This October, the Obermann Center is thrilled to present the inaugural event in our new annual public conversation series, Counterpoint. These events will highlight a University of Iowa scholar with a long career of making critical contributions to their field, placing them in dialogue across the disciplines with another scholar from a different yet complementary field. 

The Counterpoint series is one of the initiatives of the Obermann Center’s new director, Luis Martín-Estudillo. As he begins his first year directing the Center, Martín-Estudillo is thinking about ways to elevate all kinds of scholarship on campus.  “The Obermann Center emphasizes the value of all the types of research done at the University of Iowa—including research in the arts. We want to present the arts not as a beautiful addendum to an intellectual discussion, but as part of the intellectual discussion.” To this end, all Counterpoint events will be held in Voxman Recital Hall, and each discussion will open with a short artistic program designed to echo the theme of the conversation.

The word counterpoint itself comes from music; it’s a technique in which two or more complementary yet contrasting melodies are played simultaneously. “The series name ‘Counterpoint’ connects with the fact that we’re going to have an initial performance, followed by dialogue between two faculty members, and then we’ll have a Q&A, so there’s going to be different voices heard,” explains Martín-Estudillo. “Lectures are time-tested instruments for sharing knowledge, but they are eminently one-directional, and sometimes a bit stiff. Conversations are more fluid. Universities are the ideal place for productive polyphony—we want to promote scholarly encounters that generate something new, unexpected, perhaps even for the people on the stage.” Through lively discussion, audience Q&A, and themed live art, Counterpoint aims to bring scholarly work to life.

The inaugural Counterpoint event, “The Politics of (International) Writing,” will feature a musical program by an international ensemble of UI School of Music students and a conversation between Christopher Merrill, Director of Iowa’s International Writing Program, and Loren Glass, Chair of the English Department. The two will discuss Merrill’s unique career in the arts and how to use creative writing as a tool for fostering diplomacy, peace, and cross-cultural connections.

The Politics of (International) Writing will take place Monday, October 14, 7:30-8:30pm at Voxman Recital Hall. All Counterpoint events will be free and open to the public.