Calendar of Events
Lectures, Readings, and Forums
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MondayDecember 2008 |
"Intermediate Excel": Ann Arbor District Library.
Dec. 1 & 2 . 2-part introduction to some of this popular worksheet program's complex features.
AADL Pittsfield Branch, 2359 Oak Valley Dr. between Scio Church Rd. and Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. Free. Preregistration required. 327-4555.
U-M Club of Ann Arbor.
Dec. 1, 8, 15, & 22. Weekly lunchtime talks by U-M coaches. Today: wrestling coach Joe McFarland.
Weber's Inn, 3050 Jackson Rd. $14 (members, $9.25; seniors, $8.75). 663-7420.
"Religion and the Subversive": U-M Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
Dec. 1 & 8. Talks by U-M faculty and grad students. Today: Jewish thought professor Elliot Ginsburg on "Time, Dreams, and Laughter: Snapshots of the Subversive in Jewish Mystical Tradition (and Its Aftershocks)."
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 764-0350.
"Between Subjects and Rulers: Political Practice in the Earliest Mesopotamian Cities": U-M Center for Near Eastern Studies.
Talk by University of Chicago Oriental Institute Museum director Geoff Emberling.
202 S. Thayer, room 2022. Free. 764-0314.
Honor Moore: U-M English Department/U-M Museum of Art.
Poetry reading by this acclaimed writer and New School creative writing professor. Moore's 2005 collection Red Shoes "begins with a tango and never loses the keyed-up, elegant, ritualized eroticism of the push and pull of that dangerous courtship dance," says a Booklist reviewer. "The abrupt turns, the dagger stares, the barely sustained restraint, all this is found in Moore's sexy, telegraphic, edgy, and rapt poetry." In conjunction with "Day With(out) Art," which memorializes the impact AIDS has had on artists and performers.
Michigan League Hussey Room. Free. 615-3710.
"Michigan Minutes": Ann Arbor District Library.
Premiere screening of this Michigan Television 7-part series of documentary shorts examining little-known events in Michigan history. Also, encore showing of WW II: Through the Lens of Duane Zemper, a recent Michigan Television documentary profile of Howell WW II veteran Zemper.
AADL meeting room (4th floor), 343 S. Fifth Ave. at William. Free. 327-4560.
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TuesdayDecember 2008 |
"Addicted to Beauty: Web-Based Chinese Danmei Fiction and the Recasting of Romance": U-M Center for Chinese Studies.
Grinnell College Chinese professor Jin Feng discusses this Chinese genre of homoerotic tales of idealized love between male figures mostly written by women for women's consumption. Free sandwiches, cookies, & coffee served.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 764-6308.
Brown Bag Lecture: U-M Institute for the Humanities.
Dec. 2 & 9. Talks by U-M and visiting scholars. Bring a bag lunch. Today: U-M French professor Katherine Ibbett discusses "Novel Feelings: Compassion and Toleration in Early Modern France."
202 S. Thayer, room 2022. Free. 936-3518.
"Telecommuting Tips, Thoughts, and Trends": Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce getDowntown Program Commute Lunch.
Talk by getDowntown director Nancy Shore, followed by discussion. Lunch provided (preregistration required).
Chamber of Commerce, 115 W. Huron. $10 (Chamber of Commerce & go!pass members, free). 214-0100.
"Beginning Computers": Ann Arbor District Library.
Dec. 2 & 3. Hands-on 2-part introduction to computers, with an emphasis on basic skills
. 1-3 p.m., AADL Malletts Creek Branch, 3090 E. Eisenhower (between Stone School & Packard). Free. Preregistration required. 327-4555.
"Gender and Piety: Practice and Belief in Medieval Jewish and Christian Communities in Northern Europe": U-M Frankel Center for Judaic Studies.
Talk by Bar-Ilan University Jewish history and gender studies professor Elisheva Baumgarten.
Frankel Center, 202 S. Thayer. Free. 763-9047.
"Luminous Trash: Throwaway Robots in 'Blade Runner,' the 'Terminators,' 'A.I.,' and 'WALL-E'": U-M College of Literature, Science, & the Arts.
Lecture by U-M English and women's studies professor Patricia Yaeger. Reception follows.
Rackham Amphitheater (4th floor). Free. 998-6251.
"The Autobiographer's Handbook: The 826 National Guide to Writing Your Memoir": Shaman Drum Bookshop.
