanities to the world’s poor and disenfranchised people. His Clemente courses, described in his book, Riches for the Poor, has inspired communities across the globe (including a new program in Darfur) to use the humanities to transform lives. When he committed to visiting Cortland, Shorris asked if we might establish a Clemente course in our community.

Kwame Anthony Appiah

"Cosmopolitanism:  Ethics in a World of Strangers"
No Webcast Available
February 4 · Brown Auditorium Old Main · 7:30 p.m.

One of our most persuasive and prolific public intellectuals, Appiah's distinguished career ranges across academic disciplines and engages gripping contemporary issues. His recent work (and the topic of his talk at Cortland), the prize-winning Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Stranger, explores the meaning of identity and ethics. Currently the Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy at Princeton, Appiah's work in African and African-American studies has been praised as path-breaking and insightful.