The International Humanities Medal, which is accompanied by the Washington University Humanities Prize, is generously supported by Dr. David and Phyllis Wilson Grossman. This year's recipient, Francine Prose, has been a prolific and much-honored author of both novels and non-fiction books. Her fiction include A Changed Man, Blue Angel, Hunters and Gatherers, Bigfoot Dreams, Primitive People, and Guided Tours of Hell. Among her nonfiction works are Sicilian Odyssey, Gluttony: The Seven Deadly Sins, and Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The Best American Short Stories, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Observer, and numerous other publications. She is a contributing editor at Harper’s, writes regularly on art for The Wall Street Journal, and is a fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities.

Her most recent book is ANNE FRANK: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife. As she traces its transformation from the jottings of a young girl in a red-and-white checked journal to international bestseller, Prose reconsiders how Anne Frank’s diary—and its copious interpretations and misrepresentations over the past sixty years—has both shaped and been shaped by forces beyond its purview. The fame of the diary grew exponentially after it was adapted into a Pulitzer Prizewinning Broadway play and Oscar-winning movie. “How astonishing that a teenager could have written so intelligently and so movingly about a subject that continues to overwhelm the adult imagination,” says Prose. Richly detailed and thoughtfully presented, ANNE FRANK: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife is a graceful and compelling reconsideration of one of the most beloved and important books to ever be rescued from obscurity.

Francine Prose's lecture, "Ten Things That Art Can Do," will look at the limitations and possibilities of art. It will focus on what art can do to us and for us. The ceremony will take place on November 30, 2010 at 4:30pm in Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus of Washington University.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information and parking stickers, contact the Center at either 314-935-5576 or at cenhum@artsci.wustl.edu. We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you in Graham Chapel and in the Knight Center for the festivities. Seating is limited. You are strongly encouraged to RSVP.

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