Wesleyan Events Wednesday & Thursday (abridged version)

The Distinguished Writers Series at Wesleyan presents Andre Aciman Wednesday at 8 p.m. in The Russell House, 350 High Street. Aciman, author of "Call Me By Your Name" and the nonfiction works "Out of Egypt: A Memoir" and "False Papers: Essays on Exile and Memory" is a Visiting Writer at Wesleyan. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 685-3448.


At the same time, the "Israel in Shorts" series presents "$9.99", a stop-action animated film based on the stories of Israeli author Etgar Keret. The premise of the film can be put this way; "Have you ever wondered "What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? The answer could be yours for a mere $9.99." You may recognize the voice of Geoffrey Rush "("Pirates of the Caribbean", "Elizabeth") on the soundtrack. After the screening, which takes place in the Goldsmith Family Cinema on Washington Terrace, Keret will discuss the book and the movie. This event is also free and open to the public.

On Thursday at 8 p.m., the Annual Samuel & Dorothy Frankel Memorial Lectures presents "The Bible Through Literary Eyes", a lecture by Robert Alter (Wesleyan class of '37). Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley, Alter is the author of 17 books with subjects ranging from Stendhal to Kafka to the art of biblical narrative. His recent translations of the Five Books of Moses, Samuel, and the Book of Psalms have been enthusiastically received and widely praised for capturing so forcefully the original Hebrew. A reception will follow the presentation which takes place in Room 108 of the Usdan University Center on Wyllys Avenue. This, too, is free and open to the public. For more information, email jzwelling@wesleyan.edu.

(UPDATE: Tickets for the Dar Williams show are sold out.) If the Old Testament is not of interest, singer-songwriter Dar Williams (Wesleyan, class of '89) performs at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall. Joining her will be Paul Baker Hernandez, a songwriter, performer, and lecturer who lives in Managua, Nicaragua. The event is co-sponsored by Wesleyan University's Office of Academic Affairs, Alumni Relations Office, Center for the Arts, Latin American Studies Program, Music Department, Department of Sociology, and WESU. For ticket information, call the Box Office at 685-3355.

Here's Dar is action on "Austin City Limits":