Syracuse announces notable speakers for University Lectures

SU announces lecture series speakers

Authors George Saunders and Margaret Atwood, plus artist Robert Shetterly will take part in the fall series.
Published: August 30, 2018
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Syracuse University announced the lineup for the University Lecture Series today with writer and SU professor George Saunders leading off in October, followed by writer Margaret Atwood and artist Robert Shetterly later in the semester.

This fall, Saunders will kick off Orange Central with a lecture on Oct. 18 in Hendricks Chapel. Atwood is scheduled for Oct. 25 in Hendricks in time for Parents Weekend. Shetterly will close out the series on Nov. 29 in Setnor Auditorium that will accompany a gallery exhibition in the Schine Student Center’s Panasci Lounge from Nov. 26-30.

All the talks and the exhibit are free.

Saunders is an author of several short story collections, a National Book Award finalist and a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. His first full-length novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, won the Man Booker Prize in 2017. He has taught in the Creative Writing Program at SU since 1996.

Fans of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale are sure to be in the audience when Atwood takes the stage;  she is the author of the book which the popular show is based on, as well as more than 40 other works of literature. She is also the recipient of the Booker Prize, the Giller Prize and the Premio Mondello.

Shetterly’s portrait series, Americans Who Tell the Truth, has visited galleries across the country since 2003. As Shetterly has traveled with it, he has spoken to people about democracy, citizenship and the importance of truth. SU will host the exhibit and the artist this fall for the lecture, and he will bring two of his subjects along with him to add to the discussion.

The announcement of the University Lecture Series lineup comes just one week after SU divulged the guest for the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: Trevor Noah. The comedian will take to the Dome on Jan. 27.

With 17 seasons of lectures under its belt, SU continues to present accomplished guest speakers from an array of disciplines to its student body and surrounding community. The speakers represent the best of the best within their respective fields and come to campus to share their experiences.