Cornille Seminar Series

The Cornille faculty seminar is an annual series hosted by the Mary L. Cornille Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the Humanities. This year's Cornille Scholar, Dr. Harvey Young, is a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow, cultural critic and distinguished scholar of theatre & performance. He will be in residence at the Suzy Newhouse Center for the Humanities for the 2026-2027 academic year. 

This year's seminar, “Telling Stories! The Art of Belonging," will feature a series of in-person conversations on the power of popular writing in entertainment in journalism, theatre, opera, classic novels, and more to shift and shape culture. Each session will spotlight a prominent arts leader in dialogue with Cornille Scholar Harvey Young with time reserved for conversation with those in attendance. 

Please save the following dates: 

Mon. October 26, 12:45-2:00pm
Session I: Op-eds, Dramatic Criticism, & the Power of Your Voice

Chicago Tribune Editorial Page Editor and Senior Theatre Critic (and NY Daily News Broadway critic) Chris Jones joins Cornille Scholar Harvey Young in conversation. 

Mon. November 30, 12:45-2:00pm
Session II: How Opera is Driving Cultural Change in Boston and Beyond

Boston Lyric Opera CEO and Stanford Calderwood General Director Bradley Vernatter joins Cornille Scholar Harvey Young in conversation. 

Mon. March 1, 12:45-2:00pm
Session III: Lessons from Charles Dickens on Seeing and Writing about Society

Past President of The Dickens Society, current editor of Dickens Studies Annual, Boston University Professor of Humanities (and former Dean of BU's College of General Studies), Natalie McKnight joins Cornille Scholar Harvey Young in conversation. 

Mon. March 15, 12:45-2:00pm 
Session IV: Suspense, Crime, and Mystery

Edgar Award-nominated and Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author Lori Rader-Day joins Cornille Scholar Harvey Young in conversation.

Lunch will be provided. Kindly RSVP here.