Herb Jackson (left) and Alan Michael Parker at the premiere of "10 Days" (Bill Giduz photo)

Imagine writing a poem about a drawing you’ve never seen. Imagine making a drawing in response to a poem you’ve never read. Poet Alan Michael Parker and painter Herb Jackson did just that, though they didn’t know it at the time.

In a special presentation at the Davidson College union on Thursday, March 17, the two Davidson College professors shared their  “10 Days” – a project years in the making and close to their hearts.

THE PLAN

About two years ago, the long-time friends and colleagues hatched a plan for a collaboration that was, intentionally, void of collaboration. It went like this:

They selected 10 days of no particular significance, over the course of 15 months, on which each would complete a piece. Professor Parker would write a poem, and Professor Jackson would create an abstract drawing, projects that usually take them more than 24 hours. The poem would fit on one 8-inch by 11-inch page, and the drawing would fit on a 10-inch by 7-inch piece of paper.

Beyond the basic parameters, the men would not discuss the project at all until the 10th piece was completed.

“The real kicker is that we didn’t communicate with each other,” Professor Jackson said. “We simply trusted that each other was doing it on that day.”

After completing their pieces individually, the plan was that the artists would reunite and look at their work in poem-drawing pairs.

On Thursday, the men invited the audience to share in the experience. They projected each of Professor Jackson’s drawings on a screen at the front of the room while Professor Parker read his poems aloud, showing what can happen when two artists create separate pieces, separately, on the same day.

THE FIRST BIG REVEAL

The artists treated themselves to a sneak preview one night in December.

“The night we drove to Alan’s I was so excited I could barely drive,” Professor Jackson said.

Not only did the artists avoid communicating with each other during the project, they also refrained from talking about the project with anyone else – including their family members.

“In my mind, if I talked to Alan about what I was doing, or even showed him, then we would start to predict each other,” Professor Jackson said.

“If we talked about it, we would have been unduly sacrificing aesthetics to each other,” Professor Parker said.

They shared a meal at Professor Parker’s house and then revealed their work, piece by piece.

“Some of the affinities were really remarkable,” Professor Parker said. For example, he wrote “A Theft” on Aug. 8, 2010, and one of the primary images in his poem is that of cement dust:

“…and the cement bags burst in earthly clouds
thrown down by the laughing teens
the softly floating blowzy dust on everyone.”

Parker read his poem, "The Treehouse," while Jackson's "10.18.10" was projected on the screen Thursday night.

On the same day, Professor Jackson’s drawing, “8.10.10” is pale, almost dusty, with soft grays, blues and purples – colors distinct from the vibrant palate of many of his other drawings.

On Oct. 18, 2010, Professor Parker wrote “The Treehouse,” which opens with a climb:

“I climbed into the treehouse again
which felt like I was climbing into
myself at twelve…”

Professor Jackson’s drawing from that day includes red, horizontal bars of increasing width down center of the image, suggestive of a ladder or a flight of stairs.

Being able to draw such strong connections between the pieces, Professor Parker found it hard to resist toying with notions of collective unconscious and “succumbing to my own mysticism,” he said.

A PIECE WITH A LIFE OF ITS OWN

“I see the event as a new piece, rather than seeing the poems and the drawing separately,” Professor Jackson said. “It has a new presence.”

Parker's "The Treehouse" and Jackson's "10.18.10" hang as one pair, part of "10 Days," in the Davidson College Chambers building.

“10 Days” now is on display inside the main entrance of the Chambers building on campus. The drawings and poems hang in pairs, each with the date on which the pieces were made.

“These poems will not be published elsewhere,” Professor Parker said. “For me, this is the project,” he said. “I don’t see them without the images anymore.”

The artists hope the exhibit is destined to travel beyond the walls of Chambers, and also have published a book of “10 Days” that is available in the college bookstore.

“There were experiences in this project that are new to me as a working artist,” Professor Parker said. “The results are spooky. And I like that.”

Herb Jackson speaks at Thursday's opening. More photos below. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

The exhibition, Excavations, on view through April 20 in the Van Every/Smith Galleries of Davidson College, is a survey of his work over 50 years. Curated by gallery director Brad Thomas, the show has 19 paintings, including one Professor Jackson, now 65, made when he was 15 years old.

