In Lit House Talk, Spanish Prof Offers 18th Century Journey from Pornography to Eroticism

CHESTERTOWN, MD—The next Tea & Talk event at the Rose O’Neil Literary House, Wednesday, March 21, features Elena Deanda-Camacho, assistant professor of Spanish, discussing that fine line between pornography and eroticism. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. on the enclosed porch of the Lit House, 407 Washington Avenue.

Deanda will focus on how linguistics and rhetoric reflect the transition into works being considered erotic rather than pornographic, using as examples the works of 18th and 19th century Spanish poets including Nicolas Fernandez de Moratin and his son Leandro, Tomas de Iriarte and Juan Menendez Valdes. Her talk, “Eu/Dysphemisms: From Pornography to Eroticism in the Eighteenth Century,” also will apply lessons from the Spanish Enlightenment to today’s porn and its intersections with art, politics, business and the media.

As a scholar, Deanda-Camacho studies the inquisitorial censorship of discourses perceived as obscene in Spain and New Spain from the 16th to the 18th century. In particular, she focuses on the antagonistic and conniving relationship between obscenity and censorship. Besides literature, she has studied philosophy, religion, and medieval studies in Mexico and France. At Washington College, she is enjoying teaching all levels of Spanish language, culture, and literature with a focus on the Spanish Golden Age, baroque, colonial literature, and the enlightenment.

The Lit House “Tea & Talk” series features writers and scholars from Washington College and the Chestertown community sharing the research and topics that interest them personally. Both the tea and the talk are free and open to the public. For more information: http://lithouse.washcoll.edu/.

Scholar Explores 'Life In Venetian Archives' In Rose O'Neill Literary House Talk

CHESTERTOWN – Benjamin Kohl, Professor Emeritus of History at Vassar College, will offer a presentation on “Life in the Venetian Archives” at Washington College’s Rose O’Neill Literary House on Thursday, January 28; tea and light refreshments will be served at 4 p.m., with Dr. Kohl’s talk beginning at 4:30 p.m.

From 1966 until his retirement in 1998, Dr. Kohl taught medieval and early modern history at Vassar, where he served as chair of the department for seven years.

Among his publications are the edited volumes The Earthly Republic: Italian Humanists on Government and Society (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1978), Major Problems in the History of the Italian Renaissance (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1995), and an abridged translation of Johann Weyer’s De praestigiis daemonum (Asheville, N.C.: Pegasus Press, 1998); and books including Padua under the Carrara, 1318-1405 (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998) and a collection of 14 of his papers, published as Culture and Politics in Early Renaissance Padua (Aldershot, Eng.: Ashgate, 2001).

Kohl currently resides in Betterton, Maryland, where he is working on a book on the governance of late medieval Venice.
In addition to his work as a scholar, on the Eastern Shore Kohl teaches in the local Elderhostel, directs the Hedgelawn Foundation Inc. (a small charitable trust dedicated to the promotion of the humanities, historic preservation, and the visual and performing arts), serves as the Secretary of the Town of Betterton Planning Commission, and drives for Food Link.

Dr. Kohl’s presentation is part of the Rose O’Neill Literary House’s recently relaunched “Tea and Talk” series, which will continue through the spring with presentations by Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies Christine Wade and Assistant Professor of Drama Michele Volansky.

Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 410/778-7899 or visit lithouse.washcoll.edu.

Scholar Explores Emerson, Photography in Rose O'Neill Literary House Talk

CHESTERTOWN – Sean Meehan, Assistant Professor of English at Washington College, will present “‘This is a Fragment of Me’: Emerson and the Poetics of Metonymy” at the Rose O’Neill Literary House on Tuesday, November 17, at 4 p.m.

Dr. Meehan began his scholarly focus on the American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson with a dissertation on photography in 19th-century American autobiography, completed at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Meehan recently published a book based on that dissertation, Mediating American Autobiography: Photography in Emerson, Thoreau, Douglass, and Whitman. His upcoming lecture on Emerson and metonymy is part of his current work-in-progress, a study of Emerson’s engagement with the practice and theory of education and an exploration of Emersonian ways of learning both from the past and for the future.

Dr. Meehan was awarded the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association Fellowship for 2005-2006 from Houghton Library, Harvard University. He published an article based on research he did at Houghton in Emerson Society Papers (2006), “Living Learning: Lessons from Emerson’s School.”

In addition to teaching the courses “Emerson and Whitman” and “American Environmental Writing,” Dr. Meehan teaches “Literature and Composition” and is the Director of Writing for Washington College.

Dr. Meehan’s presentation is part of the Rose O’Neill Literary House’s recently relaunched “Tea and Talk” series, which highlights the work of authors and scholars on the faculty and staff of Washington College.

The series will continue in Spring 2010 with presentations by Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies Christine Wade, Assistant Professor of Drama Michele Volansky, and Vassar College Professor Emeritus of History (and Washington College Trustee) Benjamin Kohl.

Admission to “‘This is a Fragment of Me’: Emerson and the Poetics of Metonymy” is free and open to the public. For more information, call 410/778-7899 or visit lithouse.washcoll.edu.

Trends In Contemporary Theatre Subject Of Tea & Talk, Feb. 16

Chestertown, MD, February 6, 2004 — The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series presents “Contemporary Theatre: New Voices, New Trends,” a talk by professional dramaturg and Washington College alumna Michele Volansky, Monday, February 16, at the O'Neill Literary House. Volansky will discuss emerging playwrights and directors, trends in contemporary American drama, and the challenges and rewards of working in professional theatre. The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea, conviviality and discussion. Tea served at 4 p.m., talk begins at 4:30.

A 1990 graduate of the College, Volansky is now in her fourth season as dramaturg for the Philadelphia Theatre Company. She has worked on over 100 new and established plays in her 12-year career, developing new works by writers such as Sam Shepard, Daniel Stern, Warren Leight, Jeffrey Hatcher, Bruce Graham, and Tina Landau. Her work on Shepard's rewrite of Buried Child (directed by Gary Sinise) and Dale Wasserman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (directed by Terry Kinney and starring Gary Sinise) earned her two Broadway credits and participation in the Tony Award for Best Revival of Cuckoo's Nest. She also has served as a guest dramaturg at South Coast Rep, the Atlantic Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, and Next Theatre, in addition to her staff time at Actors Theatre of Louisville (1992-95) and Steppenwolf Theatre Company (1995-2000). Her own play, titled Whispering City, was produced as part of the Steppenwolf Arts Exchange Program in Fall 1999. She is the 1999 inaugural recipient of the Elliot Hayes Award for Dramaturgy and is the president of LMDA, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. In addition, Volansky is a member of the Advisory Board for Theatre Forum magazine and an artistic advisor for the Chicago-based Serendipity Theatre Company and Chicago Dramatists. She has served as an artistic consultant for the TCG playwright residency program, a reader for the Eugene O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference, and grants review panelist for the Five-County Arts Council.

Volansky earned her B.A. in English from Washington College—where she works as a lecturer in drama—and her M.A. in theatre from Villanova University.

The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series showcases the research, writing and talent of Washington College's faculty and is held in the College's O'Neill Literary House. Established in 1985, the Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a generous gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, in memory of his mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now approaching its 20th anniversary, the O'Neill Literary House is a large, eclectic Victorian home that reflects the spirit of Washington College's creative writing culture.

Politics Of Women Clergy Topic For Tea & Talk Series, January 26

Chestertown, MD, January 15, 2004 — The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series and the Gender Studies Program at Washington College present “Women with a Mission: Gender, Religion, and the Politics of Women Clergy,” a lecture by Melissa Deckman, assistant professor of political science, Monday, January 26 at the O'Neill Literary House. The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea, conviviality and discussion. Tea served at 4 p.m., talk begins at 4:30.

