Upcoming Events

'Holy Mackerel! What a Show!'

Spectacle and Spectatorship in Giant Monster Films
with Brad Congdon
Date: Wednesday, September 25  Time: 7:30 pm  
Location: Grace-Westminster United Church Social Hall, 505 - 10th St. E., Saskatoon

Free and open to the public

'Holy Mackerel! What a Show!'

About this event

When a character in 1933's King Kong first encounters the giant ape, he shouts, "We came here to get a moving picture, and we've found something worth more than all the movies in the world!" We all know how that works out for Kong. From the beginning, giant monster films have focused on the twinned themes of exploitation and spectacle. This talk discusses kaiju ("giant monster") films such as Godzilla, King Kong, and Nope to analyze how filmmakers have used monsters to embody historical, cultural, and systemic fears and anxieties.
Literature Matters: Literature in the Community is a lecture series sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan's Department of English. 
Info: 306-966-1268 | english.department@usask.ca

Literature Matters Line-up for 2024-2025

Sept. 25: “ ‘Holy Mackerel! What a Show!’: Spectacle and Spectatorship in Giant Monster Films,” with faculty member Brad Congdon

Oct. 23: “Why Writing is Like Death (in Early Medieval England),” with faculty member Yin Liu

Nov. 20: “matriarch rising,” poetry reading and discussion by graduate student Tenille Campbell (NOTE: held in Gordon Oakes Red Bear Centre at 4:30 pm)

Jan. 22: “Sustainably Don(n)e: Taking Care of Digital Literary Resources,” with faculty member Brent Nelson

Feb. 26: “Listening to the Voices of Children in William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience,” with Professor Emerita Lisa Vargo

March 19: “The Greatest Australian Poet Who Never Was,” with faculty member Peter Robinson

April 23: Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan 2025 Season, panel led by faculty member and SOTS board member Jessica McDonald

Free and open to the public
Except for the November event, all Literature Matters events are at 7:30 pm in Grace-Westminster United Church Social Hall, 505 - 10th St. E., Saskatoon

About

Reading, studying, and talking about literary works helps us to make sense of the world around us. Since 2012, the Department of English has sponsored its literature in the community series, Literature Matters, featuring talks about our research for the Saskatoon community. Presenters are members of the department, including professors, sessional lecturers, and graduate students. All events are held on Wednesdays between September and May at 7:30 p.m. in the social hall of Grace-Westminster United Church, 505-10th Street East, Saskatoon. Everyone is welcome.

For our upcoming lectures, please watch for our Facebook and front page event postings for more detailed day/time information or contact english.department@usask.ca.

People at Literature Matters event
English graduate student Jasmine Redford talks to faculty member Peter Robinson at her Literature Matters presentation on illustrating the graphic novel Siegfried: Dragon Slayer.