The Night Sky is the Focus of Lecture by Carleton Alumnus and Author
Noted author and Carleton alumnus Paul Bogard ’89 will speak about and read from his new book Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark on Monday, February 16 at 7 p.m. in the Gould Library Athenaeum on the Carleton campus. A book signing and reception will follow his presentation. This event is free and open to the public.
Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark (University of Nevada Press, 2008) is a collection of essays penned by various writers, all inspired by the night sky. The book is divided into five parts: spirit, the sky/stars, imagination and story, the place we live half our lives, and our animal body. Each section offers several odes to the wonders in its categories, reminding readers of the essential and meaningful role that darkness plays in our lives. “I first learned to appreciate the value of darkness and the night sky watching the starry skies over a lake in northern Minnesota,” recalls Bogard.
Bogard’s creative nonfiction has appeared in Creative Nonfiction, River Teeth, and The Gettysburg Review. He has also written more than fifty articles for various publications such as Outside, normal">Audubon, Backpacker, and the Albuquerque Journal.
After receiving his BA from Carleton College, Bogard received his MA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota and his PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno, in Literature and Environment. He is currently a visiting assistant professor of English at Northland College in Ashland, Wisc., where he teaches courses in American literature, nature writing, and writing literary nonfiction. Bogard is also revising his dissertation “Blessings from a Small House” into a book manuscript.
Copies of Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark will be available for purchase at the event. The book is also currently on sale at a 15% discount. For more information, contact the Carleton bookstore at (507) 222-4153.
Bogard’s appearance is co-sponsored by the Department of English, the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the Department of Environmental and Technology Studies. For more information about the event, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4322.
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