For the past few months, I’ve been lucky enough to be able attend a series of public lectures given by the English Department of the University of Saskatchewan. The series, ‘Literature Matters’, was presented by a different professor each month on topics ranging from Shakespeare to Jane Austin to an analysis of multiple versions of works like The Bible, Canterbury Tales, and Ulysses to name a few. (Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the lecture on the impact of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ internationally.) Last night was the last lecture of this series on Virginia Woolfe.
I can’t help wonder though, why is this a rare event? Yes, many of the audience members were educators themselves but the debates and discussions at these lectures are always quite interesting themselves and certainly not above comprehension. So, why don’t we see more educational lectures in the public? There is such a thirst for knowledge out there – good knowledge – yet, I don’t see many lectures advertised. There will be the odd one here and there but it doesn’t seem to be common enough here. At a time when thinking is so important – this is the ‘information age’ after all! – and information is being so radically contorted to justify all sorts of ridiculous things, opening up education to everyone become incredibly important. As is the need to get people of all ages to continually exercise their minds.
I’m thrilled that the English Department is hoping to continue this series in the fall and I would like to thank them most sincerely for the work that they’ve done already. But if I may, I would like to put out a general call to the world: we need more public education and discourse! If you have something you know a lot about, please share it with the rest of us. Not everyone has a degree in chemistry or economics but that doesn’t prevent anyone from being affected, interested, or able to understand topics like these so please, teach us!