2008-2009 Town Hall Series
Season tickets are only $70. Individual lecture tickets are NOT available for purchase. Order by phone at (509) 966-0930. Tickets for the series will be mailed in late September before the first lecture October 3rd.
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Frank McCourt October 8, 2008 11:00 a.m. Capitol Theatre |
“Was I Teaching or Was I Learning? I’d Say Both”
Winner of more than 7 national honors, including the Pulitzer for Angela’s Ashes, Irish-born Frank McCourt is a master storyteller. After devoting 30 years as an innovative and beloved English teacher in New York City Public Schools, McCourt became a literary star at age 66. Hear McCourt, renowned for his hilarious anecdotes, irreverent charm, and self-effacing wit, transform the story of a childhood blighted by poverty, death, and disease into a life that triumphs through compassion and love.
“McCourt has a compulsion to tell us the story of his life, but he does it so well… that one couldn't possibly want him to stop. I wish I could have been in one of his classes."
– Lucy Hughes-Hallett, London Sunday Times
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Former Ambassador Peter Sutherland November 5, 2008 11:00 a.m. Capitol Theatre |
“Is The World Really Flat?”
Peter Sutherland, is a distinguished Canadian diplomat, serving his country as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, The Philippines, Nepal, and India. These experiences, fortified by a Fellowship at Harvard University, well prepare him to unravel the intricacies of globalization and its consequences upon trade, international finance, and business development. Sutherland will delineate the effects of foreign policy, not only upon US citizens, but also upon the residents of India, China, the Middle East, and others in our global village.
“Peter is an energetic and engaging speaker, with extensive international knowledge gained over many years spent living abroad in widely divergent cultures”
– Mel MacDonald, Canadian High Commissioner to Malaysia
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Rob Gifford March 18, 2009 11:00 a.m. Capitol Theatre |
“China Road: A Journey Into the Future of a Rising Power”
As Chief Beijing correspondent for NPR, Rob Gifford, fluent in Mandarin, has spent much of the last twenty years studying and reporting from China. Gifford began his fascination with China, the world’s most populous country, as a 20-year-old language student. His lecture, derived from his book, China Road, will take us on a dramatic journey from Shanghai to the border with Kazakhstan. Sharing the rich mosaic of modern Chinese life, Gifford poses the perturbing question, “Could China possibly become the next global superpower?”… and, more importantly, he answers it!!
“How I envy Rob Gifford and his journey along China Road. How grateful I am to him for allowing me to share the trip through his vivid writing and his deep knowledge of and great love for China. As vicarious enjoyment goes, this one’s a ten.”
– Ted Koppel, Managing Editor Discovery Channel
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Lisa Ling April 22, 2009 11:00 a.m. Capitol Theatre |
“National Geographic Reports: A Global Perspective”
Lisa Ling, known for her role on ABC’S The View and as the special correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show, found her niche as the first female host of National Geographic Channel’s Explorer. She has earned numerous awards for her daring investigative work in often overlooked, but highly compelling world situations. Her stories, posted from more than twenty-four countries around the world, provide unforgettable human narrative.
“ Lisa Ling was wonderful! …We laughed and we cried. She has had so many unique and serious experiences for someone so young. But, she's used these experiences to make the world aware of the ‘real’ stories out there. Everyone was in awe.”
– Betty McMillan, Town Hall South