Hall Center for the Humanities announces speaker lineup for spring 2025

LAWRENCE — The Hall Center for the Humanities has announced its featured speaking events for the spring 2025 semester.

"These talks invite us to grapple with a dynamic range of subjects, from the complexities of setting personal boundaries to the mysteries of space-time and black holes," said Giselle Anatol, director of the Hall Center for the Humanities. "Just like the humanities themselves, they provide insights that empower us while also pushing us to think more deeply." 

Author and psychologist Lisa Damour is the first speaker in the series. Her talk Feb. 12 debunks common myths about women's communication and shares evidence-based strategies for expressing ideas, managing conflict and setting boundaries while maintaining healthy relationships. Damour is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: "Untangled," "Under Pressure" and "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers." She co-hosts the “Ask Lisa” podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association.

All of the Hall Center events listed below are free and open to the public.

Upcoming featured speakers

Lisa Damour: "Gender and the Speech Police"

7 p.m. Feb. 12
Lied Center Pavilion (also available online via Crowdcast)

Erik Scott: "Defectors: How the Illicit Flight of Soviet Citizens Built the Borders of the Cold War World"

6 p.m. Feb. 25
Lawrence Public Library Auditorium
The KU history professor's talk, based on his book "Defectors," examines how Cold War defectors reshaped geopolitics, migration and asylum policies, highlighting the human dimensions of global power struggles and their relevance to modern debates on migration and sovereignty. This talk is part of Meet KU's Authors, an ongoing partnership with the Lawrence Public Library, providing audiences with an opportunity to hear researchers associated with KU discuss their work. 

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: "Journey to the Edge of Space-Time"

7 p.m. March 10
Hall Center Conference Hall (and online via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein will explore the nature of space-time, from quantum radiation to black holes, while reflecting on humanity's quest to understand the universe and her unique perspective as a trailblazer in science. This talk is co-sponsored by the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

Peter Hessler: "Other Rivers: A Chinese Education"

7 p.m. April 1
Hall Center Conference Hall (and online via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Described as a writer who gets “closer to the 'real' China than any foreigner,” journalist Peter Hessler will discuss how two decades of evolution in China's education system reveal deeper societal and cultural shifts. Hessler first arrived in China in 1996 as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English at a teacher's college in Fuling. He returned in 2019 to teach at Sichuan University in Chengdu, documenting his experiences in his book. 

Alicia Elliott: "A Mind Spread Out on the Ground"

7 p.m. April 17
Haskell Auditorium (and online via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Mohawk writer Alicia Elliott will explore intergenerational trauma, colonization and the lived experience of Indigenous women, drawing from her bestselling memoir, "A Mind Spread Out on the Ground," to offer powerful insights on resilience, identity and systemic change. This event is part of the revitalized partnership between KU and Haskell Indian Nations University, providing students on both campuses enhanced learning opportunities through collaborative programming.

Maya Gurantz: "Art and American Demonologies in the Age of Trump"

7 p.m. May 7
Hall Center Conference Hall (and online via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Maya Gurantz's talk explores how American democracy has historically used symbolic "demons" to justify political repression, arguing that counter-subversive moments of authoritarianism and backlash are central to its narrative. Gurantz, an interdisciplinary artist known for incorporating audience participation in her performances, serves as the Hall Center's Simons Public Humanities Fellow this year."

For further information about these talks and other Hall Center programming, subscribe to Hall Center social media channels and visit its website.