The speakers for the 2011-2012 season, which begins this Fall, are:
JOSEPH ELLIS
Pulitzer Prize Winning Author & Distinguished Historian
October 11, 2011 - Tuesday, 8pm
His ability to bring our nation's founding fathers back to life through his rich and textured writings has made Joseph Ellis one of the most respected historians of our time. This Pulitzer Prize winning author has written eight bestselling books, including his most recent work American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic.
MICHELLE RHEE
Former D.C. Schools Chancellor Featured in Waiting for Superman
November 8, 2011 - Tuesday, 8pm
An outspoken advocate of school reform, Rhee is best known for her years as Chancellor of the D.C. Public Schools from 2007 to 2010. In 1997, she founded The New Teacher Project, recruiting 10,000 teachers in 20 states over 10 years. Most recently, she unveiled StudentsFirst on the Oprah Winfrey Show, with a goal to raise $1 billion to catalyze education reform in the U.S.
VALERIE PLAME WILSON & AMB. JOE WILSON
Former Covert CIA Operative & Former Diplomat to Iraq, Portrayed in the Film Fair Game
November 29, 2011 - Tuesday, 8pm
She was a covert CIA operative working in counter-proliferation. He was an American diplomat to Africa and Iraq. His 2003 New York Times op-ed piece suggesting the Iraqi nuclear threat had been exaggerated allegedly resulted in the exposure of Valerie Plame Wilson's identity. Their story is told in the film Fair Game.
MICHAEL POLLAN
Renowned Sustainable Food Activist Featured in the Documentary Food, Inc.
January 24, 2012 - Tuesday, 8pm
Named by Newsweek as one of the Top 10 "New Thought Leaders" in 2009, for the past 20 years, he has been exploring the places where the human and natural worlds intersect. His prize-winning bestsellers include In Defense of Food, The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and Food Rules. In 2008, Pollan co-starred in the documentary Food, Inc.
AZAR NAFISI
New York Times Bestselling Author of Reading Lolita in Tehran
February 28, 2012 - Tuesday, 8pm
An avid believer in the "republic of the imagination," her best known book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, spent 117 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List, and has been translated into 32 languages. It paints a vivid portrait of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and its effect on Nafisi as a secular woman and university professor, and its effect on her students.
STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL
Retired Four-Star General & Former Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan
April 3, 2012 - Tuesday, 8pm
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called him "one of America's greatest warriors." Known for his candor and innovative leadership, he is widely praised for creating a revolution in warfare that fused intelligence and operations. He commanded U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan until his retirement in 2010.
TOM BROKAW
Legendary Television Journalist and Author of The Greatest Generation
May 1, 2012 - Tuesday, 8pm
One of the most trusted and respected figures in broadcast journalism, he is best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, a post he held for more than 20 years. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and the recipient of numerous awards and honors. Brokaw currently serves as Special News Correspondent for NBC.