Davidson College did not have an art department when Professor Jackson was a student there, and during his tenure as a professor he helped build the visual arts department and the visual arts building.

We talked to Professor Jackson on the eve of the exhibition about his career, the exhibit and what retirement means to him.

WANT TO GO?

The galleries, located on the corner of Griffith St. and Main St. in Davidson, are open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available behind the building, off Jackson St.

EVENTS:
Artist reception, Thursday, March 10, 7-9 p.m.
The reception, in the Van Every Gallery, is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Art and literature event, Thursday, March 17, 7:30 p.m.
Davidson College invites the public to the premier of an art and poetry exhibition by Houchens Professor of Fine Arts Herb Jackson and Professor of English Alan Michael Parker. The two professors will present their collaborative work, 10 Days, with images by Jackson and poems by Parker. There is no charge to attend the event, which takes place in the Smith 900 Room of Alvarez College Union. For more information, call 704-894-2254.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, OPENING

Click any image to launch the slide show.

Herb Jackson

The week’s activities begin Monday with a women’s self defense class at the Lake Norman YMCA and another free session offering advice on appealing your Mecklenburg County revaluation, at Ada Jenkins Center. On Tuesday, poet Kevin Prufer reads from his work at Davidson College’s Carolina Inn. Davidson Senior Scholars starts up again for its second session on financial planning and there’s a comical theatrical work titled “Celebrity Autobiography” that brings American celebrities’ memoirs to the Davidson College stage Wednesday. And a 50-year retrospective of the works of Davidson artist Herb Jackson opens with a reception Thursday night at the college.

Lectures at the college this week will focus on divination, foreign relations and philosophy. The college’s Gamut dance company, has a pair of performances, and the college also hosts a variety of musical performances, including student performances of songs and arias titled “Liederabend.” Meetings this week include the Town Board and a Precinct 127 Democratic Party on Tuesday, a Davidson Greenway meeting on Thursday and a Concert on the Green planning meeting on Friday.

These events and more below, or in our day-by-day calendar at right. At right on this page, see our movie show times listings for Our Town Cinemas where “Battle: Los Angeles” opens, joining “Rango,” “Adjustment Bureau,” “Just Go With It,” and “The King’s Speech.”

MONDAY, MAR. 7

Women’s Self Defense Class, 6-7 p.m., Lake Norman YMCA, 21300 Davidson St., Cornelius – In the series of four Monday classes, participants will learn techniques to defend themselves and from attackers and avoid becoming a victim. The class is $45 for members, $60 for program members and $75 for non-members. Ages 14 and up. Call 704-716-4400 or visit www.ymcacharlotte.org for more information.

Need help appealing your revaluation?, 7 p.m., Ada Jenkins Center, 212 Gamble St., Davidson – Wondering how and whether to appeal your recent Mecklenburg County property revaluation? This free session can help. Bring your revaluation notice. Info: 704-896-0471. Details in our March 7 news item.

TUESDAY, MAR. 8

Poetry Reading, 5 p.m., Carolina Inn, 215 N. Main St. – Davidson College welcomes Kevin Prufer, professor of English at the University of Houston who is the author of four collections of poetry. Free and open to the public. For information call 704-894-2254.

Davidson Town Board, 6 p.m., Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. – Monthly Town Board meeting. Agenda includes continuation of public hearings on planning map and text amendments affecting the N.C. 73 area east of town, and on changes to the town rules governing residential fences. The board also will vote on two items related to the MI-Connection cable system: amendments to the interlocal agreement with Mooresville governing the system and rules of procedure for a new committee that will nominate board members. For the complete agenda, with links to documents, (PDF) CLICK HERE>

Democratic Precinct 127 Meeting, 7 p.m., Hopewell Baptist Church, 18841 Davidson-Concord Rd. – The Democratic Party of Precinct 127 will meet to elect officers of the Precinct and delegates to the County Convention that will be held on April 9, 2011.

Foreign Relations up to 2012 Elections, 7 p.m., Alvarez College Union, 900 Room, Davidson College – Lecture given by Davidson alumnus Charlie Skinner, adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Skinner served as Deputy Political Advisor at the USMission to NATO during its operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. Free and open to the public. For information call 704-894-2440 or visit www.davidson.edu.

