Duke celebrated the accomplishments of Professor Fredric Jameson, the newest recipient of the Holberg International Memorial Prize, by treating students and professors to an academic discussion straight from the honoree himself.
On Monday, more than 200 attendees packed into the John Hope Franklin Center-including into two overflow rooms-to hear a lecture by Jameson, who is William A. Lane Professor of comparative literature and professor of romance studies and has taught at Duke for more than 20 years. Jameson will be given the prize at a reception in Norway Nov. 26 for his outstanding scholarly work in cultural theory.
In addition to being highly prestigious, the Holberg Prize includes a cash award of 4.5 million Norwegian kroner, which is equivalent to about $800,000.
"It's very gratifying, and I take it not only as an honor for me, but for all of us in the literature department and for Duke as an institution," Jameson said in an interview. "It gives new recognition to the importance of examining cultural exchange in the context of globalization."
President Richard Brodhead, who was a professor of English at Yale University, introduced Jameson and praised his achievements.
"You're a person who has done what every [intellectual] aspires to. You started curious about things and you have the courage of curiosity," Brodhead said. "We are happy to be here to honor you, and then we will honor you by subjecting you to the relentless dialectical process from your colleagues."
Jameson's lecture, which was hosted by the John Hope Franklin Center as a way for the general public to recognize and commend him, covered topics ranging from literary analysis to national culture to globalization.
The evening also featured commentary on Jameson's talk from a distinguished group of speakers that included professors Miriam Cooke, Ariel Dorfman and Ranjana Khanna as well as Nobel Laureate in Literature Wole Soyinka.
"Professor Jameson addressed the fundamental question of how work that means something in the national setting can mean something completely different in an international context," said Srinivas Aravamudan, director of the Franklin Humanities Institute. "What's more, he used the occasion of having been given the Holberg Prize to mull over the problem of understanding the very system of values that picks people internationally for such a prize."
The speakers responded to Jameson's lecture, drawing from their respective areas of expertise and personal experiences.
"It was really interesting to hear the personal reactions from the speakers, like Wole Soyinka and Ariel Dorfman," senior Doug Clark said. "The way that they brought together people from all different fields gave you a whole different perspective."
For some attendees, watching the lecture from the overflow rooms made the night even more interesting.
"There was a tape delay in the overflow room, which added a strange element because it made the speech seem a bit like a theoretical kung foo movie," said Nathan Hensley, a graduate student in English. "But the talk was definitely incredible."
Brodhead said Jameson's recognition is not unexpected to those who have known him at Duke, adding that he is one of the most renowned cultural theorists of the last 40 years.
"It was very fun. My Ph.D. was in English, and I've been reading Professor Jameson's works since my early 20s and for the major part of my education," Brodhead said in an interview.
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