Category: Humanities

  • The Making of Timbuktu with Abderrahmane Sissako

    In this Carsey-Wolf Center Global presentation, acclaimed co-writer/director Abderrahmane Sissako discusses his film “Timbuktu” with moderators Richard Watts and Peter Bloom. “Timbuktu” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and in 2016 was voted as one of the top 50 films of the 21st century. Sissako details the development of the […]

  • Up with Uptalking? How Language Marks Shifts in Generations

    “Recognize that nothing is new, everything is changing, and that we need to wake up to a new form of English that we ourselves may not share but that can be as creative, as poetic and as imaginative as any that we’ve had in our lifetime.” Seth Lerer, Distinguished Professor of Literature and Dean Emeritus […]

  • The Harrowing Journey of Jews Across the European Landscape

    When we think of the Holocaust, images of the horrific suffering of millions of people come to mind. For British historian Tim Cole, the physical environment that the victims of the Holocaust encountered is a complex story of death and survival. Cole says that for many Westerners, images of the genocide come from the liberation […]

  • Bringing Dinosaurs to Life: How a Best-Selling Novel Became a Major Motion Picture

    Screenwriter David Koepp had only six motion picture screenplay credits to his name when he was tapped to help best-selling author Michael Crichton adapt one of his novels for the silver screen. Even as a novel, “Jurassic Park” was ahead of its time – using futuristic DNA cloning techniques to return dinosaurs to the planet […]

  • Artificial Intelligence with Kate Crawford 

    The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the capture of digital material for machine learning production. Kate Crawford, author of “Atlas AI: Power, Politics and Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence,” is a leading international scholar of the social and political implications of artificial intelligence. In two new programs, Crawford explores the ways training […]

  • Finding Grace with Author Nadia Bolz-Weber

    Conventional is not a word that comes to mind when you meet Nadia Bolz-Weber. The tattooed, ordained Lutheran pastor is an author and founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver. The journey to her calling as a minister was a winding path from youthful rebellion and substance abuse to compassion for those […]

  • Civil Rights Activist and Author Cornel West

    Enjoy two new programs featuring Cornel West – social justice advocate, best-selling author, renowned university professor, and one of the nation’s most iconic Black intellectuals. He is Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary and has written 20 books and edited 13. He’s best known for his classics, “Race Matters and Democracy Matters,” and for […]

  • NYT Columnist David Brooks Reveals What Motivates Him

    David Brooks is best known for his op-ed columns in The New York Times. But he’s also an accomplished author and observer of social behavior. His books include “Bobos in Paradise,” “The Social Animal,” “The Road to Character,” and his latest book “The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life.” In this candid and […]

  • Go Behind-the-Scenes of Long-awaited Film, Dune

    It was the most anticipated science fiction movie in recent years. Fans around the world eagerly awaited the release of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune which has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. With a creative process that spanned nearly five years, Dune did not disappoint!  In this episode […]

  • Building Linguistic Knowledge: What You Can Pick Up Just by Listening

    What does it mean to know a language? Knowing a language is a continuum. On one end, there’s explicit knowledge – knowing what words and phrases mean and using the language to communicate and talk to one another. On the other end, there’s implicit knowledge, which is typically where children begin and involves understanding what […]