Forums planned around county

The history and culture of Afghanistan and the surrounding region will be discussed by professors in an upcoming lecture series at Dane County libraries.

The free public “Humanities Forums on the Middle East” are sponsored by the Center for the Humanities in conjunction with the Dane Country Library Service. All talks begin at 7 p.m.:

• Tuesday, Nov. 6, Oregon Public Library, 256 Brook St., Oregon, 835-3656. Michael Chamberlain, history, discusses Islamic political movements.
• Monday, Nov. 12, Waunakee Public Library, 710 South St., Waunakee, 849-4217. Muhammad Memon, Asian languages and cultures, discusses Muslim life and culture.
• Tuesday, Nov. 20, Deerfield Public Library, 12 W. Nelson St., Deerfield, 764-8102. Mark Kenoyer, anthropology, gives a talk, “Afghanistan and Pakistan: The History of a Family Divided.”
• Monday, Nov. 26, Sequoya branch, Madison Public Library, 513 S. Midvale Blvd., Madison, 266-6385. David Morgan, history, explains how Afghanistan became the center of a world crisis.
• Tuesday, Dec. 4, main hall, Monona Community Center, 1011 Nichols Road, Monona, 222-6127. Sharon Hutchinson, anthropology, gives a talk, “The U.S. and Islamic Fundamentalism: The War in Sudan.”

Series features Deborah Blum
Women and Learning, a lecture series by three nationally known UW–Madison scholars, will feature Deborah Blum a journalism and mass communication professor, Thursday, Nov. 1.

The lectures, sponsored by the Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries, sample women’s scholarship in literature, science and history. Blum’s lecture, second in the series, will present “The Nature of Love” at 4:30 p.m., 126 Memorial Library, 728 State St. More information: 265-2505, friends@library.wisc.edu.