Morbid Anatomy in Conversation with Stephen Asma, Author of "On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears," July 21, Bryant Park Reading Room

Next Wednesday, July 21st, I would like to cordially invite you to join myself and Stephen Asma--one of my favorite scholar/writers--as we engage in a public chat about "monsters" in history and in our own psychology as compelling explored in his recent book On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears.

This public conversation will take place at the Bryant Park Reading Room as part of the "Word for Word Université" series; it is free and open to the public and will begin at 7:00 P.M. Hope you can join Mr. Asma--who also wrote one of my favorite books ever, Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads--and myself in what I am sure will be a thought-provoking conversation about monsters within and without.

Full details follow. Hope very much to see you there!

Word for Word Université at Bryant Park
In cooperation with Oxford University Press

Presents

Stephen Asma, author of On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears

In conversation with

Joanna Ebenstein, Morbid Anatomy Blog and Library

“Real or imagined, literal or metaphorical, monsters have exerted a dread fascination on the human mind for many centuries. Using philosophical treatises, theological tracts, newspapers, films, and novels, author Stephen T. Asma unpacks traditional monster stories for the clues they offer about the inner logic of our fears and fascinations throughout the ages.” – Amazon.com review

Please join us for a fascinating discussion of the monsters in our lives and our need to classify them. Stephen Asma is the distinguished scholar and Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago. Joanna Ebenstein is the creator and writer of the Morbid Anatomy blog and the related Brooklyn-based Morbid Anatomy Library.

Place: Bryant Park Reading Room*
Date: July 21, 2010
Time: 7pm

This program is free to the public. For more details, visit www.bryantpark.org.

*The Bryant Park Reading Room is located on the 42nd Street side of Bryant Park, between 5th Avenue and Sixth Avenue. Look for the big burgundy/white umbrellas.

Directions to Bryant Park: Subways B, D, F, V to 6th Ave. @ 42nd St. 7 line to 5th Ave.@ 42nd St.; Bus M1, M2, M3, M4, Q32, to 5th Ave.@ 42nd St.; M5, M6, M7 to 6th Ave.@ 42nd St.

More information about the event and the venue can be found here. You can find more about Stephen Asma's books here and here and more about he and his work here.

Image: As used in Asma's book, and as seen in the Anatomical Theatre exhibition: Museum of Anatomical Waxes “Luigi Cattezneo” (Museo Delle Cere Anatomiche “Luigi Cattaneo”): Bologna, Italy "Iniope–conjoined twins" Wax anatomical model; Cesare Bettini, Early 19th Century