USD to host utopia/dystopia symposium

VERMILLION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The University of South Dakota is set to host a conference exploring utopian and dystopian themes in contemporary literature Feb. 6 and 7.

The Utopia/Dystopia Symposium will begin with a reception at the Coyote Twin Theatre in downtown Vermillion. The reception will include refreshments, uptopian-themed art by Vermillion residents, and a film screening of “Mad Max Fury Road.”

Tuesday’s events will take place in the Muenster University Center (MUC) and include panels of 10-minute flash lectures featuring faculty from across the university, lunch, a student panel, a keynote talk, and more.

Keynote speaker background

The symposium keynote speaker is author Alexander Weinstein. Weinstein is an associate professor of English at Siena Heights University and director of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing.

Weinstein wrote the short story collections “Universal Love” and “Children of the New World,” which was chosen as a New York Times “100 Notable Books of the Year,” and a best book of the year by NPR, Google, and Electric Literature. Weinstein has appeared in Rolling Stone, World Literature Today, Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Best American Experimental Writing.

All events are free and open to the public. Please visit the event website to view a full schedule and to register.