Austin Community College District (ACC) invites students, faculty, staff, and the community to discuss the influence of 13th-century Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi at the Fall 2019 Great Questions Lecture Series. The event will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday, November 14, at ACC Eastview Campus, Room 8500 (3401 Webberville Rd.).

“The Great Questions Lecture Series invites renowned scholars from all over the nation to discuss some of the books students read in HUMA 1301: The Great Questions Seminar,” says Ted Hadzi-Antich Jr., ACC Government department chair and associate professor. “We are delighted to invite Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz to ACC this fall to discuss Rumi, an Islamic scholar, theologian and mystic poet, whose verse continues to inspire people across multiple religious traditions.”

Keshavarz is host of the bi-weekly podcast Radio Rumi, the Roshan Chair in Persian Studies, and directs the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Maryland. 

Following the discussion, Keshavarz will host a second conversation on “How to Read a Poet Like Rumi” from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m., Friday, November 15, at Highland Campus, Social Staircase (6101 Highland Campus Dr.). Visitors will explore Rumi’s heritage, tradition, and culture and discuss how different faiths connect with his poetry.

The events, made possible by a generous grant from the Teagle Foundation, are part of the college’s Great Questions Project which aims to provide students with discussion-based courses that offer core-text readings in lieu of textbooks.

The events are free and open to the public. Pre-lecture refreshments are available beginning at 6:30 p.m. 

For more information, contact Hadzi-Antich at thadzian@austicc.edu.