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Modern Poet Alan Kaufman To Kick Off COC’s Humanities Lecture Series

For the third year in a row, College of the Canyons is introducing its “Celebrating the Humanities” series of programs at both the Valencia and Canyon Country campuses, and this time it’s with the help of celebrated poet Alan Kaufman.


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Throughout the fall and spring semesters, college faculty will give presentations on English, philosophy, cinema and modern language, all centering around this year’s theme, “Against the Grain,” which tackles mental health issues.

The series will kick off with two live readings by Kaufman, writer and modern poet who authored the memoirs “Jew Boy” and “Drunken Angel,” recounting how he came to grips with his Jewish heritage and how he recovered from alcoholism.

“It’s our hope that the theme for this year’s program, “Against the Grain,” will provide students and community members a forum to talk about what is a very sensitive, but important, social topic,” said Dr. Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine, COC instructor and an event organizer.

Kaufman will be reading passages from “Drunken Angel,” his latest memoir, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the Canyon Country campus Carl A. Rasmussen Amphitheater. He will hold another reading from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 in Mentry Hall, Room 343 on the Valencia campus.

Kaufman will also take part in an open lecture and community discussion from 9 to 10 a.m. on  Friday, Oct. 11, at the Valencia campus Learning Center, Room 144.

A founder of the Free University of San Francisco, which provides free educational instruction to anyone who wants it, Kaufman has also served as editor for the “Outlaw Bible” series, which includes volumes dedicated to American poetry, fiction, essays and literature spanning the Beat poetry of the 1950s to the spoken word of today. 

“We are very pleased to kick off this year’s Celebrating the Humanities program by hosting an engaging writer and poet like Mr. Kaufman to discuss his writing along with some of the social stigmas surrounding mental health issues,” said Cheng-Levine. “In the COC Humanities Division, we strongly believe in the power of words to help facilitate the critical transition from ideas to action.”

The fall semester Celebrating the Humanities program will continue at the Valencia campus with following events and activities:

  • Film Screening — “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” by director Jacques Audiard, 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 in Hasley Hall, Room 101
  • Film Screening — “Breathless” by director Jean-Luc Goddard, 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in Hasley Hall, Room 101
  • Poetry Reading — A Celebration of “Living with Noise” by Joseph Voth, with poetry from Andy McCutcheon and Alene Terzian, 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Nov. 6 in Mentry Hall, Room 34
  • Lecture — “James Baldwin and the Great Divide: Adapting ‘Equal in Paris’ for Golden Age Television” by Adam Kaiserman, 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19 in Mentry Hall, Room 343
  • Film Screening — “A Prophet” by director Jacques Audiard, 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 in Hasley Hall, Room 101

All events are free and open to the public, but seating may be limited.

These events are made possible thanks in part to grant support from the California Mental Health Services Authority, the COC Foundation and the college’s Associated Student Government.

For more information about the fall 2013 Celebrating the Humanities program send an email to adam.kaiserman@canyons.edu.


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Modern Poet Alan Kaufman To Kick Off COC’s Humanities Lecture Series

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