Difference between revisions of "Václav Havel"
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'''Václav Havel''', playwright and the ex-president of Czechoslovakia, spent the Fall [[2006]] semester as Columbia's artist in residence. This primarily involved him giving mostly incomprehensible speeches in poor English, most notably a terribly garbled and underwhelming [[CC Coursewide Lecture]]. | '''Václav Havel''', playwright and the ex-president of Czechoslovakia, spent the Fall [[2006]] semester as Columbia's artist in residence. This primarily involved him giving mostly incomprehensible speeches in poor English, most notably a terribly garbled and underwhelming [[CC Coursewide Lecture]]. | ||
| − | Columbia completely milked his | + | Columbia completely milked his 7-week stay for all it was worth including: |
* Controversially, the first semester [[Lit Hum]] syllabus, which is traditionally limited to ancient Greek texts and the Bible, was altered that year to include one of Havel's plays, ''The Garden Party''. | * Controversially, the first semester [[Lit Hum]] syllabus, which is traditionally limited to ancient Greek texts and the Bible, was altered that year to include one of Havel's plays, ''The Garden Party''. | ||
* Littered the campus with [[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/docs/events/commencement/address.html havel water bottles]][photo needed] | * Littered the campus with [[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/docs/events/commencement/address.html havel water bottles]][photo needed] | ||
Revision as of 18:47, 11 July 2007
Václav Havel, playwright and the ex-president of Czechoslovakia, spent the Fall 2006 semester as Columbia's artist in residence. This primarily involved him giving mostly incomprehensible speeches in poor English, most notably a terribly garbled and underwhelming CC Coursewide Lecture.
Columbia completely milked his 7-week stay for all it was worth including:
- Controversially, the first semester Lit Hum syllabus, which is traditionally limited to ancient Greek texts and the Bible, was altered that year to include one of Havel's plays, The Garden Party.
- Littered the campus with [havel water bottles][photo needed]
- CCNMTL Created an entire website, http://havel.columbia.edu/, including video of
- His 'core' speach (be sure and read the feedback before Columbia erases it)
- A set of interviews with Lou Reed -- that's right, Lou fucking Reed, secretly a Havel scholar apparently, and
- Photos, his personal notebooks, and myriad other miscellany. Unbelievable, really.