WEDNESDAY, MAR. 9

Davidson Senior Scholars, 1 p.m., Davidson Parks and Recreation, 416 Armour St. – For the second session of this 3-part series on financial planning, Steve Abels of Integrated Financial Services will be discussing the tax changes for 2011. Free. Call 704-892-3349 for more information.

Lecture on Divination, 7-8 p.m., Semans Auditorium, Davidson College – Jean Turfa, Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, will be giving a lecture, “Divination: It’s Not Just Sheep Livers Anymore!” and will share some new insights from the first English translation of The Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar. Free and open to the public. Go to www.davidson.edu for more information.

“Celebrity Autobiography”, 8 p.m., Duke Family Performance Hall, Davidson College – Davidson College Artist Series presents this comic theatrical work, which brings the published memoirs of America’s Hollywood A-list celebrities to the stage. Tickets are $20. Call 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays for tickets, or purchase online at www.davidson.edu/tickets.

Open mic at Summit Coffee, 8-10 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music. Info: 704-895-9090.

THURSDAY, MAR. 10

Philosophy Lecture, 4:30 p.m., Phi Hall, Davidson College – A talk on “Distraction and Negligence” by Rutgers University professor of Philosophy Douglas Husak. Free and open to the public. For information call 704-894-2921 or visit www.davidson.edu.

Theology on Tap, 5:30 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 South Main St. – Dr. Doug Ottati and Dr. Matt Samson will lead a discussion of issues in theology and why they matter.

Read Richard Maschal's article about Herb Jackson in the latest Lake Norman Magazine. (Click image to read).

Herb Jackson retrospective opens, 7-9 p.m., Belk Visual Arts Center, Davidson College – An artist reception for the exhibition “Herb Jackson: Excavations.” The exhibition celebrates 42 years of teaching and 50 years of painting by Davidson’s Douglas C. Houchens Professor of Fine Arts Herb Jackson, who is retiring at the conclusion of the academic year. Free and open to the public. For information call 704-894-2519.

Live Animal Program, 7 p.m., Mooresville Public Library, 304 S. Main St., Mooresville – Carolina Raptor Center presents a variety of native birds and a 30-minute natural history and raptor-fact live bird presentation. Free. Visit www.lakenormanwildlife.org or call 704-877-4788 for more information.

Davidson Greenways Meeting, 7 p.m., Davidson town hall, 216 South Main St. – Meeting of The Davidson Greenways, Trails, and Bikeways Advisory Board to discuss plans for the West Davidson greenways.

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music: TBA. Info: 704-895-9090.

FRIDAY, MAR. 11

Concerts on the Green Meeting, 9 a.m., Davidson Town Hall, 216 South Main St. – Concerts on the Green Advisory Committee Meeting.

Musical Interludes at Davidson College, 12:30 p.m., Tyler-Tallman Hall, Sloan Music Center, Davidson College – Concert by Shirley Gilpin, flute, and Cynthia Lawing, piano. Free and open to the public. For information call 704-894-2848.

Theater: Masterpiece, 8 p.m., Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St. – By award-winning playwright Meir Ribalow, “Masterpiece” is the true story of Han van Meegeren, one of the 20th century’s most notorious art forgers. Tickets are $18 adult, $15 senior (over 65), $10 student (under 21). Recommended for Ages 13 and up. Plays Feb. 24-26 and Mar. 3-5, 11 &12 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 27 and Mar. 6, 12, 13 at 2 p.m. For further information call 704-892-7953. www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org.

Gamut Dance Company, 8 p.m., Duke Family Performance Hall, Davidson College – This audition-based student dancetroupe will showcase both student and professional choreography. Tickets are $9, $5 for students. For information call 404-353-2031.

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music: TBA. Info: 704-895-9090.

SATURDAY, MAR. 12

Breakfast buffet for Davidson Presbyterian, 7-11:30 a.m., Fellowship hall, Davidson Presbyterian Church, 116 Depot St. – Breakfast buffet, with ham, eggs, sausage, grits, beverages, toast, fruits. Cost $5 per person. Proceeds benefit the church building fund.

The Palace Bazaar, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., The Palace, 8325 Copely Dr., Cornelius – Merchandise from local vendors will be on display and for sale to the public. Concessions will be available and there will also be live music. Vendors may reserve a table space for just $15 on or before March 10, 2011. For more information, please email Maura Reddington at maura@platinum-realty.com or call 704-892-7636.

