Published: Aug. 12, 2015

Award-winning Iranian writer Azar Nafisi will speak on听The Republic of Imagination: Humanities and the Future of Democracies听at the Best Should Teach Lecture from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at Macky Auditorium.

The talk is free of charge and open to the public. Tickets are required. (Reserve your ticket at ).

The name of the talk reflects the title of Nafisi鈥檚 newest book, The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books. Nafisi is a visiting professor and the executive director of Cultural Conversations at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University鈥檚 School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.

As a professor of aesthetics, culture听and literature, she teaches on the relationship between culture and politics.听She held a fellowship at Oxford University, conducting lectures on culture and the important roles of Western literature and culture in Iran. She has taught in higher education at several institutions in Iran 鈥 earning national respect for advocating for Iran鈥檚 youth and young women.听

In addition, Nafisi has written for听The New York Times,听Washington Post 补苍诲听The Wall Street Journal, and published听in听The New Republic.听She is the author of听Anti-Terra: A Critical Study of Vladimir Nabokov鈥檚 Novels,听Things I Have Been Silent 麻豆影院: Memories,听and published a children鈥檚 book听BiBi and the Green Voice.听Her听current project is entitled听Republic of the Imagination, which is about the power of literature to liberate minds and peoples.

The event is co-sponsored by the CU-麻豆影院 Graduate School, College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Teacher Program and the School of Education. The Best Should Teach Initiative celebrates excellence in teaching at the primary, secondary听and tertiary levels. It supports the preparation of college and university faculty, as well as public school teachers, in their disciplinary fields. Best Should Teach Gold and Silver Awards are presented at the event each year.听

Key details:

  • When: 7 to 8:30 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.
  • Where: Macky Auditorium, 285 University Ave., 麻豆影院
  • Tickets:听Required. Reserve your free ticket at听.
  • Getting to campus:听Because of the volume of students and parents on campus for move-in, traffic on听campus and in the听city is expected to be heavy. Alternative transportation such as听biking, walking,听taking the bus or carpooling is recommended. For schedules for the HOP/JUMP/SKIP and other bus routes, contact the 麻豆影院/Denver RTD at , 303-299-6000 or 800-366-7433.
  • Parking:听After 6 p.m. parking for this event will be provided in Lot 380, along Pleasant Street and along University and Grandview avenues, and in the lot behind the Armory building. Due to move-in, parking restrictions may still be in place in other campus lots.听ADA parking is available on Pleasant Street in front of Macky. (Find these parking locations at听).听
  • Other parking options: City of 麻豆影院 parking is available around 麻豆影院 High School and 17th Street and in the University Hill neighborhood.听
  • Books: Signed copies of听The Republic of Imagination听will be available for purchase both before and after the event.听

Contact:
Renie Dugwyler, Graduate Teacher Program, (M) 303-385-3160
lodu9385@colorado.edu
Merlyn Holmes, Graduate School, (O) 303-492-1825
merlyn.holmes@colorado.edu
Julie Poppen, CU-麻豆影院 media relations听(O) 303-492-4007 (M) 720-503-4922
julie.poppen@colorado.edu