Longtime 826 Valencia tutor Jennifer Traig discusses this collection she edited of essays by prominent memoir writers, including Nick Hornby, Maxine Hong Kingston, Frank McCourt, Sarah Vowell, and others. Signing. 826 Valencia is a San Francisco-based nonprofit (with a locally active chapter) dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their writing skills.
Shaman Drum, 315 S. State. Free. 662-7407.
"The Toledo War: The First Michigan-Ohio Rivalry of 1835": Nicola's Books.
Retired Ann Arbor News columnist Don Faber discusses his new book about land disputes between Michigan and Ohio before Michigan became a state. Signing.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
Health Sessions: Washtenaw Whole Foods Market.
Dec. 2, 9, & 10. Talks by Whole Foods staff and local health practitioners. Today: staffer Jill Brown on "Healthy Aging."
Whole Foods Cooking & Lifestyles Classroom, 3135 Washtenaw. Free. Preregistration requested. 975-4500.
"About Rudolf Steiner's Insights into Human Life": Rudolf Steiner Study Circle of Ann Arbor.
Last in a series of 7 biweekly lectures by U-M physics professor emeritus Ernst Katz. Tonight's topic: "The Anthroposophical Society and Its School of Spiritual Science."
Rudolf Steiner House, 1923 Geddes. Free. 485-3764.
"The Swift Path": Jewel Heart Buddhist Center.
Every Tues. through Dec. 16. Talks by Gehlek Rimpoche, an incarnate lama from Tibet who lives in Ann Arbor, or one of Gehlek's senior students.
Jewel Heart Center, 1129 Oak Valley Dr. (just south of Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.). $10 (students & seniors, $5). 994-3387.
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WednesdayDecember 2008 |
"With or Without Women's Movements? Democratization, Economic Transformation, and Women's Equality in Central Asia": U-M Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies.
Talk by University of Wyoming history professor Marianne Kamp.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 764-0351.
"The Rise of Phonocentrism in the Korean Language and Literature": U-M Center for Korean Studies.
Talk by Rutgers University Korean language and culture professor Youngmi Yu Cho.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 764-2252.
"How Should the New Administration Approach Trade with Latin America?": U-M Ford School of Public Policy.
Panel discussion with Peterson Institute for International Economics senior fellow Gary Hufbauer, former Costa Rica foreign trade minister Alberto Trejos, and U-M Business School economics and public policy professor Katherine Terrell.
Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium, 735 S. State at Hill. Free. 615-3893.
Works-in-Progress Series: Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room.
Featured writers read from their current work. Tonight: U-M art professor Stephanie Rowden 8|presents an audio essay from her time in Krakow. Also, readings by U-M Residential College creative writing students Meghann Rotary and Anna Prushnikaya.
Crazy Wisdom, 114 S. Main. Free. 665-2757.
"What Your Children Really Want for the Holidays: Presents vs. Presence": U-M Center for the Child and the Family.
Talk by local social worker Eileen Bond.
1465 East Hall, 530 Church. Free. Preregistration required. 764-9466.
"Living Without God: New Directions for Atheists, Agnostics, Secularists, and the Undecided": Shaman Drum Bookshop.
WSU history of ideas professor Ron Aronson discusses his new book.
Shaman Drum, 315 S. State. Free. 662-7407.
"Protecting a Free Press While Journalism Is in Turmoil": U-M Ford Presidential Library/National Press Club.
A panel of journalists TBA discusses the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the future of journalism.
Ford Library, 1000 Beal. Free. 205-0555.
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ThursdayDecember 2008 |
"Religion and Ethnicity in Other Cultures": U-M Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Dec. 4, 11, & 18. Last 3 in a series of 6 lectures by different U-M and guest scholars. Today: U-M anthropology professor Andrew Shryock discusses "The Arabs and Muslims of Greater Detroit: A Century in Transition."
Best Western Executive Conference Center, 2900 Jackson Rd. $45 (members, $30) for the 6-lecture series, $25 (members, $10) per lecture. Memberships are $15 a year. Preregistration required. 998-9351.
"Mizrahi Jews as Women? What Gender Studies Can Teach Us about Jews of the Middle East, North Africa, & Central Asia": U-M Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
Talk by Hebrew College (Boston) cultural anthropology professor Alanna Cooper.
2022 Thayer, 202 S. Thayer. Free. 764-0350.
"Alone in America": U-M School of Public Health.
Award-winning New York University sociology professor Eric Klinenberg discusses his forthcoming book about the increasing number of people living alone.
