The fall Oxnard College Literature, Arts & Lecture Series begins September 25, 2013. Sponsored by Oxnard College, all events are held on Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (OCPA), 4000 S. Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033. The October 9 and November 6 events are co-sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant received from the James Irvine Foundation. The events are free for students, faculty, staff, and the community. Interpreting service is provided for the hearing impaired. Parking is $2.00. For more information, contact Shelley Savren at ssavren@vcccd.edu or 805-986-5800 (x1951).
September 25
Deaf Community Cultural Wealth
In celebration of Deaf Awareness Week, Deaf Studies Professor Flavia Fleischer will explore six capitals of Deaf Community Cultural Wealth, including: linguistic, social, familial, navigational, aspirational and resistant, as examples of how deaf people actively combat oppression not only to survive, but to thrive.
October 2
Mixtec Indigenous Leaders: Models for Mobilizing and Empowering
Maricela Morales, Jessica Arciniega, Arcenio Lopez and Israel Vazquez will comprise a panel to raise awareness of how the Mixteco Indigenous Community Organizing Project addresses the needs and contributions of the Mixtec people in Ventura, highlighting strengths and addressing discrimination.
October 9
Saved by a Poem
Poet and Performer Kim Rosen will deliver poems she has committed to heart by Pablo Neruda, Jalaluddin Rumi, Mary Oliver, Marie Howe and her own original poems, in a performance that offers a dynamic soundscape of music and silence, revealing ancient and modern rhythms that awaken, inspire and heal.
October 16
Continuing Dialog: Chronicling the Lives of Artists
Focus on the Masters (FOTM) founder and photographer Donna Granata will present her own photos of artists, coinciding with her exhibition at the Oxnard College McNish Gallery from October 30-December 17, and will share the history of FOTM and importance of the archive to the artistic heritage of Ventura County.
October 23
America: Empire or Umpire, and at What Cost?
Historian Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman (American Umpire, Harvard UP), will challenge the common assertion that the U.S. is a destructive empire – or one in denial – arguing that America has performed the role of umpire since 1776, based on global rules that have gradually earned collective approval.
October 30
Haunted Vacations: Places to Enjoy with Ghosts
In celebration of Halloween, ghost hunter and author Richard Senate will instruct the audience on how to investigate and enjoy ghosts in haunted locations, from the Queen Mary to Virginia City to Hawaii, and will provide a list of places in Ventura County where ghosts can be found from Ojai to Conejo.
November 6
From The Woman Warrior to The Fifth Book of Peace
National Book Award Winner and peace advocate Maxine Hong Kingston will read from her many collections of poetry, fiction and nonfiction, including her newest epic poem, I Love a Broad Margin to My Life, and her memoir, The Woman Warrior: A Girlhood Among Ghosts, followed by a book signing.
November 13
The Twang of the Banjer: America’s Instrument
Banjoist Chris Cairns will demonstrate the sounds and styles of the banjo in a performance that takes the audience down the historical trail of America’s only original musical instrument, with its barbaric twang, that has inspired a multitude of styles and flavors found throughout the musical world today.
November 20
The Colors of Israel: Many Cultures Reflected in Dance
Educational Director Cecilia Hanono will be joined by dancers from Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble, who will demonstrate a tapestry of movement woven from different cultures that comprise Israel, paying homage to the past and bringing us to the contemporary dance and music that represents Israel today.
November 27
“To Thine Own Friends Be True!”
Lead by Oxnard College English Professor Anthony Rodriguez, the students of Sigma Kappa Delta English Honors Society will navigate the perilous waters of friendship in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, revealing how the characters betray each other and themselves when striving to get ahead.
