It’s no secret that the video games industry boasts supremely sexually objectified, stereotyped, and downright oppressive portrayals of women. In this talk Anita Sarkeesian explains why. She will give a broad overview of the culture that sustains harassment, exclusion, and objectification in gaming, from the dynamics of sexist cybermobs to recurring tropes in video games that reinforce sexist conceptions of women, before concluding with a look at a few games that manage to get it right.

As part of the Wheaton Institute for the Interdisciplinary Humanities’ symposium on Narrative Medicine and the Healing Arts, guest co-host, Haas Visiting Artist and poet Sarah Gambito and Performance Artist Robbie McCauley read from their works. Professor Gambito, director of Fordham University’s MFA creative writing program, brings a poet’s mind to psychic, emotional, and physical healing. Emerson College Professor Emerita Robbie McCauley uses methodologies of theatre and storytelling to address charged issues of race and to frame the personal through the large.

William Hite is well known for his interpretation of Schubert’s magnificent song cycle Winterreise. Written in 1827, the year before Schubert’s death, this work is regarded as one of the most important vocal pieces of the Romantic Era. Hite’s visiting artist residence provides a special opportunity to hear the entire work in the remarkable Cole Memorial Chapel, a beautiful acoustic space that creates a connection between performer and audience.

Lauren Henderson ’09 returns to Wheaton with jazz interpretations and original music. Henderson blends her Latin, Caribbean and African heritage to create a unique vocal approach, backed by NYC-based musicians Damian Sim, Michael Thurber and Allan Mednard. A former member of Wheaton’s Jazz Band and Voices United to Jam, she returns to campus from touring the US, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain and Mexico. We welcome her back to celebrate her musical successes at home and abroad.

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and scholar Tyshawn Sorey leads his highly lauded and category-defying trio of piano, bass, and drums. Sorey is a 2017 MacArthur fellow and has performed with musicians including Vijay Iyer, Steve Coleman, John Zorn and Anthony Braxton, as well as the International Contemporary Ensemble. “Here is an extraordinary talent who can see across the entire musical landscape.” —Alex Ross, The New Yorker. Sorey and Assistant Professor of Music, Will Mason will present a pre-concert talk at 6:00 p.m. in the same location.

Professor Lazaro will give an evening performance on his major instruments, the marimba, and the vibraphone. He will also perform on the hand drums, giving an introduction to important rhythmical genres of the Caribbean and Latin American region, showing historical similarities and regional variations.

Dennigan is the author of three books, including her most recent, Palace of Sub-Atomic Bliss (Canarium Books, 2016). Her work has appeared in Boston Review, Poetry Magazine and the Bennington Review. She teaches at the University of Connecticut.

Toraya (AKA Crankbunny) will discuss her work in illustration, animation and paper engineering as well as her journey as a freelance artist.

Haas Visiting Artist Reverend Billy and his collaborator Savitri D. return to Wheaton for a performance hosted by the Wheaton Institute for the Interdisciplinary Humanities. Come and see this performance artist-preacher revel against the sins of consumerism and sermonize on the crisis of the Earth. Internationally notorious for their hilarious and controversial work, director/activist Savitri D. and Reverend Billy’s stop at Wheaton promises to shake Cole Memorial Chapel with a joyful noise. Join us after the performance for a conversation led by Savitri D. about creative activism and strategies of resistance.

Being a fan usually starts with loving a given series, franchise, author, band, game, etc., but it rarely ends there. For many, fandom provides a sense of community, a catalyst for producing original creative content, or both. Flourish Klink and Elizabeth Minkel, creators and hosts of Fansplaining, will discuss their adventures in podcasting and fan culture, and how, perhaps even with a little help from the two of them, fans and the creative industries may have learned to stop worrying and love each other.