FEMINIST HUMORIST HELPS CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF WOMEN'S STUDIES AT OLD DOMINION
Feminist humorist Regina Barreca will be the featured speaker at the Old Dominion University Friends of Women's Studies annual dinner May 4. With the theme "Laughter, Strength and Community: Celebrating Women's Studies," the dinner serves as a kickoff to the 25th anniversary celebration of the Women's Studies Program.
In 1977 Old Dominion became the first university in Virginia to have a women's studies program, and in 1995 it became the first state-assisted school in the commonwealth to offer a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree in women's studies. This fall the program will become a department in the College of Arts and Letters.
The dinner will be preceded by a daylong conference on feminist scholarship, "Work in Progress XII." This 12th annual conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the South Mall of Webb University Center. President Roseann Runte will deliver the keynote address at 9:30 a.m.
The evening banquet will begin with a cash bar reception at 7 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 in the North Cafeteria, Webb Center.
Barreca will speak during dinner. The author of such books as "They Used to Call Me Snow White, But I Drifted: Women's Strategic Use of Humor," "Perfect Husbands (and Other Fairy Tales)," "Demystifying Marriage, Men and Romance," "Sweet Revenge: The Wicked Delights of Getting Even," and "Too Much of a Good Thing Is Wonderful," Barreca is the editor of several publications and writes a weekly column for the Hartford Courant. Some of her articles have been published in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Ms. and Cosmopolitan.
In addition to her writing career, Barreca has appeared as a repeat guest on "20/20," "48 Hours," "The Today Show" and "Oprah." Barreca is a professor of English literature and feminist theory at the University of Connecticut. She was appointed as an adviser to the Library of Congress for her work on humor and the American character.
The price for dinner is $15 for manicotti and $18 for salmon. For students, the cost is $5 regardless of entree.
For more information or reservations call 683-3823.