Officials with University of New England’s Center for Global Humanities have announced speakers for the 2012-13 year, its fourth year of programming. The Center is a public forum designed to introduce students and members of the public to the exploration of the great issues facing humanity today — in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council, and also through an agreement with Euro-Arab Foundation Institute.
Cary Library will host the streamed lecture and discussion from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. The library will offer pre- and post-lecture discussion, focusing on two articles: Miss Braddon, “The Good Lady Ducayne,” The Strand Magazine (January 1896) and selections from John Paul Riquelme’s edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula [1897] (Bedford/ St. Martin’s Press, 2002).
This lecture will focus on the medical and cultural history of transfusion before the 20th century, from the ill-fated experiments of the late 17th century to the re-introduction of the practice in 19th century England. The early stories of transfusion include first-person accounts of medical/surgical experiments, medical case histories, and lectures delivered to medical students; as well as works of popular literature, such as satires and tales of sensation and horror.
The facilitator will be Kathy Olmstead, editor and publisher of “Echoes,” a quarterly magazine about rural culture. She also writes a biweekly column for the Bangor Daily News. She will lead a short discussion before the lecture. Afterwards, we will discuss your questions and observations.
Ann Louise Kibbie is assistant professor of English at Bowdoin College, specializing in the literature of the long 18th century. She received her B.A. from Boston University, and her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Her publications include essays on Daniel Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” and “Roxana,” Samuel Richardson’s “Pamela and Clarissa,” and 18th century “it-narratives” (tales told by things). Her current book project, entitled “On the Brink of the Grave: Transfusion in Literature and Medicine, 1666-1897,” is a medical, literary, and cultural history of the development of blood transfusion in Great Britain.
