News from the Division of Languages and Literature

Justus Rosenberg will receive the Legion of Honor medal at the French consulate in New York City on Thursday, March 30. Professor Rosenberg, Bard professor emeritus of languages and literature and visiting professor of literature, is the last surviving member of the Varian Fry group, which helped rescue hundreds of artists and intellectuals from Nazi-occupied France during World War II. He later joined the Forces Francaises de I'Interieur and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation organization. The medal recognizes his "selfless sacrifice" throughout the war and subsequent "outstanding academic career ... where you left a profound mark and remain a highly influential role model for thousands of young men and women beginning their adult lives. It comes in recognition of the high esteem in which you are held by French authorities, and serves as an example to all those who have French-American friendship at heart."

The essays in Teju Cole's new collection "are brilliantly written—sharp, intelligent—and yield a pleasurable sweetness."

Legendary editor Robert B. Silvers died on March 20 at the age of 87 after 54 years at the helm of the New York Review of Books.

Writer in Residence Porochista Khakpour writes about marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in a political climate that is hostile to Muslims.

Writer in Residence Wyatt Mason discusses Emmanuel Carrère’s reinvention of nonfiction writing, his unique narrative style, and the methods of his masterpieces.

Professor in the Arts Neil Gaiman and Executive Producer Bryan Fuller discuss moving from page to screen for the forthcoming Starz television series American Gods, adapted from Gaiman’s best-selling novel. The event takes place on Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m., and includes an exclusive preview of the first episode of the new television series ahead of its premiere on the Starz network.

Bard Fisher Center Presents an Evening with Neil Gaiman and American Gods (Bard.edu)
Neil Gaiman to Discuss American Gods (Poughkeepsie Journal)
 

Professor Luzzi was interviewed at Harvard University about his book A Cinema of Poetry: Aesthetics of the Italian Art Film, as part of their De Bosis Colloquium in Italian Studies.