While it took many generations of struggle before women gained formal acceptance into the male-dominated ministry and rabbinate, the pulpit has recently become more hospitable to women, asserts Deckman, and as their numbers grow, women clergy are coming to exert an increasingly visible political presence in the United States. Her lecture will focus on the story of women clergy's encounters with politics, demonstrating how gender, professional status, and religion can affect citizens' political attitudes and behavior.

“I argue that the combination of gender, minority professional status, and the nature of the religious traditions that ordain women act together to move women clergy ideologically toward the political left,” says Deckman. “Ironically, though, these same factors can combine to make it difficult and potentially risky for women clergy to engage in visible action on controversial issues, but many do act, even on controversial issues such as gay rights and abortion. The ways that these women navigate the nexus of congregational ministry, community leadership, and prophetic political teaching is making a greater impact on American politics, both through their actions and through their influence on the beliefs and actions of the many American citizens who attend their congregations.”

The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series showcases the research, writing and talent of Washington College's faculty and is held in the College's O'Neill Literary House. Established in 1985, the Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a generous gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, in memory of his late mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now approaching its 20th anniversary, the O'Neill Literary House is a large, eclectic Victorian home that reflects the spirit of Washington College's creative writing culture.

Tea & Talk Series Welcomes Professor Richard DeProspo On Literary Naturalism In The U.S., Nov. 17

Chestertown, MD, November 4, 2003 — The 2003-2004 Tea & Talk Series continues on Monday, November 17 at 4:30 p.m. with a talk in the O'Neill Literary House by Washington College English Professor Richard DeProspo.

Dr. DeProspo will address the topic: “Thoreau/McKibben/Henley: Literary Naturalism in the U.S. from the Most Taught Book in the World through the Most Prestigious Lit Mag in the World to the Best Selling Album in the World.”

The talk will trace the culture of ecology in the United States—most recently manifested in the sub-culture of global warming—from its reputed origin in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, through its advocacy in the writings of the influential literary ecologist Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, to its influence on the career of celebrity ecologist and activist Don Henley, drummer for the Eagles and composer of such recent albums as The End of the Innocence.

The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea, conviviality and discussion at the O'Neill Literary House. Tea served at 4 p.m.

Tea & Talk Series Hosts Prof. Tom Cousineau Speaking On The Tragic Tradition In Western Literature

Chestertown, MD, October 13, 2003 — The O'Neill Literary House continues its 2003-2004 Tea & Talk Series on Monday, October 20, at 4:30 p.m. with a talk by Washington College English professor Tom Cousineau titled “Singing Songs while Killing Goats: From Oedipus the King to Waiting for Godot.” The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea and discussion at the O'Neill Literary House. Tea served at 4 p.m.
“The title of my talk refers to ‘tragoidia,' the Greek word for tragedy which is usually translated as ‘a song sung while sacrificing a goat,'” says Professor Cousineau. “The talk itself grows out of the many classes involving Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot that I have taught here at the College. Over the years, I've pondered the different ways in which each play gives expression to the ritual practices out of which Western drama developed. The talk will reflect my research on this topic and my thoughts on it as I worked on various publication projects. In fact, these reflections became a fundamental reference for my forthcoming book, Ritual Unbound: Reading Sacrifice in Modernist Fiction.”
Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Since its dedication in 1985, the rambling and eclectic O'Neill Literary House has been the locus of the College's creative writing and literary culture.

Tea & Talk Series Opens September 2 With A Reading From 1985 Sophie Kerr Winner And Local Novelist Sandy Hiortdahl

