September/October Community Calendar 2012

COMMUNITYCALENDAR

A PUBLICATION OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO VOL. 5.12

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

In this Issue:

Dean’s Lecture and Concert Series,

Community Seminars, Concerts, Art, Events

Words, words, words!”

— WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet

AN EVENING IN E-FLAT MAJOROctober 7, 20127:00 p.m.

DEAN’S LECTURE AND CONCERT SERIESPlease join us for the fall 2012 Dean’s Lecture and Concert Series. All lecturesare free and open to the public. See details below for times and locations.

The Sacrifice of Patroclus: Honor and Atrocity in Homer’s IliadClaudia Honeywell, tutor, St. John’s College, Santa FeFriday, August 31, 7:30 p.m.Worrell LectureGreat Hall, Peterson Student Center

Plato, Aeschylus, and other ancient Greeks used the relationship betweenAchilles and Patroclus to symbolize the highest ideal of comradeship, the“boundless capacity for self-sacrifice” exhibited by comrades in battle. InHomer’s Iliad, we find many warriors willing to risk their lives to defend oneanother and recover the corpses of their fallen comrades. Yet Homeric com-rades routinely kill to avenge one another as well, a behavior that the law ofarmed conflict today attempts to forbid. Achilles’ response to the death of Patroclus includes berserk killing, reprisal killing, killing of non-combatants,and the mutilation of the corpse. Ms. Honeywell will take a close look at theevents leading to the death of Patroclus, in order to understand how the emotional demands of this martial relationship can spur a warrior to the most noble as well as the most savage deeds.

Claudia Honeywell received her bachelor of arts degree from the University ofChicago in 1986 and a master of arts and doctorate in classics and modernGreek studies from the University of Minnesota in 1991 and 1993, respectively.Before joining the faculty of St. John’s College in 1994, she was visiting assistant professor of classics at Cornell College. Since 2010, she has been adistinguished visiting professor at the United States Air Force Academy.

“Dying Twice”: An Examination of Odysseus’ Journey to Hades*Evanthia Speliotis, professor of philosophy, Bellarmine UniversityFriday, September 7, 3:15 p.m.Worrell LectureGreat Hall, Peterson Student Center

In Odyssey Book X, Circe informs Odysseus that he must travel to Hades before completing his journey home (X, 490-95). The reason for this, ostensi-bly, is so that Teiresias can tell Odysseus “the way to go, the stages of the journey, and … how to make [his] way home” (X, 538-40), making the visit toHades central to the plot of the Odyssey. And yet, it appears to be much morethan this. For one thing, it is virtually unheard of for a mortal to journey toHades and return alive. For another, Homer devotes over 640 lines to this extraordinary event. Odysseus’ recounting of his visit to Hades begins with

Elpenor wishing to be remembered (XII, 71) and ends with Herakles reminisc-ing about his own journey to Hades to complete one of his labors (XI, 623-25).In between, Odysseus speaks with Teiresias, who tells him of a further labor hewill have to perform after returning home; his mother, who informs him ofsome of the events unfolding at home in his absence; past queens, who speak oftheir “origins”; Agamemnon, who warns him against perfidious women; andAchilles, who laments that he is no longer among the living.

Professor Speliotis will examine these characters and their tales to try to discover what Homer may be telling us about Odysseus’ particular journey (hisreturn home), but, more importantly, what lessons he may be conveying aboutlife and death to those of us who do not have the option of “dying twice” butwho may learn from Odysseus’ having done so.*“Unhappy men, who went alive to the house of Hades, so dying twice, when all the rest ofmankind die only once” (Circe, to Odysseus and his men, when they return from Hades to Aiaia:Odys XII, 21-22).

