The Oxnard College Literature, Arts and Lecture Series will begin its 2015 spring Series on February 25 and will feature a poetry reading by Bruce Weigl, the 2014 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Poetry, on April 29. Other events include music and dance concerts, a testimony in commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day by a survivor and decorated French Jewish spy, and a presentation from the Nature Conservancy on Earth Day.
Sponsored by Oxnard College, the Series will be held on Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. on campus in the Performing Arts Center. The events held on March 11, March 25, and April 29 are co-sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc., through a James Irvine grant. All events are free, open to the public, and interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing. Parking is $2.00. The Performing Arts Center is located on the north end of Oxnard College at 4000 S. Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033. For more information, contact the Series coordinator, Shelley Savren, at ssavren@vcccd.edu or (805) 986-5800 ext. 1951.
Spring 2015 Series Schedule
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The Harlem Renaissance and its Influence
In celebration of African American History Month, essayist, critic and editor Geoffrey Jacques will discuss the 1920’s cultural movement sparked by African American artists and thinkers and how it continues to influence our modern ideas about art and culture.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Tinto Tango Concert and Dance Performance
Argentinean tango ensemble, featuring director and bandoneonist Mariano Dugatkin, violinist Alan Busteed, guitarist Dino Durnad and pianist Pablo Medina, will perform popular tango classics to accompany dancers Dennis Cante and Anna Folkerth.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Poetry from Our Back Yard
California State University professors and poets Claudia Reder and Mary Kay Rummel will read poems from their recent books and discuss how their work has been influenced by other art forms such as music, visual art and other literature, followed by a book signing.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Jazz to Classical: Music of Manson, Ellington, Gershwin, Bach and More
Acclaimed composer and jazz pianist Bevan Manson will be joined by oboist Phil Ayling, violist Jennie Hanson, bassist Danny Young and percussionist Charles Levin, performing jazz and classical pieces and discussing how these musical styles are connected.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Warrior Writers: Young Veterans Share a Re-integration Tool
Writer and organizer Lovella Calica, Iraq veteran and writer Nathan Lewis and other panelists will share their writing and discuss the importance of providing a supportive network for veterans to communicate military experiences and dialogue with their communities.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Rhythms and Songs from Around the World
Musician, Educator and Sound Medicine Woman Judy Piazza will sing and play drums, wind instruments and the unique dulsitar TM, performing songs inspired by indigenous people from various world cultures with profound vocal, melodic and rhythmic traditions.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Meet a French Jewish Spy who Infiltrated Nazi Germany
In commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day, French Jewish spy and survivor Marthe Cohn will show a brief DVD and tell how she served in the French army, infiltrating Nazi Germany, and received the Croix de Guerre, Legion d’Honneur and other medals.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Restoring Balance for People and Nature
In celebration of Earth Day, The Nature Conservancy’s ecologist Laura Riege will talk about how the environmental non-profit organization is restoring Ventura County’s coastal gems at Ormond Beach and in the Santa Clara River, followed by a Q and A.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Writing at the Juncture of Memory and Imagination
Pulitzer Prize finalist for poetry Bruce Weigl will read from some of his 13 books, including his newest, The Abundance of Nothing, which brings the reader to the emotional front lines of Viet Nam and back home to the Loraine Ohio, where life continues.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Better ‘Wait’ than Never: A Play on Words
Oxnard College English Professor Anthony Rodriguez and the students of Sigma Kappa Delta English Honors Society will examine the narrow margins between purpose and futility in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and will include an interactive audience discussion.
