Introducing a series of interviews with biographers and historians who participate in the Chapell Great Lives Lecture Series at the University of Mary Washington.
On a regular basis, The Washington Independent Review of Books will be carrying interviews with biographers and historians who participate in the Chapell Great Lives Lecture Series, begun in 2004 — the only series to focus solely on historical figures — at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
“Beginning this January,” said series director William B. Crawley Jr., professor of history emeritus at the University of Mary Washington, “the 2012 series will address an especially wide diversity of topics, including historical figures in various eras and areas of accomplishment over the centuries, from Christopher Columbus to Kurt Vonnegut.”
One of the goals of Great Lives has been to feature recently published biographies, Crawley noted. This season, presentations will include just-published books about the Marquis de Lafayette by Mark Leepson (see the Q&A with Mark Leepson here); Noah Webster by Joshua Kendall; Aaron Burr by David O. Stewart; Christopher Columbus by Laurence Bergreen; and Clarence Darrow by John A. Farrell. There will also be a presentation about Turkish hero and statesman Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by UMW professor and Middle East scholar Nabil Al-Tikriti.
“The series also endeavors to feature books that have a timely connection of some sort,” Crawley said. “For example, the first-ever biography of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, is coming out in February, just in time for their 100th anniversary. The author, Stacy Cordery will be making Dodd Auditorium one of the first stops on her book tour.”
Noting that there is always great interest in Civil War topics in the Fredericksburg area, Crawley announced that the 2012 series will feature lectures by “two of the most prominent experts in the field.”
Emory Thomas, professor emeritus at the University of Georgia, will speak on J.E.B. Stuart. Thomas’ book Bold Dragoon is considered the definitive biography of the flamboyant Confederate cavalry commander.
Also, Virginia Tech professor emeritus (and legendary lecturer) James I. “Bud” Robertson returns to the Great Lives series. His topic this time will be a composite biography of the Civil War soldiers — the so-called “Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks” — based on his most recent book, The Untold Civil War. Robertson, who served as the executive director of the National Civil War Centennial Commission during the 1960s, is widely known in the Fredericksburg area and is renowned throughout Civil War circles as an engaging and passionate lecturer.
As has been the custom in the Great Lives series, there will be one lecture dealing with a fictional life — this time the iconic British detective Sherlock Holmes. The speaker will be University of Exeter professor Jeremy Black, described by Crawley as “a mesmerizing lecturer who has charmed Great Lives audiences previously with presentations on George III, Napoleon, and in 2011, James Bond.”
“We also looking forward to pioneering some new paths in the series,” Crawley said. “For instance, there will be a presentation aimed especially at younger audiences: the moving story of Anne Frank, the courageous Jewish girl whose diary written while hiding from the Nazis was published after her death in a concentration camp.” Author Sid Jacobson will speak about his role in researching and creating the authorized graphic biography of Anne Frank, the only one of its kind.
Also, author and artist Lauren Redniss will explain her work on her beautifully illustrated biography Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, a finalist for this year’s National Book Award. Her idea for a life of the Curies occurred to her because, she told the online magazine Intelligent Life, “I had been thinking about love stories… What struck me as an interesting challenge was that the two main themes were love and radioactivity. And both of those things, of course, are invisible. I loved the idea that I could try to make a visual book out of invisible things.”
And, continuing with the idea of breaking new ground, said Crawley, “The series will offer one ‘great life’ that is largely unknown to the general public today, that of Madam C. J. Walker.”
Through creating a line of beauty products designed primarily for African American consumers, Madam Walker amassed a fortune — reputedly becoming the first American black female millionaire — much of which she donated to charitable programs. The speaker will be Madame Walker’s great-great granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, former ABC television producer and author of Walker’s biography, On Her Own Ground.
Finally, longtime residents of the area may recall the landmark 1967 Supreme Court ruling in Loving vs. Virginia. In 1958, the sheriff of Caroline County charged into the bedroom of Richard and Mildred Loving in the dead of night and arrested them. Although legally married in Washington, Richard was white and Mildred was black, which was against the law in Virginia and 13 other states. The 1967 ruling overturned laws against interracial marriage everywhere in the United States.
The Lovings’ daughter will be part of the evening’s program on Valentine’s Day, along with attorney Bernard Cohen, who argued the Lovings’ case before the Supreme Court. The program will also include footage of a new HBO documentary about the couple and their historic trial.
“In short,” said Crawley, “the 2012 series promises to be one of the most interesting in the nine-year history of the series. It really does have, as the saying goes, ‘something for everybody.’”
The complete schedule of the Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series is available online at http://www.umw.edu/greatlives/calendar-of-lectures/. If you would like to be added to the Great Lives e-mail list for updates and special opportunities, send your e-mail address to [email protected].
