October
“Fires:” Behind the Scenes of the Painting Exhibition of a Burmese-American Family
John Chaimov, Associate Professor of World Languages and Cultures
October 1
In colorful paintings, local artist Saw Naing Lin documents his family’s life before and after they became refugees from Burma. From idyllic scenes of the artist’s boyhood pet water buffalo to the cave his family hid in when soldiers attacked his village, the artist’s beautiful paintings depict and honor a story of community, dislocation and perseverance. The paintings have been featured in the "Fires" exhibition shown around the Midwest. In this one-week forum, Associate Professor of World Languages and Cultures John Chaimov will introduce audiences to Saw Naing Lin’s life and work as well as the broader context surrounding the experiences of the 200,000 Burmese who have found refuge in the U.S. in recent decades. From Chaimov and Lin’s family’s initial meeting in a Thai refugee camp to their enduring ties to the Coe community, this forum will trace the inspiring story documented in Lin’s paintings. The presentation will begin by sketching the contemporary history of Burma/Myanmar and the rise of a military dictatorship that made the lives of ethnic minorities like Saw Naing Lin increasingly intolerable. Next, the audience will be guided through the paintings, which depict a lost world of peace and plenty. A display of several actual works will accompany the broader presentation about the entire exhibition. The process of creating and sharing the exhibition will also be discussed, along with how American and Burmese visitors have responded to it. Throughout, the forum will highlight how both art and America have served as refuges of hope and understanding.
Amman and Beirut: A Century of Urban Change
Julie Fairbanks, Professor of Anthropology
October 8
In this one-week forum, Professor of Anthropology Julie Fairbanks will trace the history of change in the Middle Eastern cities of Amman and Beirut. The session will use the built landscape of each locale as the basis for examining Jordanian and Lebanese societies. Amman, the capital of Jordan, and Beirut, the Lebanese capital, offer two vantage points onto the making and remaking of urban landscapes in the Middle East over the course of the 20th century. Both cities bear signs of colonial influence and both include neighborhoods that originated as refugee camps for people displaced in the events that followed the 1948 creation of the state of Israel. The two cities are also home to luxury residential and commercial buildings, showpieces of modern architectural design. At the same time, the trajectories of the two capitals have diverged. While Amman gradually expanded outward from its historic downtown, Beirut witnessed a dramatic re-creation following the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1981) and additional destruction and reconstruction in subsequent years. As a whole, this forum will consider the role of place and architecture in holding memory, constructing identity and simultaneously negotiating past and present.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Melissa Sodeman, Professor of English
October 22, 29, November 5
In an Italian villa on a cold, rainy summer night in 1816, three writers sat near a blazing fire and challenged each other to write ghost stories. Only one followed through, but her book became one of our culture’s most powerful myths. This three-week forum presented by Professor of English Melissa Sodeman will introduce audiences to that inspired author, Mary Godwin Shelley, and her famous novel Frankenstein (1818). It will examine Shelley’s life, literary influences and legacy. In week one, we will introduce the novel, tracing its plot, themes and characters and exploring its literary and historical contexts. What possessed 18-year-old Shelley to write such a strange and haunting tale? Where did her inspiration come from and how did readers initially respond to the novel she called “my hideous progeny”? How did the novel find an enduring place in popular culture and the literary canon? Week two will focus on Shelley’s early life. We will learn about the literary accomplishments and scandalous lives of her parents, William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. We will consider her personal and literary relationship with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and other influences on her work like her time in Italy and acquaintance with Lord Byron. The final session will follow the Shelleys through Percy’s death and Mary’s continued work as a writer and guardian of her husband’s literary reputation. It will conclude by examining how Frankenstein has captivated audiences for more than two centuries. We will learn about its 19th century stage adaptations; the famous 1931 film adaptation that gave rise to modern conceptions of Frankenstein as the monster, not his creator; and recent adaptations like Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film. Throughout, the series will allow us to think about why Mary Shelley’s novel continues to resonate so long after its initial publication.