World of Wonder nature activity, 9 a.m.-11 a.m, downtown Davidson next to Town Hall – In honor of Arbor Day, Rebecca Mays will be doing a “Treasure Tree” activity. Stop by the WOW booth and learn more about how valuable our trees are.

Davidson Farmers Market Tailgate Market, 9 a.m. to noon, downtown Davidson next to Town Hall – Local farmers and vendors selling meats, produce, dairy products, baked goods, and other items. 2nd & 4th Saturdays. For more information: www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org. DavidsonNews.net is pleased to be a sponsor of the Davidson Farmers Market.

Learning to Love Yourself, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Davidson United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 233 S. Main St. – Girls in grades 6-12 and their special guardian are invited to discover how special and cherished they are. Great music, lunch, makeup tips, and fashion at church. Led by Christian speaker and author Hannah Arrowood. Tickets, available through church office, are $10 if purchased by March 4, $15 after March 4. Call 704-892-8277 for more information. www.davidsonumc.org

Theater: Masterpiece, 2 & 8 p.m., Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St. – By award-winning playwright Meir Ribalow, “Masterpiece” is the true story of Han van Meegeren, one of the 20th century’s most notorious art forgers. Tickets are $18 adult, $15 senior (over 65), $10 student (under 21). Recommended for Ages 13 and up. Plays Feb. 24-26 and Mar. 3-5, 11 &12 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 27 and Mar. 6, 12, 13 at 2 p.m. For further information call 704-892-7953. www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org.

Gamut Dance Company, 2 p.m., Duke Family Performance Hall, Davidson College – This audition-based student dance troupe will showcase both student and professional choreography. Tickets are $9, $5 for students. For information call 404-353-2031.

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music: TBA. Info: 704-895-9090.

SUNDAY, MAR. 13

Daylight Savings Time begins, 2 a.m.

Theater: Masterpiece, 2 p.m., Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St. – By award-winning playwright Meir Ribalow, “Masterpiece” is the true story of Han van Meegeren, one of the 20th century’s most notorious art forgers. Tickets are $18 adult, $15 senior (over 65), $10 student (under 21). Recommended for Ages 13 and up. Plays Feb. 24-26 and Mar. 3-5, 11 &12 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 27 and Mar. 6, 12, 13 at 2 p.m. For further information call 704-892-7953. www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org.

“Liederabend”, 7:30 p.m., Tyler-Tallman Hall, Sloan Music Center, Davidson College – An evening of student performances of songs and arias. Free and open to the public. For information call 704-894-2848 or visit www.davidson.edu.

HAVE NEWS?
Send listings to Karyn at listings@davidsonnews.net

Tuesday, March 8 – Poetry Reading
Davidson College invites the public to a poetry reading on Tuesday, March 8, by Kevin Prufer, professor of English at the University of Houston. Prufer, author of four collections of poetry, is therecipient of three Pushcart prizes, four awards from the Poetry Society of America, and a 2007 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. There is no charge to attend the reading, which begins at 5 p.m. in the Carolina Inn. For information call 704-894-2254.

Tuesday, March 8 – International Studies Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Tuesday, March 8, to a lecture on “Foreign Relations in the Run-Up to the 2012 Elections: Shaping the Agenda, Anticipating the Unexpected, and Lessons from the Past.” The speaker will be Davidson alumnus Charlie Skinner, adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Skinner served as Deputy Political Advisor at the USMission to NATO during its operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. There is no charge to attend the talk, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of Alvarez College Union. For information call 704-894-2440.

Wednesday, March 9 – Artist Series – “Celebrity Autobiography”
Davidson College invites the public on Wednesday, March 9, to an Artist Series production of “Celebrity Autobiography.” This comic theatrical work brings the published memoirs of America’s celebrities to the stage. The show begins at 8 p.m. in Duke Family Performance Hall, and reserved seat tickets are $20. Call 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays for tickets, orpurchase online at www.davidson.edu/tickets. For more information call 704-894-2192.

Thursday, March 10 – Philosophy Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Thursday, March 10, to a talk on “Distraction and Negligence“ by Rutgers University professor of Philosophy Douglas Husak. There is no charge to attend the talk, which begins at 4:30 p.m. in Phi Hall. Forinformation call 704-894-2921.