Evanthia D. Speliotis earned a bachelor of arts in philosophy in 1982 from the University of Michigan, a master of arts in philosophy in 1989 from TheCatholic University of America, and a doctorate in philosophy in 1995 from Tulane University. Prior to joining the faculty of Bellarmine University in 1994,she held academic positions at Tulane and Catholic University as well as at the University of New Orleans and Southern University of New Orleans.Professor Speliotis is currently working on a book entitled Phantastics andPhilosophy: A Study of Plato’s Statesman.

Artistic Expression in AnimalsLinda Wiener, tutor, St. John’s College, Santa Fe Friday, September 14, 8:00 p.m.Great Hall, Peterson Student Center

This lecture focuses especially on artistic expression that does not lend itselfeasily to analysis in terms of survival and reproduction. Artistic expression is surprisingly widespread, occurring in animals ranging from protists tomammals. This includes music, collecting and decorating, fashion, disguise,and sheer inventiveness. Ms. Wiener will look at examples from nature andexamine what biologists and philosophers, both ancient and modern, have tosay. How might investigation into artistic expression in animals alter our understanding of nature and of ourselves?

Linda Wiener joined the faculty of St. John’s College in 1985, after holding anumber of academic positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison andHarvard University. Wiener earned a bachelor of science degree in biologyfrom the University of Miami in 1977, a master of science degree in entomologyfrom Colorado State University in 1979, and a doctorate in entomology fromthe University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981. She also cofounded, in 1979, theFoundation for the Rediscovery and Protection of Trilobites.

Walpurgis Night's Dream: What is a Little Shakespearian ComedyDoing in the Middle of Goethe's Faust Tragedy?Joseph Lawrence, professor of philosophy, College of the Holy Cross Friday, September 21, 7:30 p.m.Worrell LectureGreat Hall, Peterson Student Center

In his interpretive notes to the Walter Arndt translation of Goethe’s Faust,Cyrus Hamlin writes that “critics have been embarrassed by the apparentlack of any direct relevance to the Faust story demonstrated by this ‘Inter-mezzo’.” It seems, then, that we have the makings of a real mystery. What infact is it doing there? Since the entire Walpurgis Night scene can be read as a descent into hell, the sudden staging there of a Shakespearian comedy represents, at the very least, a sign of hope.

Professor Joseph Lawrence will argue that it is that--and much more. Struc-turally, it constitutes a bridge to the much longer and not-often read SecondPart of the Tragedy. Lawrence will give an account of what happens in Part II(e.g., the Redemption of Faust) and why it is so important. He then will showhow the Walpurgis Night’s Dream functions to reconcile Goethe’s paganismwith his Christianity--and how it serves to illuminate his deepest understand-ing of the task of poetry as such.

Born and raised in the hills of Kentucky, Lawrence received his doctorate inphilosophy from Tübingen University in Germany in 1984. After that, hetaught at the University of Dallas and at the College of the Holy Cross, wherehe currently is a professor of philosophy. In addition, he twice served as a visiting professor at Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan. The author ofSchellings Philosophie des ewigen Anfangs (1989) and Socrates AmongStrangers (forthcoming with Northwestern University Press), he is workingon a book entitled The Harrowing of Hell, which illuminates the idea of redemption by bringing together religion, philosophy, and tragic literature.Lawrence also has written a wide range of articles on German literature aswell as Greek and German philosophy.

On the Role of Questions in Learning Richard McCombs, tutor, St. John’s College, Santa FeFriday, October 5, 7:30 p.m.Great Hall, Peterson Student Center

Human beings by nature desire to understand. In his lecture, Mr. McCombswill analyze the use of questions in the search for understanding, argue thatfor all profound learning questioning is not only useful, but necessary, andexplore the paradoxical possibility that questioning may play a more impor-tant role in learning than answering does.

Richard A. McCombs II earned his bachelor of arts and of science degreesfrom Fordham University in 1990 and a master’s degree and doctorate fromFordham in 1992 and 2000, respectively. Before joining the faculty of St. John’sCollege in 1999, he held academic positions at Fordham University, MaristCollege, Rose Hill College, and the University of South Carolina..

