June 2006

“What Bugs Bunny Said to Red Riding Hood” (June 3-9)

“What Bugs Bunny Said to Red Riding Hood” is the provocative title of a poem by Tim Seibles’ (ODU) who says there should be more grown-up erotic poetry. In his latest collection, Buffalo Head Solos, Seibles writes about sex and race with a certain amount of comfort and familiarity in a culture that is not too comfortable with either topic.

Also: poet Daniel Pravda (NSU) spends a lot of time in brightly-lit diners and dimly-lit bars observing the patrons and incorporating their stories into his poetry.

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Re: Joyce (June 10-16)

James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses, follows its main character, Leopold Bloom around Dublin during the course of one day. Every June, fans around the world gather for “Bloomsday” to celebrate the works of Joyce. Jolanta Wawrzycka (RU) speaks about the life of Joyce, hiswritings,and her experiences attending “Bloomsday” celebrations.

Also: Irish author, poet and broadcaster Theo Dorgan discusses the joys and challenges of reading Ireland’s greatest literary son.

 

 

Mind Your Manners (June 17-23)

Dining etiquette seems to be a lost art, particularly among college students who tend to eat fast-food while studying or watching TV. But June graduates are in for a rude awakening when potential employers judge their table manners at dinner-time interviews. Don Rieley and Amy McPherson (VT) teach students how to handle themselves with grace when a job interview takes place over a meal.

Also: Suzanne de Janasz (UMW) says fewer employees are willing to sacrifice their family life for career advancement and smart companies are taking note to institute more family-friendly policies.

Jamestown and the African Experience (June 24-30)

When Jamestown was settled, Africa was neither an Eden-like paradise, nor a realm of savagery. Africans were highly sophisticated, with a huge range of diversity in their cultures and societies. History professor Joseph Miller (UVA) is joined by professors Jennifer Morgan (NYU/Rutgers) and Stephanie Smallwood (UC-San Diego) to explore the transatlantic slave trade, the trauma of being torn away from one's homeland and brought to Jamestown, and the surprising demographics of the enslaved population, many of whom were women and children.

 

This is the third of five WGR programs--produced with special support from the Rosenstiel Foundation--devoted to "New Perspectives on Jamestown " and leading up to 2007 and the 400th anniversary of the founding of the settlement.