Please join us on Thursday, February 20th, at 4:10 p.m. in Ford Hall 204 for our fifth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.
Presenter: Mike Chasar, Associate Professor of English 
Title: Don’t Stop Believin’: The Poetry of Pop Music
Abstract: When you listen to or sing along with your favorite pop songs—Guns ‘N Roses, Beyoncé, Journey, Ke$ha, Whitney Houston—do you ever imagine that all of their stylized Ohs and Oooohs are something other than emotive overflows or opportunities for singers to display their vocal prowess? Indeed, those very “nonsense” sounds—so frequently overlooked that they are often omitted from liner notes and song transcriptions—are in fact the key to recognizing not only the poetry of pop music but also how it connects to two thousand years’-worth of verse stretching back to ancient Greece. Part dance party, part informal discussion, and maybe part sing-along, today’s presentation will shed new light on how some of the music you love or love to hate makes you one of the largest poetry audiences in history.
Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Also, remember to note the move to Thursday afternoons this semester.
Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators