The 20th annual Humanities Open House

Would you like to know how linguists can teach computers to speak with a natural voice? Who some of the great female jazz musicians of the 20th century are? What it means to be a member of a global, human community, when a child born this year in Sierra Leone has a life expectancy only half that of a child born in the United States?

University of Chicago faculty members will do their best to answer these questions and others at the 20th annual Humanities Open House. This free, daylong exploration of contemporary scholarship in the humanities will present the public with opportunities to sample from more than 50 lectures, symposia, concerts, tours and hands-on demonstrations from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23.

The 1999 Open House will feature a keynote address in the form of a dialogue between Philosophy Professor Michael Green and Martha Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund Professor of Law, Philosophy and Divinity titled “Toward Global Justice: Personal and Institutional Responsibility in an Interlocking World.”

“We give lip service to the idea that respect for human dignity is a fundamental moral requirement,” said Nussbaum.“And yet, we daily allow human dignity to be violated by poverty, illiteracy, unequal liberty and other nation-based inequalities.” Nussbaum and Green will discuss the responsibilities that individuals and institutions in privileged communities have to the less privileged.

Presentation topics this year include broad considerations of the idea of human rights and a look at novel approaches to humanities scholarship, as well as perennial favorites such as discussions of the classics of Western literature.

“We’re pleased with the response to the two thematic clusters of presentations: human rights and the future of the humanities,” said Chris Perrius, the coordinator of the open house. “These presentations give the public coherent snapshots of particular issues in the humanities today along with our usual rich offering of sessions and also show how similar problems are tackled from different humanities approaches,” added Perrius.

Notable among the presentations this year, Linguistics Professor John Goldsmith––and his computer––will ask what it takes to make machines talk like human beings. Goldsmith will discuss some of the uses of linguistics in the development of voice software. Also, Deborah Gillaspie, Curator of the Chicago Jazz Archive, will present “Hell Divin’ Women: Chicks in Jazz,” a unique opportunity to learn about the Jazz Archive’s Women in Jazz project and hear recordings by some of the greats.

Visitors will have the chance to hear some of Chicago’s most vibrant cultural voices discuss their recent work. Writer Achy Obejas, whose novel Memory Mambo won a Lambda award, will read from her latest book. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran will talk about the creation of her opera, Between Two Worlds (The Dybbuk), which she based on S. Anski’s famous Yiddish play about possession and exorcism.

Open house participants also will have two special opportunities to explore the Odyssey, both presented in conjunction with the University of Chicago Basic Program’s Works of the Mind lecture series. First, James Redfield, Professor in Classical Languages and Literatures, will share his thoughts on the action of the poem’s second half. Second, playwright Mary Zimmerman, whose theatrical adaptation of Homer’s epic poem is considered to be one of the highlights of the 1999-2000 Chicago theater season, presents “Taking the Odyssey from Page to Stage.”

Participants will be able to choose one presentation in each of three sessions: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. The keynote address is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to noon in Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St.

Although the keynote does not require registration, participants must reserve their spots for all other events. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. in Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E. 59th St. Events will take place throughout the campus.

The Humanities Open House is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Humanities Open House Web site or call (773) 702-4847.