Roger Williams University Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Historic Novel "Catch-22"

Free event series focuses on author Joseph Heller's classic with keynote address from a top authority on the novel

BRISTOL, RI (02/19/2011)(readMedia)-- As part of a series of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Joseph Heller's literary classic, "Catch-22," Roger Williams University will host the 11th Annual Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Lecture on Monday, Feb. 28, and an accompanying library exhibition on display through March 10.

The keynote address – "Still Catching On: Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22' at 50" – will be presented by Dr. James Nagel, J.O. Eidson Distinguished Professor of American Literature from the University of Georgia. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 152 of the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences Building on RWU's Bristol campus.

Dr. Nagel, who earned his Ph.D. in English at Pennsylvania State University, is the founder of the scholarly journal "Studies in American Fiction." He has published several articles on both "Catch-22" and Joseph Heller and has authored and edited several books on American literature.

"In this computer age, the most important resource that we have for learning is still a book," said Dr. James Tackach, professor of English at Roger Williams University and organizer of the lecture series. "Celebrating a historic novel like 'Catch-22' with an esteemed speaker and expert on the topic is a really exciting opportunity for the greater RWU community."

Highlights of the accompanying library exhibit include an inscribed first edition of "Catch-22;" Joseph Heller's typewriter; photos and records from Heller's unit during World War II; and facsimiles of original manuscripts of the novel with editing notes.

The exhibit will be displayed in the RWU Main Library through Mar. 10, and members of the public are welcome to view it during the library's regular operating hours – Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The annual Birss Memorial Lecture Series at Roger Williams University provides a unique opportunity to study a single text in depth and to investigate why these significant works remain relevant for modern readers. Each year, the University celebrates a text with a prominent anniversary – recent selections have included Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird;" Elie Wiesel's "Night;" and Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."

For more information on the Birss Memorial Lecture series – which is sponsored by the Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Lecture Fund – contact Dr. Tackach at (401) 254-3234.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.