AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY
FILMMAKER TO LECTURE AT MSU
College of Arts and Letters
Signature Lecture Series:
7:30 p.m., December 2, 2009
Cobb Great Hall, Wharton Center
Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will be the next featured speaker of the College of Arts and Letters Signature Lecture Series, which is being partially underwritten by the MSU Federal Credit Union and Mr. Frank A. Tegge. Burns will be appearing at MSU shortly after the release of his latest film, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, a six-episode series to be aired on PBS beginning the end of September.
Burns has been making films for more than 30 years, and since his Academy Award nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, has gone on to direct, research, write, film, edit and produce numerous acclaimed historical documentaries. His most recent film, The War, was released in September 2007 and aired on PBS. An epic account of World War II as seen through the eyes of typical American citizens from four quintessential American towns, it shed new light on the experiences of soldiers and their families during the war.
“In addition to the Signature Lecture which will be open to the public, we are planning a variety of activities for Mr. Burns while he is here,” says College of Arts and Letters Dean Karin Wurst. “This includes the opportunity for our students and faculty to have some valuable time with him.”
The College of Arts and Letters Signature Lecture Series was created to connect the MSU community to important, visionary individuals in the arts and culture whose work and/or art is representative of the state of their craft. Our goal is to provide these individuals with a forum to discuss the important, signature issues in the world of humanities, today, as well as communicate their thoughts on the special place that the arts and culture occupy in contemporary life. The inaugural Signature Lecture in 2007 focused on arts and humanities in a global context and featured 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature winner and Turkish-born novelist Orhan Pamuk.
While Ken Burns’ presentation will be the second in the Signature Lecture Series, the College of Arts and Letters has a long history hosting distinguished luminaries in the humanities, arts and culture. Past presenters include two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author Norman Mailer; Pulitzer Finalist and National Book Award winning author E.L. Doctorow; Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright Arthur Miller; and Academy Award winning filmmaker Oliver Stone.
Tickets for the Ken Burns Signature Lecture are available for $22.50 each through the Wharton Center box office. MSU faculty and currently enrolled MSU students can obtain up to two free tickets for the event with their MSU ID card at the Wharton Center box office.