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June 2013 Lecture Series

10:00 – 11:50 am
Katzen Arts Center Recital Hall
(Opposite Main Gate of American University on Massachusetts Ave.)

 
Tues., June 4 – Dr. Itzhak Brook
A Physician’s Perspective on Serious Illness
Dr. Brook, a physician at Georgetown University, was diagnosed with throat cancer seven years ago. For the first time he faced serious illness from the other side of the stethoscope, enduring radiation, repeated surgeries and prolonged hospitalizations. Dr. Brook will share his insights and perspectives about the medical, psychological and social effects of severe illness through the eyes of a physician turned patient. His experiences are described in his book, My Voice, A Physician’s Personal Experience with Throat Cancer.

Wed., June 5 - Coilin Owens
A Joycean Space Flight for Beginners
Coilin Owens, Professor Emeritus of English at George Mason University, asks that each of us read James Joyce’s short story, “After the Race,” and attend his lecture. An instant appreciation of the genius and profound impact of James Joyce will be acquired from even this short work as is summarized in Owens’ study: “Before Daybreak: ‘After the Race’ and the Origins of Joyce’s Art.” Owens takes the reader from the literal through to Joyce’s mind-bending universe of political and spiritual themes. This lecture is for those familiar with Joyce as well as those who are simply curious about his “buzz.”

Thurs., June 6 – Jonathan Band
Google Books and the Future of Libraries
In 2004, Google announced a bold plan to scan and index the books at some of America’s leading research libraries. Google soon found itself enmeshed in litigation and at the center of a complex and often unwieldy public policy debate. Jonathan Band, professor at Georgetown U. and specialist in intellectual property and the Internet, will provide an overview of this fascinating controversy from the initial project through the latest twists in the ongoing litigation. He advised the American Library Association on this matter.

Tues., June 11 – Erich Keel
The Bauhaus and the Weimar Republic: Artists and Architects in the Crosscurrents of Fascism and Communism
The most important school of design in the Twentieth century, Bauhaus was founded right after World War I in 1919. It was closed under pressure from the Nazi regime in 1933. The three directors walked a tightrope between the conservative and progressive trends in Germany at the time. Dr. Keel, Director of Education at the Kreeger Museum, will discuss this extraordinarily influential school and the political pressures under which it operated for a mere fourteen years.

Wed., June 12 – Raoul Drapeau
Homeland Defense-World War II Style
Engineer and technology historian Raoul Drapeau will describe the US military’s efforts to detect and blunt attempts at invasion or attack during World War II. Some were clever and effective, while others were ill-conceived, wasteful and even racist – just like today. Mr. Drapeau writes and lectures frequently on World War II history and makes extensive use of period photographs to illustrate his talks.

Thurs., June 13 – Sheila Bair
The Future of Global Financial Services
The Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from June 26, 2006 until July 8, 2011, Sheila Bair served a prominent role in the government’s response to the 2008 financial crisis. She is widely acknowledged as one of the first people to identify and accurately assess the subprime crisis. She became one of the key players in trying to repair the damage to our economy. Her 2012 book, Bull by the Horns: Fighting to Save Main Street from Wall Street and Wall Street from Itself, is described as a refreshingly honest account of that time and of the struggle for reform that continues to this day. That struggle is the topic of her talk.

Tues., June 18 – Mark Schneider
Are We Ready to Make ‘Never Again’ Really Mean ‘Never Again’?
Mark Schneider is currently Senior Vice President of the International Crisis Group, an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict. He has also worked as Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights in the State Department during the Carter Administration, as foreign policy advisor to Senator Ted Kennedy, as head of USAID for Latin America and the Caribbean, and as Director of the Peace Corps. He will discuss the international efforts to halt genocide and mass atrocities, as well as why many of these efforts fail.

Wed., June 19 – Mark Shields
American Politics – How We Got Here and Where We’re Going
One of the most widely recognized commentators in the United States, Mark Shields will give his personal observations of the political scene – some serious, some non-serious. He has been called “the wittiest political analyst around, and the most trenchant, fair-minded and thoughtful.” He has been panelist and commentator for the last 25 years on the PBS NewsHour and is also a regular panelist on Inside Washington. He worked on the last 12 presidential campaigns and at the Washington Post, beginning a column which is now syndicated weekly by Creators Syndicate. He has taught at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

Thurs, June 20 – Alan Morrison
The Same Sex Marriage Cases: the Similarities and the Differences
Alan Morrison, Associate Dean for Public Interest and Public Service Law at GWU Law School, has been actively involved in helping the challengers to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). He filed a brief in the Supreme Court pointing out DOMA’s ethical and tax implications. He has also served as an informal consultant to the lawyers who are suing to overturn Proposition 8. He recently moderated a program at GW discussing both cases that was covered on C-Span. This program can be seen at http://www.law.gwu.edu/News/
2012-2013Events/Pages/SameSexMarriageCases.aspx.

Special thanks to the coordinators of this lecture series: Mary Bullock, Ken Guenther, Nancy Heller, Linda Miller, Anne Morrison, Stan Newman, Carl Rappaport.

Please note that this series is three weeks in length instead of four because the OLLI Office is moving.