Two authors will give Hatfield Lectures
The libraries will host virtual lectures this spring by distinguished authors Tressie McMillan Cottom and Robert Macfarlane as part of the John L. Hatfield ‘67 Lecture series. McMillan Cottom’s talk on March 23 at 7 p.m. will be co-sponsored by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program in honor of the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Lafayette. Macfarlane will speak on April 28 at 4:30 p.m. about his acclaimed book Underland, an event postponed from March 2020. More details on both events will be forthcoming.
McMillan Cottom is an award-winning author, researcher, educator, and cultural critic and has been recognized nationally and internationally for the urgency and depth of her incisive critical analysis of technology, higher education, class, race, and gender. In 2019, Cottom released Thick: and Other Essays, a collection described as “essential,” and Chicago Tribune calls Cottom “the author you need to read now.” In addition to her writing and educating, she also co-hosts Hear to Slay with Roxane Gay, a podcast with an intersectional perspective on celebrity, culture, politics, art, life, love, and more. Her talk will be co-sponsored by the libraries, WGSS, and the DEI Council as part of the celebrations honoring the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Lafayette.
Macfarlane is a fellow at Cambridge University and one of the preeminent nature writers of our time, known for his searching explorations of the connections between landscape and human life in books such as The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, The Wild Places, and Landmarks. Macfarlane will discuss his widely praised book Underland, an exploration of the landscapes beneath the surface of the earth, “a journey into the worlds beneath our feet and a deep-time voyage into the planet’s past and future.” Underland was featured on several “best of 2019” lists including the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year, NPR’s Favorite Books of 2019, and the Guardian’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
Links and registration information for both Hatfield lectures will be available in the spring. Questions? Contact Sara Gatti.