Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Leif Anderson
A Legacy of Wings
Leif has always danced, inspired to free expression by her artist father, Walter, and encouraged to serious study by her writer mother, Agnes. She studied ballet with Lelia Haller in New Orleans and became a member of her company, The Crescent City Ballet. She also danced with the New Orleans Opera and with the New Orleans Symphony. Later, she studied Spanish dance and appeared with Ole’ Flamenco Ole’. In 1965, Leif’s discovery of Isadora Duncan, an early pioneer in modern dance,  led to her lifelong exploration of nature as inspiration and guide, and to the formation of Airth, her own technique and philosophy. Returning to her hometown of Ocean Springs in 1983, she continued teaching and performing Airth, publishing her first book, Dancing Through Airth, in 1986. Dancing with My Father was published by the University Press of Mississippi in 2005. Along the way, other forms of expression evolved out of her firm grounding in dance and the practice of Airth:  writing, drawing, sculpture, painting, and music.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 (BONUS PROGRAM FOR SEASON SUBSCRIBERS)
Clyde Edgerton
The Bible Salesman
Noted author and humorist Clyde Edgerton will present a musical interpretation of his latest novel, The Bible Salesman, narrating and performing most of the character parts himself. Musician Mike Craver will appear with Edgerton. The duo will present songs and commentary that reveal the hilarious, and sometimes scary, adventures of a bible salesman who needs a ride and a car thief who needs an assistant. Edgerton was co-director of the Eudora Welty Chair of Southern Studies at Millsaps in 1995 and is currently professor of creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. A rare film of Eudora Welty reading “Why I Live at the P.O.” will also be shown. Edgerton attributes his interest in writing to a public television program featuring Welty reading this story. The concert is sponsored by the Eudora Welty Foundation as part of the year-long Welty Centennial celebration.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
J. Fred Knobloch
If “It Feels Like Mississippi” It Must Be Fred Knobloch
Jackson’s own Fred Knobloch tells his story in words and music, from growing up in Jackson and garage bands of the 60s and early 70s, to going pro and touring and a #1 Billboard hit in 1980. He’ll talk about living in LA in the early 80s and in Nashville ever since and the differences in the music business in those two cities. He’ll have many experiences and songs to share from his other recordings since then, the artists with whom he has worked, and the others who have “covered” his songs. As a successful songwriter of “It Feels Like Mississippi” and many other songs, Fred will give an update on copyrighting issues and technology changes that challenge the music industry today.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Andrew Chaikin
“The Incredible Adventure of Space Exploration”
Science journalist, author and speaker Andrew Chaikin is an internationally renowned authority on space exploration. His books include the best-selling chronicle of the Apollo moon missions, A Man on the Moon, the main basis for Tom Hanks’ Emmy-winning HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon. He brings the excitement of space exploration to schools, corporate events, and public events. His mission is …”to inspire and educate about the wonders of the universe and the incredible adventure of space exploration.”   His newest book, Voices from the Moon, captures the magnificence of the Apollo program like no other book. Paired with never-before published quotes from 23 of the 24 Apollo lunar astronauts are 160 images taken from NASA’s new high-resolution scans of the photos the astronauts took during the missions.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
Paul Canonici
Discovering My Roots…In Italy and In the Mississippi Delta
Paul Canonici, retired Catholic priest and educator, artist, writer and world traveler, set upon a journey to discover his roots. In doing so, he visits Italy often and speaks from firsthand knowledge about Italian society and cultures as well as of the Italians of the Mid-South region of the nation. He is the author of The Delta Italians:  Their Pursuit of “The Better Life” and Their Struggle against Mosquitos, Floods and Prejudice; So Italian: Traditional Recipes with My Art and Travel Notes; and Pictures and Profiles of Delta Italians. He encourages those interested in genealogy and in Italian culture in Europe and America to attend this lecture and to start their own journey to find their roots.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Connie Gibbons
The BB King Museum and Delta Interpretative Center
Born in Indianola, Mississippi, B.B. King is a worldwide blues ambassador and one of the most accomplished musicians of our time. Connie Gibbons, executive director of the BB King Museum, will present a program on the man, his music, and the Mississippi Delta which inspired him, all brought to life through archival film footage and sound clips. This event includes a live performance by blues musician Jerry Fair, who will showcase BB’s signature sound.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Peter and Kathleen Van De Graaff
The Life and Love of Robert and Clara Schumann
Robert and Clara’s music comes alive as the Van De Graaffs sing some of their greatest songs and duets and share the stories of their lives in a newly written dramatization. The courtship of Robert and Clara Schumann is one of the most poignant love stories in human history. The Van De Graaffs tell the amazing,  heart-warming and tragic  story of their life and love together. Enjoy this unique and moving musical experience with two of the 19th century’s greatest musicians and one of the most powerful love stories ever told!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Kathryn Stockett
The Story of 'The Help'
Jackson native Kathryn Stockett is the author of The New York Times bestselling novel The Help. Set in 1960s Jackson, The Help illuminatesthe complex relationships that existed for generations between white women and their black maids. Writing in the distinctive voices of three characters—two black, one white—Ms. Stockett tells a story of friendship that crosses the lines of race, class and age, against the backdrop of the Civil Rights era. Ms. Stockett will discuss the personal inspiration behind the book, its beloved characters, the process of writing, and much more. Todd Sanders, an architectural historian from Jackson, will show photographs and share his expertise about homes in Jackson during the ‘60s.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
James Martin and Friends present
The American Songbook, An Evening of Cabaret
Millsaps instructor and internationally acclaimed baritone James Martin presents music from the American Songbook in a cabaret style evening. Assisted by faculty friends Lynn Raley at the piano, Eric Griffin on drums and Michael Reinhard on guitar, this evening promises fun and familiar favorites of Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Kurt Weill, Fats Waller, Hoagy Carmichael, and the Gershwins alongside new, contemporary standards from Broadway and the hit parade.

Download Arts & Lecture Series 2009 print brochure (PDF)

For more information:

Millsaps Arts and Lecture Series
Continuing Education Office
Jackson, MS 39210-0001
Phone: 601-974-1130