Calendar highlights

Atwood to give reading
Margaret Atwood, the internationally known author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” will read from her latest novel, “The Blind Assassin,” at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 14, in the Wisconsin Union Theater, 800 Langdon St.

The reading is cosponsored by the UW–Madison Libraries and Borders Book Stores and coincides with the release of the paperback edition of the book, first published last year.

Atwood is the author of more than 25 books, including fiction, poetry and essays. “The Blind Assassin” is a meditation on loss, regret and yearning. The London Times wrote, “Atwood’s latest fiction is among the very best.”

Atwood, born in Ottawa in 1939, lives in Toronto. She has taught at universities in Canada, the United States and Australia.

Mosse conference Sept. 7-9
An international conference Sept. 7-9 will honor the memory and explore the scholarly legacy of George Mosse, the Bascom- Weinstein Professor of Jewish Studies who died in 1999.

The free public conference will draw upon the expertise of scholars from Cambridge, Israel, Rome, the United States and UW–Madison. Topics will cover much of Mosse’s vast academic turf, according to UW–Madison history professor Stanley Payne, a conference organizer.

Saul Friedlander, a professor at the University of California-Los Angeles, will open the conference with an overview of “Mosse’s Influence on the Historiography of the Holocaust” Sept. 7 at 4:30 p.m.

All sessions are in the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. Registration is not required. For a schedule or information: 262-3855, freiling@facstaff.wisc.edu.

Emeritus lectures set
The eighth annual Emeritus Faculty Lecture Series “Eloquence and Eminence” will kick off Sept. 16 with Joanne Cantor, communication arts, discussing “What Can We Do About Media Violence?”

The free lectures, featuring retired UW faculty, are held in the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Sundays, 2-3 p.m.

• Oct. 21: Anthropologist James Stoltman will talk about “The Illinois Connection in Wisconsin’s Prehistoric Past.”
• March 17: David Hayman, comparative literature, will to speak about “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Joyce’s Ulysses.”
• April 21: Robert Auerbach, zoology, will present “Must Have Proven Grant-Raising Ability: The Effect of Research Funding on the University.”

Registration is not required. For a brochure, call 262-3733.