English Dept. Lecture Series Features a Literary Analogy of Two Films Released in 1997:  Titanic and The Wings of the Dove
The English Department Lecture Series of Jacksonville State University announces “Beautifully Doomed: Titanic and The Wings of the Dove—Two Films of 1997,” a presentation by Dr. Larry Gray, assistant professor of English.

In late 1997, two films were released within six weeks of each other: Titanic, which became the top grossing movie of all time, and The Wings of the Dove, which adapted a long and complex novel by Henry James for a more select, art-house audience. Examined together, the two films reveal many similarities of plot and setting: both take place in 1912 or thereabouts, are critical of the marriage market in upper class English society, involve a love triangle, and conclude with a devoted memory to a deceased, innocent American character.

Dr. Gray will focus most closely on the endings of the two movies. While his discussion will reveal the merits of both films, he will emphasize the qualities that make The Wings of the Dove a distinguished example of literary adaptation and artistic film-making.

This event will take place on Wednesday, October 24, 2007, at 3:15 p.m. in Stone Center - Room 212 on the campus of Jacksonville State University. This event is free and open to the public.

The following information about Dr. Gray's credentials is cited on the English Department's Website:

Gray, Larry, Assistant Professor of English. B.A. (1983), Rhodes College; M.A. (1987) and Ph.D. (2003), University of Virginia.

Dr. Gray's teaching and research interests include 20th Century British, 19th and 20th Century American, and World Literature. He also has extensive experience in teaching composition with literature. A revised version of his M.A. thesis was published in the Henry James Review; his dissertation and further scholarly work has focused on Henry James's 112 tales or shorter fictions. He has presented papers in the U.S. and Canada on fiction, film, and film adaptations. He is a member of The Space Between: Literature in English 1914-1945, the Henry James Society, and the Robert Penn Warren Circle.

For more information, contact Teresa Reed at 782-5456 or by email at treed@jsu.edu.

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