Wednesday, January 19 / 4 pm / McCune Conference Room, 6020 HSSB, UCSB / Free

Carlos Mateo Balmelli, the dynamic and inspiring President of the National Senate of Paraguay and a powerful contributor to the democratization process in South America, is a Regents’ Lecturer in the Department of Political Science.

Sunday, January 23 / 3 pm / Victoria Hall Theater / 33 W. Victoria Street

Renowned translator Stephen Mitchell has brought to life literature as diverse as the poetry of Rilke and The Book of Job for readers of English. He will discuss his work, including his widely-praised version of Gilgamesh, with beloved author Pico Iyer (The Global Soul).

General public $10 / UCSB students $8

Monday, February 7 / 8 pm / Campbell Hall

Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman (In the Shadow of No Towers) energized the graphic novel with his powerful Holocaust story Maus. His fascinating illustrated talk will explore the evolution of comics, making a case for their importance in a post-literate culture. Please note that Spiegelman will smoke during his talk.

General public $20 / UCSB students $15

The Idee Levitan Interdisciplinary Humanities Center Endowed Lecture

Wednesday, February 16 / 8 pm / Campbell Hall / Free

Twenty-four year old Koren Zailckas’ vivid and cautionary talk, based on her debut book of the same name, examines teenage girls’ binge drinking with unflinching candor and an exquisite analytical eye.

Thursday, February 17 / 8 pm / Campbell Hall

Jared Diamond, author of the bestselling Guns, Germs and Steel, delivers this lecture, based on his latest book, that examines what caused great civilizations of the past to collapse and what we can learn from their fates.

General public $10 / UCSB students $8

Sunday, February 27 / 3 pm / Campbell Hall

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder of the acclaimed University of Massachusetts Stress Reduction Clinic and author of the meditation classic Wherever You Go, There You Are. His talk will present the latest findings in the emerging discipline of mind-body medicine.

General public $10 / UCSB students $8

Co-presented with the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies and La Casa de Maria

Monday, February 28 / 8 pm / Arlington Theatre

The funniest American writer still open for business. —Time

Garrison Keillor, esteemed creator of the radio classic A Prairie Home Companion, returns to Santa Barbara to regale the crowd with his sly wit, enchanting stories, charming songs and other surprises.

General public $35 / UCSB students $20

Tuesday, March 1 / 8 pm / Campbell Hall

Bill Moyers has often been called the conscience of journalism because of his earnest curiosity, probing questions and ability to contextualize. His work, from Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth to Now with Bill Moyers, has set the standard for TV news. He will engage in a fascinating discussion about journalism and the state of the world with award-winning poet and essayist Naomi Shihab Nye.

General public $50
UCSB students $20 (limited availability)
$250 for VIP seating and a post-event reception with Bill Moyers

I PowerPoint

Tuesday, March 8 / 8 pm / UCSB Corwin Pavilion

Former head Talking Head and creative dynamo David Byrne has turned his attention to the ubiquitous presentation software PowerPoint, developing the book Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information and this surprising, comic and touching performance piece.

General public $20 / UCSB students $15

Co-presented with the UCSB Center for Information Technology and Society

Sunday, April 3 / 3 pm / Arlington Theatre

One of the planet’s funniest writers —Boston Globe

Zany Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry, whose column was syndicated to over 500 papers before he began his recent sabbatical, has written 25 guffaw-inducing, best-selling books including Tricky Business, Boogers Are My Beat and Dave Barry’s Guide to Life.

General public $35 / UCSB students $20