April 21, 1999
Andrei Codrescu, Commentator
for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,”
to Talk at Middlebury College on April
29
Andrei Codrescu, a regular
commentator for “All Things Considered” on National
Public Radio (NPR), will deliver the Robert
W. van de Velde, Jr. Memorial Lecture on “The Wages of Relentless
Travel: Two Revolutions and Countless Upheavals,” at 4:30
p.m. on Thursday, April 29 in the auditorium of Middlebury College’s
Twilight Hall on College Street. The lecture is open to the public
and free of charge.
The talk will include discussion of Codrescu’s experiences
as a journalist, as well as stories about Romania, and Cuba, where
he has traveled recently to do research for his most recent book,
“Ay, Cuba! A Socio-Erotic
dzܰԱ.”
Andrei Codrescu is a Romanian-born
essayist, editor, novelist, and poet. In addition to his work
as an NPR commentator, he has appeared on “The Today Show,”
the “Tonight Show,” “Nightline,” “The
Late Show with David Letterman,” and network news. He writes
commentary and reviews for The New York Times, The Boston Globe,
and the Chicago Tribune.
Among his best-known commentaries were
a series of reports about the fall of the Ceaucescu government
in Romania, and his own homecoming after a quarter century of
exile. He is the author of three novels, several collections of
poems, and 10 essay collections, including: “Road Scholar:
Coast to Coast Late in the Century” (1993)-based on his PBS
documentary of the same name; “The Muse is Always Half-Dressed
in New Orleans” (1995); “Zombification: Essays from
NPR” (1996); and his most recent book, “Ay, Cuba! A
dz-dzپ&Բ;dzܰԱ”&Բ;(1999).
Robert W. van de Velde, Jr. was a member of the Middlebury
College class of 1975. The memorial lecture was established in
1981 by his parents, R.W. and Barbara van de Velde; his widow,
Diana Mooney van de Velde; and other family members and friends.
The lecture series provides an annual talk on the confluence of
public affairs, both foreign and domestic, and journalism-particularly
broadcast journalism. Previous speakers in the series have included
Frank Sesno, Middlebury College class of 1977; Cecil Forster of
the class of 1964; Robert Abernethy; former Governor of Vermont
Madeleine Kunin; Jane Bryant Quinn of the class of 1960; and E.D.
Hirsch.