John Granger Will Launch Annual Campus Theme Speaker Series

CRESSON, Pa. –  Mount Aloysius College invites the general public to their annual Convocation Lecture by internationally renowned speaker John Granger on Thursday afternoon, September 6th at 3:30 p.m. on the College’s Whalley Plaza. Mr. Granger will also participate in a panel discussion entitled,  "Pop Culture Lit and the Search for Meaning"on Wednesday, September 5th, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. The panel discussion will take place in Alumni Hall. The public is invited to attend that also. John Granger, author of the well-read weblog called “The Hogwarts Professor” will speak on “The Hunger Games: Finding A Home in a Dystopia.” Mr. Granger’s principal focus is the intersection of literature, faith and culture. He is most well-known as the author of several books analyzing J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and the allegorical meanings of Suzanne Collins’ ”Hunger Games” trilogy. 

Mount Aloysius President Tom Foley announced at a recent college assembly that the school’s theme for the current academic year is “Hospitality – Creating Home in a Changing World.” “As an institution of higher education serving under the auspices of the Religious Sister of Mercy, we celebrate Hospitality as a core value,” he said. “Completing an entire academic year where we focused on fostering civil discourse, we looked within to find a theme that flowed logically from that effort. “Hospitality – Creating Home in a Changing World” spoke to us as fitting and appropriate to the time in which we live. John Granger’s provocative insights into this timely topic should prove be a true intellectual and spiritual treat. We are all looking forward to hearing him and exchanging ideas.”

Mount Aloysius College’s efforts at fostering Civil Discourse earned them national recognition by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU).

Granger, born in Corning, NY and raised in Mountain Lakes, NJ, attended prep school at Philips Exeter Academy. He graduated from the University of Chicago, where he studied classical languages and literature. He now writes and speaks full-time. Granger previously taught Latin and English at several schools including the Valley Forge Military Academy here in Pennsylvania. A US Marine Corps veteran, he and his wife, Mary, have seven children.

Described by his publishers as "one of the leading authorities on the Harry Potter books as read in the context of English literature," his academic interests include iconological literary criticism, the post-modern qualities of Rowling's use of literary alchemy and eye symbolism in the Harry Potter novels, and the allegorical and anagogical aspects of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.

In addition to “How Harry Cast His Spell,” Granger is the author of “Unlocking Harry Potter: Seven Keys for the Serious Reader,” “The Deathly Hallows Lectures: The Hogwarts Professor Explains Harry's Last Adventure,” and “Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books Behind the Hogwarts Adventures.” He is currently writing “Spotlight: A Close-Up Look at the Artistry and Meaning of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.”

Granger has served as featured speaker on Harry Potter internationally. He discusses symbolist literature and iconological criticism and has served as guest speaker at the Torrey Honors Institute,  Pepperdine University, Washington & Lee University, La Salle University, Cornell University, The University of  Pennsylvania, Yale University, the University of Chicago, Baylor University, the New York C. S. Lewis Society, the New York Public Library (Mid Manhattan), and the Past Watchful Dragons C. S. Lewis Conference. He has given more than 100 radio, newspaper, and television interviews.

Space for the lecture is limited. Anyone wishing to attend the John Granger MAC Convocation Lecture entitled “The Hunger Games: Finding A Home in a Dystopia” or the September 5thpanel discussion should contact the College at (814) 886-4131.

CAPTION:  Mount Aloysius College faculty leaders announced that “The Hunger Games: Finding A Home in a Dystopia” will be the topic of the Convocation Lecture for fall 2012. Well-known author John Granger will serve as MAC’s Convocation speaker. Shown here from left are: Dr. Paul S. Farcus, division chairperson, health studies and sciences; Dr. Deanne D’Emilio, division chairperson, humanities, social science and professional studies; Dr. Timothy Fulop, academic vice president and dean of faculty; Rebecca Zukowski, division chief, MAC Nursing Division and Mount Aloysius President Tom Foley.