Dr John Voelker, PhD
Dr John Voelker, PhD teaches at the Institute of English Studies, Department of English Literatures and Cultures, at the University of Pécs’ Faculty of Humanities in Hungary, teaching literature and history, culture and linguistics, in British and North American contexts.
There are two prolific writers of late 20th Century North American literature whose works are not currently appreciated as they might deserve: The nationally acclaimed and treasured Canadian Man of Letters Robertson Davies, and the controversially mysterious East Coast American writer J.D. Salinger. One writer is an entirely public figure, drawing the world to himself; while the other was an example of an attempt at a hidden life, withdrawing from the world. But Robertson’s and Salinger’s works should be reappraised in the early 21st century. This lecture will attempt to present each author’s life and works for a brief reconsideration, comparison and reclamation for the reading public who function as the literary and cultural clerisy of our modern time. Part I: Canada’s Robertson Davies If the Canadian reading public is asked to name the most important novelist Canada has produced, they will not commonly say the name of Atwood, but instead the greatest number will say ‘Robertson Davies.’ Davies’ very full life’s callings involved playwright, critic, editor/journalist, educator and most of all novelist. With his academic career spanning decades at Trinity College and Massey College at the University of Toronto, he continued his writing career with his confessional autobiography genre of novels until his death in his 80s, maddeningly not finishing the last novel of his last trilogy series, though at least having left an extensive body of writing that serves any mature reader’s enthusiasms.
Wydarzenie można zaliczyć w ramach programu OSA:
- Opiekun: dr AnnaWyrwisz
- Liczba godzin OSA: 2 godziny
- Forma zaliczenia: sporządzenie krótkiej notatki w języku angielskim lub polskim (max. 500-600 znaków), dotyczącej tematyki poruszanej podczas wykładu i przesłanie jej dr Annie Wyrwisz do 27.03.2024. Notatki wysłane po tym terminie nie będą przyjmowane.
Wykład kierowany jest do studentów amerykanistyki, ale mogą w nim uczestniczyć wszyscy studenci IAiSP.