The Office of the President is pleased to present the 2021 Distinguished Faculty Lecture, “How to Enjoy Shakespeare,” delivered virtually by William E. Cain, Mary Jewett Gaiser Professor of English. A Q&A with the audience will follow.

A scholar of nineteenth and early twentieth century American literature, Professor Cain joined Wellesley in the fall of 1978, and over the course of more than four decades has taught courses in English, American, and African-American literatures and American Studies. He has written or edited many scholarly books, including (as co-editor) The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, published in 2018. He is also the author of many textbooks on literature, composition, and literary interpretation. His publications range widely, including studies of Shakespeare, Ralph Ellison, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, and the painter Mark Rothko.

Born nearby in Cambridge, Professor Cain earned a B.A. summa cum laude from Tufts University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

Sponsored by the Office of the President, the Distinguished Faculty Lecture was established in 1999 to provide an opportunity for the College’s accomplished and respected faculty members to deliver a public lecture that allows the community to reflect on the meaning of a liberal arts education.

This lecture will be live captioned. Please register in advance.