News & Events

WORKSHOPS

Professor Richard Katula is is participating in workshop initiatives with the National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop for Community College Facultythis summer. Please read the summary about his initiative and visit the website (www.americanlyceum.neu.edu) for information.

THE AMERICAN LYCEUM AND PUBLIC CULTURE: THE ORATORY OF IDEALISM, OPPORTUNITY, AND ABOLITION IN THE 19TH CENTURY
May 17-23, 2009 or May 24-30, 2009

There was a time when America was an “oratorical culture,” a nation defined by the great speakers who graced the stages of America’s public speaking lecture circuits. At this Workshop, we return to one of the most successful of these circuits, The American Lyceum.
We visit Lyceum sites, hear some of the great orations presented at them, and discuss the way in which key issues of the day were addressed at Lyceum programs, especially “Idealism” and “Abolition.” The workshop will feature prominent historians, rhetoricians, and professional interpreters. It promises to be an unforgettable experience.

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PUBLICATIONS

Our esteemed faculty have recently published books, please see below for a detailed description and to learn more.

Faculty member Professor Alan Jay Zaremba has a new book entitled, The Madness of March.

Synopsis:
Every spring, the first four days of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament attracts a horde of basketball bettors to Las Vegas. From the tip-off of the tournament’s first game on Thursday morning to the final whistle on Sunday, throngs of bettors—overwhelmingly male—sit in smoky casinos obsessively watching as many as forty-eight college basketball games. This book immerses readers in that action. In The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas, Alan Jay Zaremba travels to The Strip and gives us a front-row view of the betting culture that surrounds the frenzied first weekend of the tournament.
Alternating between humorous accounts of gamblers’ exploits and cultural theories on sports in society, Zaremba provides an engaging analysis of the sporting ritual that such gambling has become. With forays into the history of the tournament, the background of sports betting, and a little betting of his own, Zaremba raises the question of whether this subculture of March Madness is a blessing or a curse—and what, finally, it all means.

Dr. Zaremba's book is available for purchase.

About the Author

Dr. Zaremba was on the WBUR Radio on March 7th, interviewed by Bill Littefield during his show, Only A Game.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Dr. Richard Katula recently published his book entitled, The Eloquence of Edward Evertt.

Synopsis:
Edward Everett was America's first Ph.D., first professor of Greek Studies at Harvard University (1821-1825), a United States Congressman from Massachusetts, Governor of Massachusetts, Ambassador to England, President of Harvard University, Secretary of State, United States Senator from Massachusetts, and Vice-Presidential candidate in 1860. During the course of this distinguished career, he was also considered to be America's greatest public speaker, a man about whom it was once said that, "no occasion was complete without the grace and finish of his classical eloquence."
Three of his orations remain a part of the American canon, and one, his illustrious address known as "The Character of Washington," was delivered 137 times across the nation from 1856-1860. The proceeds from this famous speech, $87,000, were donated by Mr. Everett to purchase George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, thus saving it as a national monument. This book, The Eloquence of Edward Everett, reviews the extraordinary life of one of America's greatest citizens, and, in the minds of most, its greatest orator. Historian Howard Coffin and Lincoln Forum Chair Frank Williams, have both hailed the book as "brilliant," and a contribution to our understanding of this important period of American history."

To learn about the author or place book orders, please see Dr. Katula's faculty page for contact information.