Pen to Palm Leaf (short-term project, 2018-19)

Project Description

Organized by Jay Garfield, Philosophy

In 2018–19, we are excited to welcome a series of visitors focused on Buddhism and contemporary literature, titled Putting Pen to Palm Leaf: Buddhism and Contemporary Literature. This series will bring four eminent writers whose work explores or is inflected by themes deriving from Buddhism to Smith and the Five Colleges for one to two week visits to share their ideas and practice with our students, faculty and the wider community.

Each visitor will stay for one to two weeks and each will:

• Present a public lecture.
• Give a public reading from her or his writing.
• Offer a faculty session of a Smith College Kahn Liberal Arts Institute short-term project to be distributed over the four visits.
• Offer a student seminar, with credit available to students who participate in all four classes with visiting writers and some supplementary sessions and who register for a Buddhist Studies Program special studies course.
• Present work at a meeting of the Five College Buddhist Studies Faculty Seminar.
• Make class visits.

Some events will be hosted on other Five College campuses, but the visits will be anchored at Smith. Learn more about the events on the Smith College Buddhist Studies website.