Thursday, March 10 – Art Exhibition – Herb Jackson retrospective
The Davidson College Galleries invite the public to an artist reception for the exhibition “Herb Jackson: Excavations” on Thursday evening, March 10. The exhibition celebrates 42 years of teaching and 50 years of painting by Davidson’s Douglas C. Houchens Professor of Fine Arts Herb Jackson, who is retiring at the conclusion of the academic year. The reception will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belk Visual Arts Center, and the exhibition will be on view until April 20. There is no charge for the reception or to visit the gallery, which is open weekdaysfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. For information call 704-894-2519.

Friday, March 11 – Musical Interludes
Davidson College invites the public to a noontime concert on Friday, March 11, by Shirley Gilpin, flute, and Cynthia Lawing, piano. There is no charge to attend the concert, which begins at 12:30 p.m. in Tyler-Tallman Hall of Sloan Music Center. For information call 704-894-2848.

Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12 – Dance
Davidson College invites the public to performances by its Gamut Dance Company on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12. This audition-based student dancetroupe will showcase both student and professional choreography. General admission tickets are $9, and $5 for students. Shows begin at 8 p.m. on March 11 and 2 p.m. on March 12, both in the Duke Family Performance Hall. For information call 404-353-2031.

Sunday, March 13 – “Liederabend”
Davidson College invites the public on Sunday evening, March 13 to an evening of student performance of songs and arias. There is no charge to attend the concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tyler-Tallman Hall of Sloan Music Center. For information call 704-894-2848.

Monday, March 14– Lecture on Democracy
Davidson College invites the public on Monday evening, March 14, to a lecture on “Global Trends in the Quality of Governance and Democracy” by Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Jack Goldstone. Goldstone has written more than 100 research articles and is the author or editor of ten books. He has been a consultant for the U.S. State Department, FBI, and Agency for International Development, helping devise measures and strategies to cope with failing and failed states. There is no charge to attend the talk,which begins at 8 p.m. in the Lilly Gallery of Chambers Building. For more information call 704-894-2398.

Tuesday, March 15 – Organ Concert
Davidson College invites the public to an organ concert by Marek Kudlicki on Tuesday, March 15. There is no charge to attend the concert, but donations are encouraged. It will begin 7:30 p.m. in Davidson College Presbyterian Church. For more information call 704-892-5641.

Tuesday, March 15 – Environmental Politics & History Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Tuesday, March 15, to a talk titled “A Green Sonderweg? Towards a Historical Explanation of Germany’s Environmentalism.” The speaker will be Paul Nolte, professor in contemporary history and international relations at the Free University of Berlin. There is no charge to attend the talk, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Hance Auditorium of Chambers Building. For information call 704-894-2284.

Wednesday, March 16 – Biology Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Wednesday, March 16, to a lecture on “Exploring the Role of the Human Microbiome in Health & Disease with Next-Generation Sequencing.” The speaker will be Anthony Fodor, assistant professor of bioinformatics and genomics at UNC Charlotte. There is no charge to attend the talk, which begins at 4:30 p.m. in Room 146 of Dana Science Building. For information call 704-894-2184.

Wednesday, March 16 – Interdisciplinary Studies Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Wednesday, March 16, to a panel discussion about “Memory & Desire.” Panelists will include Professor of English Suzanne Churchill, Houchens Professor of Fine Arts Herb Jackson, and Professor of Biology Barbara Lom. There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Carolina Inn. For information call 704-894-2385.

Wednesday, March 16 – Medical Ethics
Davidson College invites the public on Wednesday, March 16 to the annual Frederick Womble Speas Symposium in Medical Ethics. This year’s event will focus on the topic “Pandemic Planning: Issues for Public Health, Bioethics and Law.” There is no charge to attend the talk, which begins at 5 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of AlvarezCollege Union. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to frscott@davidson.edu by March 11. For information call 704-894-2022.

Thursday, March 17 – Mathematics Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Thursday, March 17, to a lecture titled “Math and Art: The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty.” The speaker will be Professor Annalisa Crannell of Franklin & Marshall College. There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of Alvarez College Union. For information call 704-894-2838.

Thursday, March 17 –  Philosophy Lecture.
Davidson College invites the public on Thursday, March 17, to a philosophy lecture titled “Liberalism and the American Paradoxes of Decriminalization—Why Sex and Death, but not Drugs?” The speaker will be D.A.J. Richards, Webb Professor of Law at New York University. There is no charge to attend the event, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Phi Hall. For information call 704-894-2921.

