Penn Humanities Forum: Time

The Penn Humanities Forum program this year considers Time in its many dimensions. October 11; The Historical Novel. Penn historian and early American expert Daniel K. Richter joins William Vollman and James Welch in a discussion of their recent works. In Argall, the latest volume in Seven Dreams: A book of North American Landscapes, Mr. Vollman examines the collisions between Native Americans and European colonizers. In Heartsong of the Charging Elk, Mr. Welch explores the cultural shock of an Oglala Sioux abandoned in France by Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The discussion takes place at 8 p.m., at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Montgomery Auditorium, Central Library, 1901 Vine St. Tickets are $12, $8 student, $6 simulcast. For tickets call (215) 569-9700. This event is co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Lectures at the Free Library.

October 24; Cut To: Subjectivity, Time, and the Movies. Everyone has a movie in his or her own head. It compresses time, re-casts the roles, and re-edits the scenes until it all comes out "just right." Some dreams are private; others can be rented at the video store. Oscar-nominated director and screenwriter Gary Ross discusses subjectivity, time and memory through the prism of his film Pleasantville and other movies. Pleasantville, his tour-de-force directorial debut, broke new ground for its visual effects. Mr. Ross also wrote the screenplays for the hit movies Big and Dave.Screening of Pleasantville is at 7 p.m. followed by a Q & A session with Mr. Ross. The event takes place at International House, is free and no registration is required. The event is co-sponsored by the Penn Library, School of Arts and Sciences Film Studies Program, and International House.