FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2002

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE WRITERS AND CRITICS SERIES TO BEGIN WITH SPEECH ON COPYRIGHT, ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

The Drake University Writers and Critics Series will begin Tuesday, Sept. 24, with a presentation by Mark Rose, professor of English at the University of California, titled "Copyright and Its Metaphors." The speech will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Honors Lounge of Medbury Hall at Drake, 1317 28th St.

Rose is the author of four noted books on topics ranging from Shakespeare to science fiction, including "Authors and Owners: The Invention of Copyright," which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He also has been active as an expert witness and consultant in film and copyright matters since 1980. His involvement in more than 30 cases, including Danjaq vs. Sony, a recent and widely-publicized case involving the James Bond movies, led to his scholarly interest in the history of copyright.

The Writers and Critics Series will continue on Friday, Sept. 27, with a roundtable discussion featuring six writers from the University of Iowa International Writers Program. The discussion, titled “Reflections on a Global Year: The Worldview, Post 9/11,” will start at 3:30 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room, 28th Street and University Avenue. The writers will discuss how 9/11 has affected the world, the nation, art and literature. A reception will follow the discussion.

The participating writers are Sunny Ayewanu, a poet from Nigeria; Sukrita Paul Kumar, a poet from India; Guillermo Martinez, a fiction writer and essayist from Argentina; Gordon McLauchlan, a fiction writer and journalist from New Zealand; Charlson Lim Ong, a fiction writer from the Philippines; and Dorit Rabinyan, a fiction writer and poet from Israel.

The schedule for the rest of the fall series is listed below:

• Oct. 7: Todd Strasser, author of more than 100 novels and several popular series for middle school students and young adult readers, 5:30 p.m., Cowles Library Reading Room
• Oct. 14: Catherine Taylor, author of "Giving Birth: A Journey into the World of Mothers and Midwives," 7 p.m., Honors Lounge, Medbury Hall
• Nov. 5: Debra Marquart, poet and author of "The Hunger Gone: Rock & Roll Stories" and "Everything's a Verb," 7 p.m., Honors Lounge, Medbury Hall
• Dec. 2: John Domini, author of "Highway Trade" and "Talking Heads: 77," 7 p.m., Honors Lounge, Medbury Hall

All events in the Writers and Critics Series are free and open to the public. For more information about the series, call (515) 271-3969 or send an e-mail message to carol.spaulding@drake.edu.