UC Riverside Distinguished Humanist Achievement Lecturer

In 1991-92 The Center for Ideas and Society inaugurated an annual lecture to honor the scholarly achievements and accomplishments of a member of the College of Humanities , Arts, and Social Sciences faculty. The purpose of the annual UC Riverside Humanist Achievement Lecture is to recognize, acknowledge, and celebrate a significant recent scholarly research accomplishment (or performance) by one of our colleagues, or a series of such achievements, whether this is a recent book or a series of articles, or indeed, an especially distinguished performance.  This recognition is without regard to rank or length of service at the University of California , Riverside . For a list of our past awardees click here. 

2007-2008 DHAL
Ethics and Narrative: The Human and Other
April 15, 2008
4:00 p.m.
HMNSS 1500

Chris Abani
Professor of Creative Writing
University of California, Riverside

Chris Abani Biography

There are fundamental problems implicit in the term, human. An inherent set of contradictions almost that beg questions like: Who defines the term human? Who decides what makes up our humanity? Does the term mean the same when applied across broad populations? Is there a standard human against whom we are all judged? These are some of the struggles socially engaged fiction has to navigate to create a credible ethical narrative; a phrase that has to encompass enough ambiguity to avoid the pitfall of polemical arguments, and yet remain specific and grounded in circumstances that can offer entry into an analysis of these questions.

Professor Chris Abani has been selected the 2006-07 Distinguished Humanist Achievement Lecturer by the Advisory Committee of the Center for Ideas and Society. The purpose of the annual Humanist Achievement Lecture is to recognize, acknowledge, and celebrate a significant research accomplishment, performance or creative work by one of our own UCR colleagues. Professor Abani is being honored in recognition of his most recent publications, Becoming Abigail (Akashic, March 2006), Hands Washing Water (Copper Canyon, October 2006), The Virgin of Flames (January 2007) and Song for the Night (September 2007).

Chris Abani's prose includes Song For Night (Akashic, 2007), The Virgin of Flames (Penguin, 2007), Becoming Abigail (Akashic, 2006), GraceLand (FSG, 2004), and Masters of the Board (Delta, 1985). His poetry collections are Hands Washing Water (Copper Canyon, 2006), Dog Woman (Red Hen, 2004), Daphne's Lot (Red Hen, 2003), and Kalakuta Republic (Saqi, 2001). He is a Professor at the University of California, Riverside and the recipient of the PEN USA Freedom-to-Write Award, the Prince Claus Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a California Book Award, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award & the PEN Hemingway Book Prize.

Past UC Riverside Distinguished Humanist Lecturer's