A favorite start-of-semester tradition in Bwog-land is the release of the Heyman Center’s schedule for the upcoming semester. Some staffers get to pencil in talks and discussions they’ll later miss (thanks homework!), and some get to giggle yet again at “Heyman Center.” Because some of us are four years old, really. This year’s best bets for you to adopt The Thinker‘s pose:

• Harvard’s University Library Director Robert Darnton lecturing on “Google, Libraries, and the Digital Future” (September 17th)
• Not one, but two readings by former Poets Laureate, Rita Dove (September 23rd) and Richard Hass (November 16th)
  
• A double act as well from famous philosopher Charles Taylor, discussing “Culture, Identity, and Politics” (September 28th) and lecturing on “Can Human Action Be Explained?” (November 10th)
  
• A day-long conference on academic freedom, including David Bromwich, Richard Shweder, Robert Zimmer, and Judith Butler (October 21st)
  
• Intellectual historian Quentin Skinner asks “Is the State a Fictional Person?” (October 22nd).
• Several Columbia history luminaries–Alan Brinkley, Victoria de Grazia, Eric Foner, and Pamela Smith–join Caroline Bynum to talk about “What is Happening in History Now?” (November 19th).
• Stanley Fish, Catherine Stimpson, and Akeel Bilgrami join three Columbia professors–Vince Blasi, Katherine Franke and Bruce Robbins–to discuss “Freedom, Law and Academic Inquiry” (November 20th).
  
• Noam Chomsky delivers the Edward Said Memorial Lecture (December 8th).
• Three Nobel Laureates in Economics–Amartya Sen, Kenneth Arrow, and Eric Maskin–debate “Social Choice and Individual Values,” with a fourth Nobel Laureate, Columbia’s own Joseph Stiglitz, chairing. 

Full schedule after the jump.

MARSHALL SAHLINS

“The Western Illusion of Human Nature”

Monday, 21 September   6:15pm-8:15pm

Heyman Center for the Humanities, Second Floor Common Room

RITA DOVE

A Poetry Reading by Rita Dove Followed by an Interview with Marcellus Blount

Wednesday, 23 September   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

CHARLES TAYLOR, ALAN MONTEFIORE, & EMMANUEL PICAVET

“Cultural Identity and Politics”

Monday, 28 September   7:00pm-9:30pm

501 International Affairs Building

Co-sponsored by the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life, the Committee on Global Thought, & the Alliance Program

ROBERT PIPPIN

Discussants: James Schamus & Geoffrey O’Brien

The Lionel Trilling Seminar:

“Who Cares Who Shot Liberty Valance?: The Prosaic and the Heroic in John Ford’s Film”

Tuesday, 6 October   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

(Note: Advance viewing of the film is highly recommended.)

DANIEL KAHNEMAN

Discussants: Jon Elster, George Ainslie, & Walter Mischel

Title to Be Announced

Tuesday, 13 October   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

JUDITH BUTLER, DAVID BROMWICH, ROBERT ZIMMER, & RICHARD SHWEDER

“What is Academic Freedom for?”

Wednesday, 21 October   3:00pm-8:30pm

Presidential Rooms 2 & 3, Third Floor, Faculty House

QUENTIN SKINNER

“Is the State a Fictional Person?”

Thursday, 22 October   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

CAROL GILLIGAN & NANCY CHODOROW

“Transforming Psychology”

Thursday, 5 November   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

CHARLES TAYLOR

“Can Human Action Be Explained?”

Tuesday, 10 November   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

Co-sponsored by the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life & the Committee on Global Thought

JONATHAN ISRAEL

“Dutch Cities, Radical Enlightenment, and the ‘General Revolution'(1776-1790)”

Friday, 13 November   4:00pm-5:30pm

Deutsches Haus, 420 West 116th Street

Co-sponsored by the Department of History

ROBERT HASS

A Poetry Reading by Robert Hass Followed by an Interview with Saskia Hamilton

Monday, 16 November   6:15pm-8:15pm

Heyman Center for the Humanities, Second Floor Common Room

CAROLINE BYNUM

Discussants: Alan Brinkley, Victoria de Grazia, Eric Foner, & Pamela Smith

“What is Happening in History Now?”

Thursday, 19 November   6:15pm-8:15pm

Davis Auditorium, the Schapiro Center

STANLEY FISH, CATHARINE STIMPSON, & AKEEL BILGRAMI

Discussants: Vince Blasi, Katherine Franke, & Bruce Robbins

“Freedom, Law, and Academic Inquiry”

Friday, 20 November   10:00am-5:00pm

Heyman Center for the Humanities, Second Floor Common Room

Co-sponsored by the Columbia University Law School

& the Department of English and Comparative Literature

NOAM CHOMSKY

The Annual Edward Said Memorial Lecture

Thursday, 3 December   6:30pm-8:30pm

Altschul Auditorium (417 International Affairs Building)

EZRA TAWIL

Discussants: Andrew Delbanco & Ross Posnock

“American Exceptionalism and the Question of Style”

Tuesday, 8 December   6:15pm-8:15pm

Heyman Center for the Humanities, Second Floor Common Room

AMARTYA SEN

Discussants: Kenneth Arrow & Eric Maskin

Chair: Joseph Stiglitz

“Social Choice and Individual Values”

Friday, 11 December   4:00pm-6:00pm

Altschul Auditorium (417 International Affairs Building)