Our Center is about to begin its second full year of operation and I'm delighted to say that we are expanding our programming in all areas. This year ten Fellows, three Faculty, three Mellon Post-Doctoral, two Graduate, one Resident and one Visiting will occupy offices at the Center. Each Fellow will deliver a talk on aspects of his or her research in a seminar to be held on the third Tuesday of every month during the academic year.

I am happy to announce that the distinguished scholar Professor Susannah Heschel from Dartmouth College, a Carnegie Foundation Fellow, whose current research focuses on the history of Jewish scholarship on Islam, will continue her visit at the Center for the academic year 2009-2010. This fall our chosen theme is "The Humanities and the Body" and in October we will have a keynote lecture from Professor Elaine Scarry author of the seminal study The Body in Pain. In November we will host a panel on "The New Biology and the Self" featuring the psychologist Steven Pinker, anthropologist and M.D. Melvin Konner, and the historical epistemologist Noga Arikha.

In addition we are embarking upon several collaborations with other Departments and Centers both within and outside Tufts. This fall we shall team up with the Newhouse Center for the Humanities at Wellesley College, the Museum School, and the Aidekman Arts Center to present a panel "Framed: Contemporary Art and the Museum." In September the Fares Center at Tufts has invited us participate in and co-sponsor an evening with two writers, the London based Lebanese novelist Hanan al-Shaykh and Miriam Said. In the spring, along with the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, we will present a series of talks "The Good Life: Critical Perspectives from the Humanities on Active Citizenship." The first speaker will be the distinguished novelist and philosopher Rebecca Goldstein on "Spinoza and the Good Life."

Later in the semester will continue our Alumnae Lecture Series with a visit from Naif Al Mutawa (LA '94) who will be accompanied by Isaac Solotaroff for a screening and discussion of "Wham Bam Islam!" Mr. Solotaroff’s documentary about Mr.Al Mutawa's hugely successful line of comic books featuring Islamic super-heroes "The 99."

Our symposia are central to our breadth of purpose. We promote innovative, collaborative study in the humanities and arts, and encourage conversation and debate in an effort to reach beyond the borders of a given discipline. We look forward to seeing members of the Tufts community and beyond at all our scheduled events.

Visit our Events page for dates & more info >