Feminist author and critic bell hooks to deliver Black Arts & Sciences address

Oct. 27, 2006 -- bell hooks, the ground-breaking feminist author, teacher, social activist and cultural critic, will give the Black Arts & Sciences Lecture for the Assembly Series at 11 a.m., Wednesday, November 1 in Graham Chapel. The lecture, "Self-Determination: Where Do We Begin?" is free and open to the public.

A renowned scholar, pioneering feminist, social and cultural critic, hooks has been a prolific writer on women, race, culture, class, sexuality, and their interconnections. Since her first book, Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism, was published in 1981, she has written more than 30 books and hundreds of essays and articles. In 1992, Ain't I a Woman was ranked by Publishers' Weekly among the 20 most important women's books of the last 20 years. Her name was also included in Atlantic Monthly's "One of our nation's leading intellectuals."

Her work ranges from self-help to scholarly monologues to personal memoir. Among her most notable books are: Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom; Killing Rage: Ending Racism; Bone Black: Memories of a Girlhood; Salvation: Black People and Love; Where We Stand: Class Matters; and Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-esteem. Her most recent book, Witness, was published this year.

Currently teaching at Berea College, Berea, KY, hooks has also taught at Yale University, University of Southern California, Oberlin College, and City College, City University of New York.

In addition to her teaching and writing, hooks is also a frequent contributor to documentaries and films, including "Voice of Power," "Black Is. Black Ain't," and "Is Feminism Dead?"

hooks earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1973, a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1976, and a doctoral degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1983.

For more information, call (314) 935-4620 or visit the Assembly Series web page assemblyseries.wustl.edu.