Thursday, March 17 – Art and Literature Event
Davidson College invites the public on Thursday, March 17, to the premier of an art and poetry exhibition by Houchens Professor of Fine Arts Herb Jackson and Professor of English Alan Michael Parker. The two professors will present their collaborative work, 10 Days, with images by Jackson and poems by Parker. There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of Alvarez College Union. For information call 704-894-2254.

Friday, March 18 – Chemistry Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Friday, March 18, to a colloquium on “Residue Specific Resolution of Protein Folding Dynamics.” The speaker will be Brian Dyer of Emory University. There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Martin ScienceBuilding Thurman Lecture Hall. For information call 704-894-2307.

Friday, March 19 – Math Event
Davidson College invites area high school students on Friday, March 19, to “March MATHness,” a mathematics competition, lunch, and lecture. There is no charge to attend the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in Chambers Building. Participants should register at www.marchmathness.eventbrite.com. For information call 704-894-2096.

Sunday, March 20 – Senior Recital
Davidson College invites the public to a senior recital by baritone Jared Smith on Sunday afternoon, March 20. Smith will perform a collection of twentieth-century American art songs with accompaniment by Michael Rowland. There is no charge to attend the concert,which begins at 3 p.m. in Tyler-Tallman Hall of Sloan Music Center. For information call 704-894-2848.

Monday, March 21 – Ethics Lecture
Davidson Collegeinvites the public to a screening on Monday, March 21, of the documentary “Living in Emergency.” The film follows four volunteer physicians from Doctors Without Borders as they struggle to provide emergency medical care in the war zones of Liberia and Congo. A panel discussion will follow the film. The free event is not appropriate for children, and begins at 7 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of Alvarez College Union.

Tuesday, March 22 – Literary Event
Davidson College invites the public on Tuesday, March 22, to a literary reading by poet and novelist Joseph Bathanti, professor of English at Appalachian State University. Bathanti will also present his selections of student winners of the annual Charles E. Lloyd and R. WindleyHall Awards in Writing. There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Smith 900 Room of the Alvarez College Union. For information call 704-894-2254.

Wednesday, March 23 – Faculty Recital
Davidson College invites the public to a piano recital by Artist Associates Ruskin Cooper and Cynthia Lawing on Wednesday, March 23. The two performers will present a bicentennial celebration of Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann, with remarks by Millner Professor of Music William Lawing. There is no charge to attend the recital, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tyler-Tallman Hall of Sloan Music Center. For information call 704-894-2848.

Friday, March 25 – Musical Interludes
Davidson College invites the public on Friday, March 25, to a lecture-recital titled “Probing the Composer’s Mind: A Lecture-Recital Exploring the Works of Tom L. Lohr.” There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 12:30 p.m. in Tyler-Tallman Hall of SloanMusic Center. For information call 704-894-2848.

Friday, March 25 – Chemistry Lecture
Davidson College invites the public on Friday, March 25, to a colloquium titled “Aerosol Effects on the Southeastern US Solar Radiation Budget – Initial Results from a Regionally-Representative Site.” The speaker will be Brett Taubman from Appalachian State University. There is no charge to attend the event, which begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Martin Chemical Laboratory Thurman Room. For information call 704-894-2307.

Friday, March 25, to Saturday, April 2 – Theatre Production
The Davidson College theatre department invites the public to a production of the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical “Into the Woods” March 25 through April 2. The show depicts an all-star lineup of fairy tale characters hilariously colliding in pursuit of their own “happy ever after.” The play contains some adult themes and is recommended for ages eight and up. All performances will take place in the Duke Family Performance Hall. Performances will be March 25 and 26 at 8 p.m.; March 27 at 2 p.m.; and April 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets, call the Union Ticket Office at 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays or visit www.davidson.edu/tickets. General admission is $15 for adults, $11 for seniors, and $6 for students. For information call 704-894-2930.

Sunday, March 27 – Piano Studio Recital
Davidson College invites the public on Sunday, March 27, to a recital by piano students from the studios of RuskinCooper and Cynthia Lawing. There is no charge to attend the recital, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tyler-Tallman Hall of Sloan Music Center. For information call 704-894-2848.