Illinois Central College’s “Between the Lines” Lecture Series Announces Spring Schedule
Illinois Central College’s “Between
the Lines” program is a free, open-to-the-public lecture series presented by
faculty members of the ICC English, Humanities and Language Studies Department.
The goal of the series is to offer literary presentations that interest
students and people in the community, as well as promote reading literacy and
scholarly study.
The spring topics include 1) the
enjoyment surrounding biographies, 2) the Norse gods in current American pop
culture and 3) the fascination with true crime and its revival in the past few
years.
On Wednesday, February 5, Paul Resnick
will present “The Joy of Biography” in Room 210A on the East Peoria Campus from
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. We love to read about people. What makes them tick? How did
they survive the good times and the bad? Who surrounded them? How did they
advance or delay the human race? Attendees will discuss the joys of reading
biographies and the lessons we learn. Please feel free to bring a favorite
biography you’ve read or plan to read.
On Tuesday, March 10, Melissa Grunow
will present “True Crime Fandom: Ethical Justice or Grotesque Entertainment?” in
Arbor Auditorium on the Peoria Campus from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. True crime has
experienced a revival in the past five years with so many popular podcasts and Netflix
docuseries. Although humankind’s fascination with crime can be traced back to
cave paintings 30,000 years ago, the latest surge in old murder cases,
kidnapped children and felonious celebrities has become an all-consuming
pastime. It gives pause to wonder if the popularity of true crime is somehow
perverse and harmful to victims whose trauma is our entertainment. On the other
hand, true crime fixation provides a platform for a national conversation about
key social justice issues and serves as a catalyst for change. Those attending
will learn the socio-historical evolution of true crime fascination, the
psychological appeal of gruesome violence and ethical conundrums associated
with the genre.
On Thursday, April 16, Jim Sullivan
will present “Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman” in Room 210A on the East Peoria
Campus from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. This lecture will dive in to why so many people
love tales about the Norse gods. Thor, Odin, and Loki inhabit not just the
legends of the frozen North, but also current American pop culture. Neil
Gaiman’s recent book retells some of those legends for a twenty-first century
audience who can’t get enough of this barbaric content.
For
more information, please contact Jim Sullivan at betweenthelines@icc.edu or
(309) 694-5357.
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