1655 SPH, 109 S. Observatory (use Washington Heights entrance). Free. 764-8094.
"My University.com, My Government.com: Is the Internet Really a Blessing for Democracy?": U-M Davis, Markert, Nickerson Lecture on Academic and Intellectual Freedom.
Talk by Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein. This illustrious annual lecture series honors 3 U-M faculty members who lost their jobs when they refused to testify before the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee in 1954.
U-M Law School Honigman Auditorium, 625 S. State. Free. 936-1841.
"Carbon Democracy": U-M Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies.
Talk by New York University politics professor Timothy Mitchell.
1014 Tisch Hall, 435 S. State. Free. 764-6305.
Wangechi Mutu: U-M School of Art and Design Penny Stamps Lecture Series.
Talk by this Kenya-born New York-based artist whose collages center on the female body. Her "morbid and seductive montages" illustrate a "precarious balance of effervescent surface and dire political connotation," says Contemporary Art Quarterly reviewer David Hatcher, who calls them "exquisite corpses for a globalized era."
Michigan Theater. Free. 647-2337.
Adam Zagajewski: U-M English Department.
See review. Reading by this widely acclaimed poet who came of age as one of the "New Wave" of anticommunist Polish poets born shortly after WW II. His poetry, which he calls "mysticism for beginners," is known for its entrancingly detailed surfaces and surprising associative leaps. Czeslaw Milosz has described Zagajewski's poetry as "a meditation on the flowing of time in which the historical and the metaphysical meet."
Rackham Amphitheater. Free. 615-3710.
"Food Insecurity: The Impact on African Women and Children": U-M Institute for Research on Women and Gender.
Talk by Rutgers University public policy professor Meredith Turshen.
4701 Haven Hall, 505 S. State St. Free. 764-9537.
"A Closer Walk": Alliance for World AIDS Relief and Education.
Screening of Robert Bilheimer's 2002 documentary about the AIDS epidemic. Followed by a discussion with U-M social work professor Larry Gant. This event is part of World AIDS Week (for a complete schedule of local events, see umich.edu/~aids).
Angell Hall Auditorium. Free. helpaware.org.
"Beyond Foreclosure: Facts, Steps, and Solutions": Ann Arbor District Library.
Representatives of the Housing Bureau for Seniors, Washtenaw County treasurer's office, MSU Extension, and EMU counseling clinic discuss resources available to Washtenaw County residents faced with impending or possible foreclosure.
AADL multipurpose room (lower level), 343 S. Fifth Ave. at William. Free. 327-4555.
"Bullets, Bombs, and Fast Talk: Twenty-Five Years of FBI War Stories": Shaman Drum Bookshop.
Former FBI Critical Incident Negotiation Team supervisory member James Botting reads from his new memoir. Signing.
Shaman Drum, 315 S. State. Free. 662-7407.
"The Taste of Home Cookbook": Waters Place Borders.
Taste of Home editor Catherine Cassidy discusses the 2nd edition of the magazine's cookbook featuring reader-submitted recipes. Signing.
Borders, 3140 Lohr Rd. Free. 997-8884.
"The Infinite Landscape: Master Photographers from the UMMA Collection": U-M Museum of Art Off/Site.
Dec. 4, 7, & 18. Docent-led tours of the current UMMA exhibit.
UMMA Off/Site, 1301 South University. Free. 763-UMMA.
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FridayDecember 2008 |
"Migrant Workers and HIV Risk in Thailand": U-M Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
Talk by School of Public Health lecturer Kathy Ford.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 764-0352.
"Never a Dull Moment! Curating at the Historic Henry Ford Estate": U-M Museum Studies.
Talk by Henry Ford Estate curator Susan McCabe.
7603 Haven Hall, 505 S. State St. Free. 936-6678.
"Violence and the Politics of Oil": U-M Center for the Study of Complex Systems.
Panel discussion with Columbia University Middle East and Asian languages and cultures professor Timothy Mitchell and U-M Middle East and South Asian history professor Juan Cole
. Noon-1 p.m., 1014 Tisch, 435 S. State. Free. 763-3301.
"Jashn-e-Azadi": U-M Center for South Asian Studies.
Screening of Sanjay Kak's 2007 Kashmiri documentary about tensions between Kashmir and India. Kashmiri, Urdu, & English; subtitles. Followed by a discussion.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 936-0996.
Food Sessions: Washtenaw Whole Foods Market.
