Stanford Humanities Center
A Series of Conversations Presented by the Stanford Humanities Center
The Night Before is a series in which we examine ritual occasions through the insights of the humanities. As we come together, handcrafted cocktails and mocktails tell their own stories about these unique times of year. In one hour, we learn to experience the next day differently.
Hosted by Stanford alumni, each online party is free, and features a guided conversation with faculty or Humanities Center Fellows.
"Engaging and informative"
— Delight Wing '71
"I appreciate hearing history in context from experts with uncommon knowledge"
—M. Rivera '98
"The chance to hear a Stanford professor discuss a scholarly topic in an accessible, informal manner"
—Matthew Randolph, Stanford PhD Candidate
2024–2025
The Night Before: Halloween
Wednesday, October 30, 5:30 p.m. Pacific
How do the living converse with the dead and the undead? How is Stanford uniquely haunted?
Robert Pogue Harrison will speak about the dead, the undead, the haunting of Stanford, and the meaning of Halloween. A guided conversation will follow.
Harrison, author of Dominion of the Dead and many other books, is the Rosina Pierotti Professor of Italian Literature, Emeritus, and Director of Another Look, a Stanford-based book club.
Learn more
The Night Before: Valentine’s Day
Thursday, February 13, 5:30 p.m. Pacific
Romantic love didn’t always exist as we know it: it had to be invented in art and culture. Where did it come from? How do its experiences—such as passionate longing, emotional turmoil, love at first sight—emerge from the earliest love poetry in Europe?
Marisa Galvez will speak about how, from medieval troubadours to Taylor Swift, songs about unrequited love continue to move us. A guided conversation will follow.
Galvez is Professor of French and Italian and the Director of the Program in Structured Liberal Education (SLE).
The Night Before: International Jazz Day
Tuesday, April 29, 5:30 p.m. Pacific
From the Jazz Age of a hundred years ago to now, jazz is the most distinctively American music. How do jazz musicians play as both individuals and members of a band? How does their collaboration happen? How can we become more aware as listeners?
Out of a lifetime of immersion in the music, Jim Nadel will share his thoughts on how jazz works and why the music today speaks across borders and cultures. A guided conversation will follow.
Nadel is founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of the Stanford Jazz Workshop. He is a lecturer in the Department of Music.
The Night Before: The 100th Birthday of Malcolm X
Sunday, May 18, 5:30 p.m. Pacific
A century after his birth, why does Malcolm X remain a central figure in U.S. history of the 1950s and '60s? How did he anticipate the struggles against racism of our time?
Lerone Martin will speak about Malcolm X’s significance and legacy. A guided conversation will follow.
Martin is the Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor, Professor of Religious Studies, and Director of the King Research and Education Institute.
