CORVALLIS, Ore. - The first lecture in the 2009-10 Horning Lecture Series at Oregon State University will be given by David Luft, the Horning Professor in the Humanities at OSU, on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Memorial Union Journey Room.

The talk, which begins at 4 p.m., is free and open to the public.

In a world of many languages, translation builds bridges across the boundaries of language and culture. In this year's Horning lecture series, experienced translators and theorists will emphasize the role of language in our lives and the way translation brings other cultures to us.

In his talk, "Why Translation Matters," Luft will present the first in this series of five lectures, with a discussion on why translation is so important for the humanities, our culture, and the world.

Luft joined the OSU History Department in the fall of 2008 as Thomas Hart and Mary Jones Horning Professor in the Humanities. He is the author of "Eros and Inwardness in Vienna: Weininger, Musil, Doderer" (University of Chicago Press, 2003) and a book on European culture. Luft is working on another translation edition, "Hugo von Hofmannsthal and the Austrian Idea," and writing an intellectual history of German-speaking Austria since the late 18th century.

The four other lectures in the "Translation: Crossing borders, crossing cultures" series are:

  • Nov. 5: "A Life in Translation," Michael Henry Heim, University of California, Los Angeles;
  • Feb. 11: "Translation, Intertextuality, Interpretation," Lawrence Venuti, Temple University;
  • May 13: "The Future of Translation" Burton Pike, City University of New York;
  • May 27:"Translation Is Writing: Borges in/on Translation," Suzanne J. Levine, University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Horning Lecture Series is made possible through the support of the Horning Endowment in the Humanities. For more information, contact the History Department at 541-737-8560 or visit www.oregonstate.edu/cla/history

Events are free and open to the public.

Source: 

Elissa Curcio, (541) 737-8560

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