Events

Parable of the Now is an afternoon of performances and readings intended to hold space as we grapple with change in the wake of the 2024 general election. This happening is centered around the November 6th, 2024 entry in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower that coincides with the day after a general election in the book and the day after our own 2024 general election. Performances will take place every hour, punctuated by reading of chapters from the book as we lead up to the final reading of the November 6th chapter at 7pm.

The Lisska Center’s Minds Wide Open Series hosts conversations and presentations by local, national, and international scholars and authors who are pushing academic boundaries, exploring diverse topics, and engaging in dialogue across difference on a variety of topics. The Laura C. Harris Series promotes the education of young women and typically has an annual theme (the 2024-25 theme is “Shaping Feminist Futures and Possibilities”). Lastly, the Goodspeed Lecture series brings scholars whose work engages with religion and spiritualities. While these themes do not have to rigidly shape our conversation, Nnedi’s work elegantly intersects with all three. Our goal is to bring our community together for this evening event, which will involve rich conversation with Nnedi on everything from Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism to current events.