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Renowned Author Lewis Hyde to Lecture on The Gift 

 

Lewis Hyde, acclaimed author of The Gift, will discuss his book at a lecture on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Pepperdine's Raitt Recital Hall in Malibu. Hyde will be available to sign copies of his book following the lecture.  

By now considered a modern classic, The Gift is a defense of the value of creativity and of its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities. Widely available again after 25 years, the book offers an illuminating view of the world that has been appreciated by artists of all kinds.

"Hyde's book on the gift presents provocative ideas important for economics, politics, social theory, and the arts. He argues that giving gifts-material, spiritual, or creative-builds special and indispensable human connections," says Donald Marshall, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books. "He challenges us to find ways to nurture these in a society too focused on commodities and commerce."

Hyde was born in Boston in 1945 and was educated at the Universities of Minnesota and Iowa. His much reprinted essay, "Alcohol and Poetry: John Berryman and the Booze Talking," grew out of his experiences as an alcoholism counselor. For six years, Hyde taught writing at Harvard University where in his last year he was director of the creative writing faculty. He has taught at Kenyon College since 1989 where he is currently the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing.

In addition to The Gift, Hyde is also the author of This Error is the Sign of Love and Trickster Makes This World. Hyde's poetry and essays have appeared in numerous journals, including the Kenyon Review, American Poetry Review, Paris Review, and Nation.

"The community will find Hyde's lecture very provocative and compelling, especially in our current climate of concern for the modern arts," said Maire Mullins, chair of the Seaver College Humanities and Teacher Education Division.

The lecture is presented by the Seaver College Dean's Office, the Humanities and Teacher Education Division, and the Center for Faith and Learning. For more information, please contact the Humanities and Teacher Education Division at (310) 506-4225.