Authors, activists to speak at Symposium Day Oct. 8

Augustana College's campus community will gather for Fall Symposium Day: Voice and Vision on Oct. 8. Visiting speakers from across the nation as well as students and faculty will explore how individuals speak and how they see, literally and metaphorically, across all disciplines.

Symposium Day replaces the usual schedule of classes to offer an alternative approach to learning. The day is intended to embody the value of liberal arts by encouraging students to think outside their majors, wrestle with big questions and explore ideas that don’t neatly fit into a single course.

Presentations during the all-day event are free and open to the public. See the complete schedule.

Invited speakers are: bestselling author Kaveh Akbar, activist Steven Pico and cultural anthropologist Dr. Christine Jeske.

Keynote speaker: Kaveh Akbar

"The Word Dropped Like a Stone: Echoes of the Ancients"
10-11:15 a.m. | Gävle Room, Gerber Center

Kaveh Akbar’s first novel “Martyr!” was a New York Times Bestseller, the 2024 recipient of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize for Fiction, a 2024 Discover Prize Finalist and a 2024 National Book Award Finalist.

“Kaveh Akbar’s riveting literary voice inspired this year’s Symposium Day theme of ‘Voice and Vision,’” said Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence, co-chair of Augustana’s Symposium Day. “He is one of the most exciting writers publishing in the U.S. right now. We’re very lucky the Teagle grant was able to assist in bringing Akbar to campus.”

Akbar's poems have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Paris Review, Best American Poetry and elsewhere. He is the author of two poetry collections: “Pilgrim Bell” and “Calling a Wolf a Wolf,” in addition to a chapbook, “Portrait of the Alcoholic.” He is also the editor of “The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 100 Poets on the Divine.”

In 2020 Akbar was named poetry editor of The Nation. The recipient of multiple Pushcart Prizes, a Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship and the Levis Reading Prize, Akbar was born in Tehran, Iran, and teaches at the University of Iowa and in the MFA programs at Randolph College and Warren Wilson. In 2014, he founded Divedapper, a home for dialogues with the most vital voices in American poetry.

“Akbar’s writing is both transcendent and relatable,” Dr. Lawrence said. “I think our students will be captivated by his unflinching portrayal of addiction, his command of pop culture references, and his deep exploration of life, death, art, love and loss.”

Steven Pico

"UNCENSORED"
Noon-1 p.m. | Olin Auditorium

Steven Pico is a literary activist and one of the founders of the Freedom to Read movement. He will discuss his success against book banning, the importance of non-violent activism and the state of freedom of expression in the United States in his lecture, sponsored by the Stanley Erikson Lectureship in Public Affairs.

In 1977, at age 17, Pico and four other teens sued their school district in Long Island, N.Y., for banning 11 books from their school libraries. The case, Board of Education v. Pico, resulted in a 5-4 ruling to have all the books returned to the school libraries after deciding that school boards may not remove books simply because the board members dislike the ideas contained in those books.

"Steven Pico's story reminds us of the impact young people can have on the world and invites us to raise the bar on what we expect of ourselves," said Dr. Meg Gillette, professor and chair of English at Augustana.

Pico has been recognized by the American Library Association and the Writers Guild of America, and was honored in 2023 with the New Press Social Justice Award "for a lifetime of fighting against censorship."

Dr. Christine Jeske

"Racial justice for the long haul: Cultivating rugged hope and enduring change"
1:15-2:15 p.m. | Hanson 102 Lecture Hall

Is racial justice a passing fad? Headlines spark moments of outrage, but how do people keep pursuing racial justice when attention fades? Drawing on years of in-depth interviews and visits with activists who have devoted decades to building communities where everyone can thrive, Dr. Christine Jeske explores how individuals can cultivate lasting hope and put effective practices into action. This talk offers inspiration and practical guidance for sustaining justice work in challenging times.

Dr. Jeske, an associate professor of anthropology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., has written multiple books, including “The Laziness Myth” and “Racial Justice for the Long Haul: How White Christian Advocates Persevere,” where she offers practical research on how people pursue a more just world.

As a cultural anthropologist, author and educator, Dr. Jeske often speaks on topics at the intersection of vocation, race, work and the pursuit of the good life. She brings a mix of scholarly depth and real-world insight to her talks.

“Dr. Jeske will guide students with various religious and non-religious commitments to reflect on how their own faith and morals intersect with their commitments to justice,” said Dr. Jason Mahn, professor of religion at Augustana. “We are really lucky to host a speaker who so thoughtfully combines rigorous scholarship with personal reflection.”