Dec. 5, 8, & 12. Talks by Whole Foods staff. Today: Drew Willis and Matt Yost on "Top 10 Wine and Cheese Pairings."
Whole Foods Cooking & Lifestyles Classroom, 3135 Washtenaw. Free. Preregistration requested. 975-4500.
Mark Webster Reading Series: U-M English Department.
Readings by U-M creative writing instructors and grad students. Today: prose by Megan Tucker and poetry by Rasheeda Plenty.
Michigan League Hussey Room. Free. 615-3710.
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SaturdayDecember 2008 |
"The State of Local News": Gray Panthers of Huron Valley.
Talks by Ann Arbor Community TV Network program manager Lucy Visovatti and Ann Arbor Chronicle online daily newspaper publisher Mary Morgan. Discussion follows. Refreshments. Preceded at 9:45 a.m. by coffee & socializing.
U-M Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Rd. Free. 973-5593.
"Gadgets Galore: What's New, What's Old, What's Helpful": Kitchen Port.
Ann Arbor News food writer Marge Biancke is on hand to discuss kitchen gadgets.
Kitchen Port, 283 Zeeb Rd. Free. 665-9188.
"Kids Club Story Time and Activity": Cranbrook Whole Foods Market.
Michigan writer Sheila Pursglove reads The Mouse Ate the House, her new children's book about a mouse who makes his home in a gingerbread house under a Christmas tree. Also, an appearance by Merriweather Matthew Mouse. Signing. Followed by gingerbread cookie decorating.
Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., Cranbrook Village shopping center. Free. 997-7507.
Dinosaur Tours: U-M Exhibit Museum.
Every Sat. & Sun. 30-minute docent-led tour of the museum's dinosaur exhibits.
U-M Exhibit Museum, 1109 Geddes at North University. Free, but limited to the first 15 people to sign up for each tour. 764-0478.
"Lead by Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results": Barnes & Noble
. Local leadership consultant John Baldoni, named one of the "30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus" for 2007 by leadershipgurus.net, signs copies of his new book.
Barnes & Noble, 3235 Washtenaw. Free. 973-1618.
"Better Get It in Your Soul: What Liturgists Can Learn from Jazz": Shaman Drum Bookshop.
U-M Canterbury House chaplain Reid Hamilton and U-M music professor and Canterbury House music director Stephen Rush discuss their new book. Also, Rush's free-jazz ensemble Quartex performs examples of the kind of music discussed in the book. Signing.
Shaman Drum, 315 S. State. Free. 662-7407.
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SundayDecember 2008 |
Introductory Dharma Talk: Jewel Heart Buddhist Center.
Every Sun. except Dec. 28. Talks by Gehlek Rimpoche, an incarnate lama from Tibet who lives in Ann Arbor, or one of Gehlek's senior students. Today: Kathy Laritz discusses "The Life of Buddha."
Jewel Heart Buddhist Center, 1129 Oak Valley Dr. (just south of Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.). Free, but donations accepted. 994-3387.
First Presbyterian Church Adult Education.
Every Sun . except Dec. 28. Today: First Presbyterian children's education and family ministries director Deborah MacVey discusses "Children`s Books for Christmas." All invited.
First Presbyterian Church Lewis Room, 1432 Washtenaw. Free. 662-4466.
Tour: U-M Detroit Observatory.
Docent-guided tours, about 30 minutes long, of the photographs and artifacts in this restored 19th-century observatory museum. Also, a chance to pull the rope and rotate the telescope dome.
U-M Detroit Observatory, 1398 E. Ann at Observatory. $5 suggested donation (U-M students, free). 763-2230.
"Chess Strategies and Tips": Ann Arbor District Library.
Local chess experts Jennifer Skidmore and Ron Finegold offer some tips. Participants also play some chess to try out these new strategies.
3333 Traverwood at Huron Pkwy. Free. 327-4200.
"The Infinite Landscape: Master Photographers from the UMMA Collection": U-M Museum of Art Off/Site.
Dec. 4, 7, & 18. Docent-led tours of the current UMMA exhibit.
UMMA Off/Site, 1301 South University. Free. 763-UMMA.
"Why Is There Lemon in My Fruit Salad? How to Stay Sweet When Life Turns Sour": Barnes & Noble.
Local writer Pamela Gossiaux discusses her new self-help book. Signing.
Barnes & Noble, 3235 Washtenaw. Free. 973-1618.
