Humanities Speaker Series


Founded in 1947, the Humanities Speaker Series is the oldest continuing program of its kind at KU. Previous speakers have included authors Jesmyn Ward and Neil Gaiman, actor and author Alan Alda, poets Natalie Diaz and Terrance Hayes, sociologist Matthew Desmond, and many many more.

All events in this year's series will be held in-person and also live-streamed via The Hall Center's Crowdcast Page. Please follow the Hall Center on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or check the calendar on our website to stay up-to-date on all Hall Center events.

Upcoming Events in the Series

Nicole Fleetwood

WED DEC 6, 7:00 PM
"Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration"
Lied Center Pavilion
(and live-streamed via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Nicole Fleetwood and book cover for Marketing Time

Lewis Gordon

THU FEB 22, 7:00 PM
KU Common Book
"From Kitchens and Pubs to the World: Philosophy for Humanity Today and Beyond"
Hall Center Conference Room
(and live-streamed via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Gordon and pub scene

Past Events in the Series for 2023-24

Susan Wolf

THU NOV 9, 7:00 PM
"Meaning in Life and Why It Matters"
Hall Center Conference Hall
(and live-streamed via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Author Susan Wolf alongside cover of her book Meaning in Life and Why it Matters

A.E. Stallings, This Afterlife: Selected Poems

WED OCT 11, 7:00 PM
"This Afterlife: Selected Poems"
Hall Center Conference Hall
(and live-streamed via Hall Center Crowdcast)
Stallings and book cover for This Afterlife