| Details: | We cordially invite you to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at Central Michigan University and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In partnership with the Ballenger Eminent Persons Lecture Series at Mott Community College, we hope that you will join us for a private anniversary gala and public keynote address by presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham. About Jon Meacham
Meacham served as Newsweek’s managing editor from 1998 to 2006 and as editor from 2006 to 2010. He is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, including And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle and Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. Named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the Society of American Historians. Meacham is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University where he holds the Rogers Chair in the American Presidency. In 2024 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden and was honored as a Library Lion of the New York Public Library. Event sponsorsThe Griffin Forums are sponsored by the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government within the School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service with support from the Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics at Central Michigan University. The 25th anniversary event is also co-sponsored by the Ballenger Eminent Persons Lecture Series at Mott Community College. *Central Michigan University will provide a bus from our Mount Pleasant campus to Flint and back for this event. Email SPSJPS@cmich.edu to reserve your seat on the bus. |
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| Location: |
Flint Institute of Arts 1120 E. Kearsley St. Flint, MI , United States Get directions |
| Admission: | Free and open to the public. |
| Sponsor: | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences School of Politics, Society, Justice, and Public Service |
| Contact: | Kay Purtill SPSJPS@cmich.edu 989-774-3442 |
We invite you to attend readings and events hosted by the Department of English Language and Literature each semester. If you would like to receive reminders and updates on readings and other creative writing events, please subscribe to our listserv by sending an email with "subscribe cwrite" in the body of the message.
Faculty Reading Series
Join us for readings by CMU English department faculty members each semester.
Meijer Visiting Writers Series
Founded through a gift from the Meijer Foundation, the Meijer Visiting Writers Series hosts readings each semester. You can view videos of past readings on our Creative Writing Facebook page.
Annual Leaves of Grass marathon reading
Each fall, we invite the community to join us from sunrise through the afternoon in the Fabiano Botanical Garden next to Park Library for our annual marathon reading of Walt Whitman's classic Leaves of Grass. All are welcome to take turns reading or just listen and enjoy hearing others read.
Wellspring Literary Series
Founded and facilitated by Robert Fanning, CMU Professor of Creative Writing; since 2009 the Wellspring Literary Series has provided a forum for the Mt. Pleasant and Central Michigan University community to hear the work of established and emerging regional writers. The Wellspring Literary Series has become a destination venue for Michigan writers and poets from around the state to share their work here in Mount Pleasant with a large, receptive audience. In addition to providing a space to hear some of Michigan's best writers, the series also provides opportunities for CMU writing students to read their works-in-progress in public alongside these prominent authors. The Wellspring Literary Series also features music performed by students and faculty members from the CMU School of Music, as well as local Musicians. All readings are free and open to the public and take place at the Art Reach of Mid Michigan, located at 111 E. Broadway in downtown Mt. Pleasant. Readings are generally held on the first or second Monday of every month, except in the case of holidays or scheduling conflicts. Refreshments are served, courtesy of Max and Emily's Eatery. For the latest updates, further details, or inquiries, email Robert Fanning or visit the Wellspring Literary Series website.
Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham is one of America's most prominent public intellectuals. A highly sought-after commentator, Meacham regularly appears on MSNBC, CNN, and other news outlets. A skilled orator with a depth of knowledge about politics, religion, and current affairs, Meacham has the unique ability to bring history to life and offer historical context to current events and issues impacting our daily lives—whether we realize it or not—to audiences of all backgrounds and levels of understanding.