The 2007 Janet Grayson Lecture in Literary Studies
JAZZING UP SHAKESPEARE
Dr. Douglas Lanier, University of New Hampshire.
Wednesday, March 28th, 4:00 pm.
The story of Shakespeare's relationship to jazz has been an
underappreciated chapter in the history of Shakespearean adaptation. In this talk, Douglas Lanier will examine how and why American culture sought to hybridize Shakespeare and African-American music in the mid-twentieth century, suggesting how jazzed-up Shakespeare confronted the legacy of the nineteenth-century minstrel show and engaged the efforts of African-American musicians at mid-century to establish the legitimacy of their distinctive artform. His talk will discuss what jazzed-up Shakespeare might reveal about changing American conceptions of Shakespeare, developing notions of African-American cultural authority, and the interplay between highbrow and popular in twentieth-century American culture.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Mountain View Room of the Student Center at 4:00 p.m. A reception will follow the presentation. This annual lecture is named in honor of Dr. Grayson, professor emerita of the KSC Department of English. The 2007 Grayson lecture is made possible through the generous support of the Department of English, the School of Arts and Humanities, and the Commission on Multiculturalism and Diversity.