25th Frieze Lectures: Ideas That Changed Us
To kick off the 150th anniversary year of the Rock Island Public Library, the 25th annual Frieze Lecture series will focus on ideas that had a profound impact in their own times – much like the opening of the Rock Island Public Library, the first tax-supported public library in Illinois.
The series, a partnership between the Rock Island Public Library and Augustana College, will offer four faculty presentations on "Ideas That Changed Us." Augustana faculty members will discuss books that mark significant artistic, scientific, or political movements.
The free lecture series takes place on four Thursdays at 2 p.m.: Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 3, and 10, in the Community Room of the downtown library, 401 19th St.
“The Frieze Lecture series with Augustana College began with the celebration of the library’s 125th anniversary, so it was a particularly appropriate way to kick off our 150th,” said Angela Campbell, Rock Island Public Library director. “We are honored to continue our association with Augustana College, which brings college-level lectures into the public learning setting of the library.”
2022 schedule
October 20: William Styron's "Sophie's Choice," presented by Dr. Paul Olsen, professor of English. Responding to the recent surge in book banning, this talk will focus on the "truths" of iconic American author Styron. Styron made two separate speaking weekends to Augustana, packing Centennial Hall first and later returning to the Carver Center for a commencement address. Two of Styron’s works have been the subject of book challenges.
October 27: "The 1619 Project," edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, and presented by Dr. Lauren Hammond, associate professor of history. The long-form journalism project reframed the country’s history around the perspectives and contributions of Black Americans.
November 3: "Cosmos and the Work of Alexander von Humboldt," presented by Dr. Stephen Hager, professor of biology. Considered by some as the first environmentalist, von Humboldt’s work is a holistic observation of all of nature.
November 10: "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, presented by Dr. Ashley Burge, assistant professor of English. Morrison’s literary masterpiece has faced multiple banning attempts for its frank depiction of the horrors of slavery.
The Frieze Lecture Series was created by the late Ruth Evelyn Katz, a library board member, to celebrate the library's 125th anniversary. The name comes from the architectural feature around the top of the downtown library building. The authors carved into the sandstone are Homer, Longfellow, Emerson, Virgil, Hugo, Shakespeare, Goethe, Burns, Hawthorne, Tegner, and Bancroft. Though not well known today, the names of Tegner, a Swedish poet, and Bancroft, a naval historian, would have been familiar to 1903 residents.