It's a truism that books can change your life–but is such a change always for the better? Can books–even beautiful or compelling books–corrupt us? Or should the morality of a book be held apart from its apparent aesthetic value (and can the two even be separated?). This dinner discussion would critically explore both the power and the danger of the novel in particular as a site of both enlightenment and seduction, of influence and vulnerability, ultimately challenging us to ask an even broader question: what is art for?

This dinner seminar will be led by Dr. Tara Isabella Burton. It is open to all undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates.