The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, a special event with President Marc C. Conner

Presented on: Thursday, September 15th at 7:00 PM EDT




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In partnership with the Donor Engagement & Stewardship "Great Books" program, we are thrilled to offer this opportunity to hear from President Marc C. Conner as he discusses the book, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison with Pushi Prasad, Zankel Chair in Management for Liberal Arts Students and Professor of Management in the Department of Management.

A note from President Conner:

Shortly after Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison was published, a thematic inquiry arose among its readership. I am often asked, “What is it all about?” and “Does it have relevance now, 70 years after it was first published?” My answer to the second question is a resounding “yes,” as the novel addresses many of the social and intellectual issues faced by Black Americans, and furthermore the interplay of individuality and personal identity. The first question is one I hope to explore with you.

Studying and sharing the writings of Ralph Ellison has been one of the great joys of my teaching career, and I am delighted to share with you my enthusiasm about Ellison and this work in particular.  In 2019, my colleague John Callahan and I edited The Selected Letters of Ralph Ellison, which was selected as one of the New York Times' 100 notable books that year. Ellison speaks to our present moment with such prescience and foresight, and I look forward to a lively conversation and to answering your questions, submitted in advance or during the session.

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An innovative leader of interdisciplinary academic programs, a longtime advocate of diversity and inclusion, and a widely published professor of English, Marc C. Conner joined Skidmore College following over 24 years at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, where he had most recently served as provost and chief academic officer from 2016 to 2020.

Marc has published extensively on modern American, African American, and Irish literature. His dozens of essays and eight books on literature include The Selected Letters of Ralph Ellison, which The New York Times Book Review named a notable book of 2020. He has also produced three lecture series for The Great Courses on Shakespeare and on Irish Literature.  His fondest teaching experience has been taking students to Ireland for an intensive study abroad program many times.


The views expressed by presenters are their own and their appearance in a program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Skidmore College.