The Function of Criticism

Join us for a talk by Merve Emre, New Yorker contributing writer and the director of the Shapiro Center for Creative Writing and Criticism at Wesleyan University.

In recent years, the means of criticism have been democratized by technology while universities and media institutions have come under attack for being “elitist” and out of touch. How do these facts change our understanding of the public function of criticism, and of the role of the professional critic? Does Matthew Arnold’s belief that the critic’s job is to “elevate culture” still hold up in the age of BookTok, Goodreads and Substack?

Wednesday, February 4th
4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Swift Hall, 3rd Floor
1025 E. 58th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
Free and open to the public

Founded in 2023, the Public Thinking Lecture Series at the University of Chicago brings distinguished writers, critics, and journalists to campus to discuss the challenges of engaging in the public conversation today. Co-organized by and the Parrhesia Program for Public Thought and Discourse, the series seeks to inspire a more thoughtful, self-reflective, and pluralistic public discourse.

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