Chestertown, MD, August 28, 2003 — The O'Neill Literary House launches it 2003-2004 Tea & Talk Series on Tuesday, September 2 at 4 p.m. with alumna and writer Sandy Hiortdahl reading from two novels. The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea, conviviality and the power of the written word in the eclectic comfort of the Washington College's O'Neill Literary House. Sandy Hiortdahl is a1985 graduate of Washington College who studies English and took the Sophie Kerr Prize that same year. She also holds an M.F.A. from George Mason University and an M.A. in English from the University of Maryland. She has taught at West Chester University in Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware, where she was named Distinguished Adjunct Teacher of the year in 2001.
Currently, she teaches part time at Washington College and is a PhD. candidate at the Catholic University in Washington, DC. She recalls writing her first short story (about a trip down an ant hole) at age six and wrote a 60-page novella at age 12 (which she describes as “quite bad”). In high school, she was a finalist in the Mt. Vernon Competition for Young Writers in Washington, DC. During her college years, she continued to write and adopted the late John Gardner as a mentor in spirit. She has been an active member in the John Gardner Society, annually presenting papers and occasionally coordinating the society's annual conference. Her favorite quotation, from Gardner's “On Becoming a Novelist,” is: “Nothing is harder than being a true novelist, unless that is all that one wants to be, in which case, though writing novels is hard, everything else is harder.” Being a true novelist is all that Hiortdahl has ever wanted to be, though, taking a cue from Gardner, she has worked hard to become a teacher of writing and to give back, the encouragement that great teachers of her past offered her. Currently, she lives in a little white house in Chestertown with her Australian Cattle Dog, Kismo Blue. Her novel And There Were In the Same Country is being offered to agents and editors in New York as she works on her next novel, Haley's Comment, which is set at Washington College.

Strings Attached: Tea & Talk Series Welcomes Poet & Harpist Meredith Hadaway March 18

Chestertown, MD, March 13, 2003 — Washington College's O'Neill Literary House Tea & Talk Series continues its spring lecture series on Tuesday, March 18 at 4 p.m. with “Strings Attached,” a poetry reading and Celtic harp performance by Meredith Davies Hadaway, Vice President for College Relations at Washington College. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Hadaway has played the harp in local and regional venues, and has traveled to Ireland as a guest artist for the Clifden (Connemara) Community Arts festival. She is currently a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from Vermont College.

On April 22, the spring Tea & Talk Series will conclude with a talk by equity actress Polly Kuulei Sommerfeld, a lecturer in drama at Washington College, speaking about “What's Equity Got to Do With It?”, a Q&A focusing on the challenges faced by professional actors.

The Tea & Talk Series provides opportunities for college faculty and staff to share their areas of expertise with the college and with the surrounding community. All talks are held at the O'Neill Literary House on Washington Avenue in Chestertown. Tea is served at 4 p.m.; talks begin at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Will Japan Go Ballistic? O'Neill Literary House Launches Spring Tea & Talk Series February 25

Chestertown, MD, February 10, 2003 — Washington College's O'Neill Literary House Tea & Talk Series kicks off its spring lecture series on Tuesday, February 25 at 4 p.m. with “Japan Going Nuclear?,” a talk to address the likelihood of Japan developing nuclear weapons in response to current tensions with North Korea and in its region. The talk will be presented by Dr. Andrew Oros, assistant professor of international studies and political science at the College. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Dr. Oros specializes in the international and comparative politics of East Asia, theories of international relations, and foreign intelligence and espionage. He has published articles in Japan Forum, Public and International Affair, Intelligence and National Security, International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and numerous other journals. His report “Can Japan Come Back?” was published recently in a Japanese newspaper.

The Tea & Talk Series will continue on March 18 with “Strings Attached,” a poetry reading and Celtic harp performance by Meredith Davies Hadaway, Vice President for College Relations at Washington College. Hadaway has played the harp in local and regional venues, and has traveled to Ireland as a guest artist for the Clifden (Connemara) Community Arts festival. She is currently a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from Vermont College.

On April 22, Polly Kuulei Sommerfeld, a lecturer in drama at Washington College, will present “What's Equity Got to Do With It?”, a Q&A focusing on the challenges faced by professional actors.

The Tea & Talk Series provides opportunities for college faculty and staff to share their areas of expertise with the college and with the surrounding community. All talks are held at theO'Neill Literary House on Washington Avenue in Chestertown. Tea is served at 4 p.m.; talks begin at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.