The Great American Novel Series
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
Wednesday, May 5th | 2 pm ET
Webinar Event
In 1952, Ralph Ellison published Invisible Man, a masterwork of fiction that follows its unnamed narrator through his travails first as a student at an all-black college, where he is expelled; then as a worker at a paint factory, where he causes an explosion and is sent to a mental hospital; and then through his involvement with a black nationalist faction in Harlem. Influenced by the likes of Hemingway, Faulkner, and Eliot, Ellison’s novel defies easy characterization or classification. Yet it continually makes lists of the greatest American novels. What is it about Invisible Man that resonated so strongly with readers of its day, and now?
Join the NAS on May 5th at 2 pm ET to find out!
This event will feature Wight Martindale, member of the National Association of Scholars Board of Directors, Herbert William Rice, Professor of English at Kennesaw State University; and Mark Shiffman, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Classical Studies and Social and Political Theory at Villanova University. The discussion will be moderated by NAS Director of Research David Randall.
Editor's note: An advertisement for this event included an early draft and out-of-date schedule of speakers. The event has been updated to show the new line-up of speakers.