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Lecture topics
Below are titles and synopses of a few destination-related lectures I can deliver in 45 minutes. All talks feature an accompanying slide show with illustrative quotations and images, including, for example, my own photographs of scenes and replicas from the Lewis & Clark expedition.
Lecture topics
Below are some of the lectures I can deliver in 45 minutes. All talks feature an accompanying slide show with illustrative quotations and images, including, for example, my own photographs of scenes and replicas from the Lewis & Clark expedition.
"Franklin in France: Diplomat, Celebrity, and Flirt"
Benjamin Franklin made his name in Philadelphia, but he did some of his more important (and fascinating) work in France. After arriving and taking the country by storm as a rock-star-level celebrity in 1776, he supported vital support for the American Revolution while winning friends and losing secrets.
"America's Writers: Works, Quirks, and Jerks"
In this lighthearted lecture, we will “read behind the lines” of some of America’s greatest writing to discover the sometimes amusing, often inspiring, and always fascinating stories that accompany American writers and their works. Meet Emily Dickinson, whose idiosyncratic, enigmatic poems would have to wait decades before finding an audience. Eavesdrop on the witty (and sometimes savage) conversations of Dorothy Parker, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Learn what inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to write her powerful novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, how Truman Capote distilled years of research into the gripping “nonfiction novel” "In Cold Blood," and how the eccentric savant Thomas Wolfe magically churned out piles of prose in a single sitting (or standing). In the end, you will come away with a richer understanding of not only the writers, but also their works and the art of writing.
"Welcome to the Jungle"
Join Mark Canada and historian Chris Young for a Moving Experience: "Welcome to the Jungle: Upton Sinclair, Turn-of-the-Century Chicago, and Investigative Fiction."
"Literature and the Sea"
Even for those of us who never rode the waves on a whaler or, in the case of Stephen Crane and Ernest Hemingway, a tiny open boat, the sea is a mystical place of both perils and possibilities. Join me as we “see the sea” through the eyes of some of our greatest writers, including Homer, Herman Melville, and--surprise!--Edgar Allan Poe. (This lecture features performances of lively sea poems such as "Sir Patrick Spens" and "The Jumblies.")
"Puzzling Poe"
Edgar Allan Poe was the author of some of the world’s best-known poems and tales: “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and others. He invented the detective story and was a pioneer of science fiction. He was one of the greatest literary critics of the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, his life was one of poverty, misery, neglect, and self-sabotage. In this lecture, Mark Canada, author of the Audible Original Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror, will discuss Poe’s literature, life, and legacy.
"The Literary Mediterranean"
The Mediterranean region was the site of Rome, Athens, Constantinople, and countless events—some historical, some fictional, some mythical—all memorable. In this series of lectures, we will immerse ourselves in the magical Mediterranean through its literature, from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to the poetry of the British Romantics to the satire of Mark Twain.
"Lewis and Clark: Corps of Discovery, Diplomacy, Science, and Survival"
One of the most fascinating and inspiring episodes in all of American history, the story of Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, and the entire Corps of Discovery is one that every American should know. In this lecture, we will trace the route of Lewis and Clark's extraordinary journey all the way to the Pacific Ocean and back, taking in many fascinating and inspiring adventures, including the grueling trip up the Missouri River, the freezing winter encampment in North Dakota, an 18-mile portage around the falls of the western Missouri River, and the harrowing traverse of the Bitterroot Mountains.
"Americans in Paris"
Long before George Gershwin wrote his famous musical, Americans were traveling to – and often living in – Paris. in this lecture, we will take a look at several of the luminaries who shone most brightly in the city of lights, beginning with Benjamin Franklin, who starred as a celebrity and diplomat there in the 18th century. we also will follow Ernest Hemingway through the streets and into the cafés, explore his relationships with F. Scott Fitzgerald and other writers, add enjoy glimpses of other artists, including the writers, Richard Wright and James Baldwin, and the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
"English: The Language That Conquered the World"
How did a mongrel language that grew up on a small island grow up to be the most widely spoken language in the world? Explore the modest origins of the English language and follow it through the Norman Conquest, its literary life with Shakespeare and the King James Bible, and its travels in America, Australia, India, and more.
"Frederick Douglass: Author, Abolitionist, Activist"
The United States has come a long way since Frederick Douglass escaped slavery, wrote his story, and became a leading abolitionist—but recent tragedies and rhetoric show there is still much work to be done. What can we learn from Douglass? In this lecture, we will explore the life and work of one of America’s greatest voices for freedom, equality, and education, not only for African-Americans, but also for others facing oppression in the nineteenth century. We will see some of the trials and triumphs of his life as a slave, sample some brilliant and moving passages from his slave narrative, explore his work as a newspaper editor and activist, and consider takeaways that we can use to make a better, more inclusive America in our own day.
"Write Your Life with Benjamin Franklin: A Seminar in Memoir Writing"
All of us have stories to tell, but where does the aspiring memoirist start (and stop)? In this seminar, we will study Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, a classic of the genre, and practice adopting or adapting his methods to write our own life stories.