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The University of Kansas is pleased to announce an international symposium on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Langston Hughes, poet, playwright, novelist, and social critic.
"Let America be America Again: An International Symposium on the Art, Life & Legacy of Langston Hughes" will bring together academicians, community residents, and literary and performing artists in the spirit of Langston Hughes, who served as the quintessential human bridge joining multiple communities throughout his lifetime.
Keeping in mind that the symposium takes place on the occasion of the 100th year of Hughes' birth, the celebration should reflect the art that was his life as represented in literature and popular culture. To this end, the conference is organized as
- a critical dialogue among scholars, teachers, and students;
- a performative dialogue among artists and writers; and
- an intergenerational, international and multi-ethnic celebration for one of America's most beloved artists, who conquered the world with his humor and "word performances."
The conference will combine a symposium format with major public events, many of which will be open to public participation. In this way, we will be better able to observe, analyze, and experience the ways in which Hughes's continuing influence has been made manifest in American culture and throughout the world. Symposium presenters will include scholars from the United States, Germany, England, Italy, Japan, France, Sengal, and Russia and will feature poets and writers from three generations whose lives were touched by Langston Hughes. Participants will include: Emily Bernard, Thomas Cripps, Dolan Hubbard, Paule Marshall, Kevin Powell, Arnold Rampersad, Ishmael Reed, and Hazel Rowley.
The Conference will be held in historic Lawrence, Kansas, the city Hughes called home from 1902-1915. Program events will take place on the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University campuses, at the Lied Performing Arts Center, and at the Kansas City Jazz Museum (Kansas City).
To see the complete program or to register online, please visit the web site below. Call for more information.
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