Speaking the Unspeakable: The Enduring Power of Dante's Inferno at Wilton Library Tomorrow!

At the start of Canto XXVII of his medieval masterpiece The Inferno, Dante writes, "Who could find words..., for the blood and wounds I saw, in all their horror—/ It’s certain no human tongue could take the measure of those enormities.

On Sunday, June 2, Mark J. Schenker of Yale College will speak about Dante’s great early 14th-century poem, focusing on the tension between what the poet sees in his journey through Hell and how he is able to articulate those experiences. Dean Schenker will illustrate how this dynamic opposition works to identify the centrality of language and speech in an array of contexts: in the creation of the poem itself; in the building of human community; in telling the truth; and, finally, in what it means to be civilized. In these and other ways, The Inferno may be seen as anticipating the flowering of humanism that is a hallmark of the Renaissance.

The event begins at 3 p.m. The one-hour talk will be followed by a Q&A. Wine and cheese will be served following the event for those who wish to stay for refreshment and further discussion. There is no charge for the program, but registration is recommended. To register, click here or phone (203) 762-6334.

Mark J. Schenker has been at Yale College since 1990 and is currently a senior associate dean of the College and Dean of Academic Affairs. A former lecturer in the English Department at Yale, he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University with a concentration in 19th-century and early 20th-century English literature. For over 30 years, Dean Schenker has lectured on literature and film and has led book discussion series in more than 100 venues in Connecticut, including public libraries and retirement communities, museums and cultural centers. For a decade he presented programming at public libraries in association with the annual summer productions by the Shakespeare on the Sound theater company located in Fairfield County, and since 2007 he has conducted Literature and Medicine Programs to health care providers at Connecticut hospitals. His affiliation with the Florence Griswold Museum (Old Lyme) has resulted in over 100 sessions there on literature, film and the visual arts.

Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in Wilton, Conn. For more information, visit wiltonlibrary.org.
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Submitted by Wilton, CT

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