On Saturday, February 29, Door Community Auditorium (DCA) will offer two events: at 10 a.m., a “Door County Talks” presentation about American abolitionists, and at 7 p.m., the annual poetry/music coffeehouse Words on Fire in the DCA Fireside Lobby.
Door County Talks: “The Radical Vision of the American Abolitionists” with Dr. Nolan Bennett
UW-Green Bay’s Dr. Nolan Bennett will deliver this week’s Door County Talks presentation, entitled “The Radical Vision of the American Abolitionists,” at 10 a.m. in DCA’s cozy Fireside Lobby. In his talk, Bennett will discuss how those opposed to slavery (like Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, David Walker, and Abraham Lincoln) offered a new, expansive reading of American ideals as they challenged the “peculiar institution.” He will also consider how they looked back to the founding era and its documents and forward to a new dawn of justice. Finally, he’ll discuss the lasting legacy of the abolitionists and how slavery continues to influence American politics and ideas.
Nolan Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. He is a scholar of American political thought, and his research considers why and to what effect historical actors and movements ground their claims for democratic justice in personal experience. His talk will include a post-talk question-and-answer session. Coffee and bakery from Kick Ash Coffee will be available for purchase. Bennett’s lecture is presented in conjunction with The Door County Civility Project, and it is free to the public. Freewill donations are encouraged.
Fireside Coffeehouse Concert: Words on Fire
On Saturday, February 29, at 7 p.m., Door County musicians and poets will present “Words on Fire” in the DCA Fireside Lobby. Musicians will pair with poets to create a lively coffeehouse atmosphere and a powerful evening of entertainment. This will be the fifth annual “Words on Fire” concert, after previous years’ events proved to be a resounding success.
This year’s “Words on Fire” performers include Laurie A. Allmann, Francha Barnard, Doris Bezio, Tom Davis, Don Fraker, Gerri Friedberg, Kathleen Harris, Maja Jurisic, Paulette Laufer, Estella Lauter, John Lewis, Ralph Murre, June Nirschl, Amani Paul, Miranda Paul, Judy Roy, and Tori Grant Welhouse. Door County Poet Laureate Nancy Rafal will emcee the evening.
Tickets for Words on Fire are $17.50. Seating is limited; advance reservations are recommended and can be made at the DCA box office, located on Highway 42 in Fish Creek. The box office is open Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person, on the phone at (920) 868-2728, or online at www.dcauditorium.org.
The DCA winter season is sponsored by Dahl Law Firm and Ross Estate Planning. DCA is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.