University Speakers Series
The University Speakers Series is sponsored jointly by the Honors College and the Office of the Provost. Each year the series brings to Las Cruces one or more speakers of international acclaim to present, free of charge, a lecture of interest to the entire community. The speakers are selected by a committee comprised of university faculty and townspeople. In our selection of speakers, we endeavor to represent a broad range of timely and provocative subjects, and to include distinguished authors, critics, artists, scientists, and social commentators. Speakers have included Carlos Fuentes, Stephen Jay Gould, Jane Goodall, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Alice Walker, Elie Wiesel, F. W. de Klerk, Gloria Steinem, Oliver Sacks, Susan Sontag, Edward James Olmos and N. Scott Momaday.
University Speakers Series, 2009
World-famous author, Salman Rushdie to speak at NMSU
Salman Rushdie, an award-winning author who survived a death threat for one of his works, will speak at New Mexico State University’s Pan American Center at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10. The event is free and open to the public as part of the University Speaker Series.
"Sir Salman Rushdie is one of the most celebrated and controversial authors of our time," said William Eamon, dean of the NMSU Honors College. "This is a rare opportunity for the students of NMSU and members of the community to listen to one of the greatest literary figures of our age."
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a previous leader of Iran, issued a death threat for Rushdie following his fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses." The book was the center of protests for Muslims in several countries in the late 1980s. After the threat, Rushdie spent much of the next decade underground but continued to be outspoken against censorship.
Rushdie's other novels include "The Moor's Last Sigh," "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" and last year's "The Enchantress of Florence." He won the prestigious Booker Prize for "Midnight's Children." Rushdie received a knighthood in 2007 for his services to literature.
"Rushdie is not only a brilliant provocateur, he's a spellbinding lecturer who talks about the major themes that course through his writing, including freedom of expression, religion, pop culture, Muslim culture, East-West relations, and the role of the artist in shaping our understanding of the world," Eamon said.
The University Speakers Series is sponsored by the Honors College, the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost. For more information, call (575) 646-2005.