St. John’s College has announced its spring Formal Lecture Series. On Friday evenings, St. John’s College community members gather in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium to hear a lecture or performance from visiting scholars, artists, poets, or faculty. Lecturers include members of the St. John’s College faculty — known as tutors – and professors from notable universities nationwide. Each lecture is followed by a question period and an engaging discussion between the lecturer and attendees.
“We are proud to bring world-class thought leaders and major musicians to Annapolis,” says St. John’s College President Nora Demleitner. “I encourage all members of the community to join us for the lectures and performances this spring.”
All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays at St. John’s College, Mellon Hall, Francis Scott Key Auditorium, 60 College Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401, unless otherwise noted. Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“In the St. John’s classroom, students and faculty converse together about fundamental questions. In the Friday night lecture, we get to hear a longer account from someone who has thought deeply about the topic,” says dean of the college Susan Paalman. “The question period after each lecture is an important part, as it sparks a conversation amongst the whole community.”
The remaining 2024 spring lectures are:
March 29: Tutor Gregory Freeman will present his lecture “The value of suffering.”
In the lecture, I will begin with an old question: why do we find pleasure in seeing bad things in artworks? This question leads to the larger question: what is the value of suffering? Among other texts, I will discuss the 2016 film Manchester by the Sea, and the Book of Job.
April 3: Ambassador Roger D. Carstens will deliver the Erik S. Kristensen Memorial Lecture, held in partnership with the U.S. Naval Academy. Carstens is the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and an alum of the St. John’s College Graduate Institute.
Wednesday, April 17: Panel Discussion: The Legacy of Francis Scott Key, Class of 1797
This panel event organized by the College History Task Force will discuss the complicated legacy of Francis Scott Key, one of St. John’s College’s most notable alumni. Panelists include Professor Marc Clague, author of “O Say Can You Hear?”, Marc Leepson, author of “What So Proudly We Hailed,” and Professor William Thomas, author of “A Question of Freedom,” and will be moderated by Chanel Compton, Executive Director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum.
April 19: The Parker String Quartet will perform a concert.
Internationally recognized for their “fearless, yet probingly beautiful” (The Strad) performances, the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet has rapidly distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation, dedicated purely to the sound and depth of their music. Inspired performances and exceptional musicianship are hallmarks of the Quartet, having appeared at the world’s most illustrious venues since its founding in 2002. The Quartet’s program will include Beethoven Op.135 and Hayden Op. 33/6.
April 26: St. John’s student-run theater troupe, the King William Players, will perform Moby Dick.
For more information, please visit the Formal Lecture Series on the Annapolis Campus page. To learn about other events at St. John’s College, see the Events Calendar.