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallow

Darwin on the Evolution of Morality Kenneth Wolfe, tutor, St. John’s College, Santa FeFriday, October 19, 3:15 p.m.Great Hall, Peterson Student Center

In The Descent of Man, Darwin argues that human beings, like all other living things, have undergone evolution by natural selection. He confronts all the traditional claims of uniquely human characteristics—the use of tools,language, reason, religion, and morality—and argues that these characteris-tics are either not distinctively human or that they have more primitive antecedents in other animal species. The largest challenge, he admits, is toaccount for the development of ethics. In doing so, he presents a theory accounting for morality as arising from a combination of social instincts, reason, and habit. This lecture will both examine his theory and explore whatimplications it has for existing moral systems.

A 1994 graduate of St. John’s College, Santa Fe, Kenneth Wolfe earned a master of arts degree in Latin from the University of California at Berkeley in1996 and a doctorate in classics from UC-Berkeley in 2000. Before joining thefaculty of St. John’s College in 2002, he was visiting assistant professor in classics and humanities at Reed College.

Zeno the GedankenexperimentalistBill Bloch, professor of mathematics, Wheaton CollegeFriday, October 26, 7:30 p.m.Great Hall, Peterson Student Center

Zeno’s famous thought experiment The Dichotomy, also known as The Arrow, supposes that because a magnitude may be bisected infinitely, aperson walking from one point to another must first move half the distance,then half the distance again, and again, and so on. Depending on how theoriginal Greek is interpreted, due to the infinite number of points that mustbe touched, in Zeno’s view, either the first step may not be taken, or con-versely, the journey may not be completed. Another of Zeno’s well-knownparadoxes is Achilles and the Tortoise, which is frequently seen as equivalentto the Dichotomy. It proposes that the ‘fastest’ can never catch up to the‘slowest,’ for by the time Achilles reaches the spot where the Tortoise was,the Tortoise has moved forward.

What are the artifices that imbue these paradoxes with their enduring irksome appeal? If the tricks are exposed, is there a way to update Zeno thatrecaptures some of his puzzling magic? Is it possible to see Zeno’s work asbeing more than a flawed philosophic wrecking ball designed to destroy thearguments of those who would dismiss Parmenides’ claims? Do Zeno’sthought experiments contribute to the early development of the real number system?

Already in love with music, literature, and The Big Questions, William Goldbloom Bloch was smitten equally by fractals, chaos, and the classicswhile at Reed College. He studied mathematics at the University of California,Berkeley. His mathematical research centers on Baire spaces and notions of

wed, and some few to be chewed and digested. — SIR FRANCIS BACON

density and, more precisely, on different notions of the density of fractals inspaces of continuous manifolds. His book The Unimaginable Mathematics ofBorges’ Library of Babel was a runner up for the 2008 PROSE award in math-ematical writing, and he is currently collaborating with a computer scientist,a philosopher, and a proto-meme-ologist on The Persistence of Paradoxes andthe Limits of Language.

FALL 2012 COMMUNITY SEMINARS Community Seminars are special opportunities for community members toread and discuss seminal works in the same unique manner as our students.Seminars are discussion-based and small in size in order to ensure spirited dialogue. There are topics to pique every interest, and for many participantsthe discussion-based learning model is an entirely new experience.

Please call 505-984-6117 to register for any of the seminars described below.Teachers with proof of full-time employment may enroll at a 50 percent discount. Community Seminars are free to 11th and 12th grade high school students (limited spaces available).

Rumi, Masnavi-ye Ma’naviTutor: Michael WolfeDates/Times: Four consecutive Saturdays, September 8 through September 29, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.Cost: $140

Seminar participants will read all of Book I of Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Ma’navi,or “spiritual couplets,” which was begun in 1262 AD and is thought to be thelongest single-authored “mystical” poem ever written. Jalaluddin Rumi was a poet and mystic of the highest attainment, but he was first and foremost aspiritual teacher. Rumi draws on a vast range of sources, from fables to stories from daily life and religious tradition, to compose a remarkable text,which is a ladder to the spiritual world.

