Northeastern University

Scholars/Interpreters

Joining us on this journey will be a group of distinguished teachers and scholars, including,

  1. Dr. Robert Gross
    Eminent American historian; prolific essayist on Emerson, Thoreau, and the Concord intellectual movement; and recent author of The Transcendentalists and Their World.
  2. Dr. Anne Mattina
    Scholar of rhetorical studies and author of a number of essays on the emergence of women’s public voice, including, “I Am as a Bell That Cannot Ring: Resources for the Study of Antebellum Women’s Rhetoric,”
  3. Dr. Richard A. Katula
    Professor of Communication Studies and Education with a background in classical and contemporary rhetoric. In 2000, I wrote and produced an award-winning documentary on the Gettysburg Address, and my most recent book is, A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric.
  4. D. Michael Ryan
    Associate Dean of Students at Boston College; avid 18th century colonial historian, and author of numerous articles and essays regarding the Revolutionary War, including the upcoming book, "Concord and the Dawn of Revolution: The Hidden Truths".
  5. Judith Black
    An award-winning professional storyteller, member of the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence, and frequent speaker for conferences on interpretation and education.
  6. Wendell Refior
    Devoted Emerson scholar and impersonator; Life Member of the Emerson Society; currently teaching fall classes on the writings of Emerson in both Concord and Cambridge.
  7. Wesley T. Mott
    Professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and organizor of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society in 1989. Currently President-Elect of the Emerson Society; has served on the board of the Thoreau Society for sixteen years.

Through their insights, the insights of other invited scholars, and the contributions participants will bring to our discussions, we will make sense of the American Lyceum. To heighten our experience, notable professional interpreters such as Richard Smith, Wendell Refior, Jim Cooke, Lani Peterson, and Susan Lenoe will bring these texts to life with their dramatic interpretations. The American Lyceum Workshop promises to be a lively exchange of ideas.