Fortunate Fall? Exploring John Milton’s Paradise Lost Tutor: Gregory SchneiderDates/Times: Six consecutive Wednesdays, October 10 through November 14, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.Cost: $210

John Milton’s blank verse masterpiece, Paradise Lost, announces in its opening that it will “justify the ways of God to men.” Springing from just a fewlines from the Book of Genesis, the poem puts forth a much expanded versionof the relationship between Adam and Eve and their cursed choice to eat fromthe forbidden tree of the Garden. As it unfolds, Milton offers a portrayal thatattempts to justify the God who put humans in the place to make that choice.Along the way, we meet a captivating Satan, hear of the story of the rebelliousangels, and see the unique ways that Adam and Eve each respond to theirpredicament. Over six sessions, this seminar will explore this complicatedstory, often considered the greatest epic poem in the English language.

“Citizenship should be placed above everything elsof citizenship where good citizenship and all that i

Rabbinic StoriesTutor: Ken WolfeDates/Times: Five consecutive Tuesdays, October 2 through 30, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.Cost: $175

Seminar participants will study a collection of rabbinic stories selected fromthe Talmud. The rabbis told stories about law, piety, sin and suffering, therelation of Jews to Gentiles, and important events in Jewish history, such asthe destruction of the 2nd Temple and the revolt of Bar Kokhba.

Plutarch’s EssaysTutor: Topi HeikkeröDates/Times: Four consecutive Saturdays, October 20 through November 10, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon.Cost: $140

Plutarch, best known for his biographies of important Greek and Romanmen, was a skillful essayist, too. Seminar participants will read a selection ofhis essays, including “On Listening” and “How to Distinguish a Flattererfrom a Friend.”

If Rousseau were a Woman: Women Thinkers’ Points of ViewTutor: Michael BybeeDates/Times: Six Wednesdays, September 12 & 19 and October 3, 10, 17, and 24, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.Cost: $210

Arguably, the great minds of Occidental philosophy were predominantly male,almost universally unmarried, and without child-rearing responsibilities.One might wonder whether the major doctrines in Western philosophy, history, and literature seem plausible only to this class of individuals. What ifwe were to look at these themes from the point of view of their female counter-parts? What insights into the human condition would we find? This seminarwill examine society through the thoughts and writings of some of the foremost female minds of past and present, including Mary Wollstonecraft,Jane Austen, and Alice Walker.

se, even learning. Is there in any college of the land a chairit implies is taught?” — MARK TWAIN, Speech, 14 May 1908

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

Chopin: Waltzes and PolonaisesSchoenberg, Berg, Webern: Piano Works

Peter Pesic, pianoFriday, September 14, 2012, 12:15 – 1:10 p.m.Junior Common Room, Peterson Student Center

There is no charge for admission.

Chopin: Waltzes CT 220, opp. 18, 34/2; Schoenberg: Three Pieces, op. 11;Chopin: Polonaises CT 161, CT164, opp. 26/1, 40/1

Peter Pesic is a tutor and musician-in-residence at St. John’s College, SantaFe. He attended Harvard and Stanford Universities, obtaining a doctorate inphysics. He has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and the John SimonGuggenheim Memorial Foundation. Mr. Pesic is also a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University.

Brahms Sonatas

Robert Marcus, clarinetPeter Pesic, pianoFriday, October 26, 2012, 12:15 – 1:10 p.m.Junior Common Room, Peterson Student Center

There is no charge for admission.

The program includes Brahms: Two Sonatas, op. 120, and Berg: Four Pieces, op. 5.

EVENING CONCERTS

Violin SonatasLiang-Ping How, violinPamela Pyle, pianoFriday, September 28, 7:30 p.m.Great Hall, Peterson Student Center

This concert is free and open to the public.

Violinist L.P. How and pianist Pamela Pyle willbe performing the Sonata in A major for Violinand Piano by César Franck, the Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12, andworks by Kreisler and Elgar.

Long-time member of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, violinist Liang-Ping (“L.P.”) How is a familiar andwelcome sight to Santa Fe audiences. Born in Taiwan, Mr. How came to theUnited States to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Curtis Institute

of Music under Jaime Laredo. He has been a member since 1980 of the New YorkCity-based, Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, appearingfrequently with the orchestra as a soloist and concertmaster and on recordingswith the orchestra on the Deutsche Grammophon label. His many annual per-formance engagements include the Caramoor, Spoleto, Lochenhaus, and MoabMusic Festivals and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Since 2005,Mr. How has also served as the concertmaster of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra.He plays an 1863 J.B.Vuillaume.

Pamela Pyle served for more than a decade as principle pianist in the studiosof Itzhak Perlman and renowned Juilliard teacher Dorothy DeLay. Anaward-winning soloist and chamber recitalist, she has performed throughoutthe United States, Europe, and Asia and continues to serve as an accompanistfor nationally recognized summer music institutes. A regular performer at theAspen Music Festival, Ms. Pyle is currently professor of piano and collabora-tive piano at the University of New Mexico.

An Evening in E-flat Major

Christine Chen, violinGail Robertson, violaDana Winograd, celloDavid Bolotin, piano Sunday, October 7, 7:00 p.m.Great Hall, Peterson Student Center

This concert is free and open to the public.

The musicians, performing as a piano trio and as a piano quartet, will be performing Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat major, op.1, no.1, Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major, op. 47, and Dvorak’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major, op. 87.

Christine Chen is a tutor at St. John’s College, and David Bolotin is tutor emeritus. Both Ms. Chen and Ms. Robertson perform with Santa Fe Pro Musica.Ms. Winograd plays in the New Mexico Philharmonic—as does Ms. Chen fromtime to time—and is also the principal cellist of the Santa Fe Symphony.

All Alumni and College Art Show: Opening Reception

Saturday, September 15, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.Junior Common Room and Art Gallery, Peterson Student Center

Alumni from both the Santa Feand Annapolis campuses of St. John’s College join faculty,staff, and students from Santa Fe in a celebration of creativity.On display through October 6 are works on canvas, photo-graphy, sculpture, ceramics, andmore.

For Gallery hours, visitwww.stjohnscollege.edu andclick on Events.

PLEASE NOTE!

We are going GREEN with our first

Community Calendar of 2013.

Details to be announced in the

November/December 2012 issue.

FREE GRADUATE INSTITUTE EVENT TO LEARNABOUT THE LIBERAL ARTS MASTER'S PROGRAM

Experience the Liberal Arts

Saturday, October 27, 3:30 to 7:00 p.m.Levan Hall

This event is an opportunity for curiousor prospective students to participate ina St. John’s College seminar and experi-ence firsthand the great rewards of dialogue as learning. Tutors David Carl,Krishnan Venkatesh, and Natalie Elliot*will lead a discussion on Montaigne’s Of Pedantry, in which Montaigne considers the ends and goals of liberaleducation and explores the obstacles that stand in the way of our achievingthese ends.

Following the seminar, participants willenjoy light refreshments while continuingthe conversation with St. John’s faculty,staff, current students, and alumni. During a subsequent panel session, theywill learn more about the graduate pro-gram, which has often been described as a life-changing experience, as well asabout the application process.

Space is limited. Please RSVP before October 5 to Katie Widlund by email, [email protected], orphone, 505-984-6050.

*Tutors are subject to change. Other tutors may be added depending on attendance. Ifyou are interested in the Liberal Arts Master’s Program at St. John’s College, Santa Fe,but are not able to attend the event, please also contact Katie Widlund to discuss planning a personalized visit.