photo by: University of Kansas

Lisa Damour, the first speaker in the Hall Center for the Humanities' spring 2025 lineup, is pictured.

From speech police to the demons of the Trump Age, the Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas is hosting a series of lectures this semester that tackle a range of cultural and political topics.

Author and psychologist Lisa Damour will kickoff the series on Wednesday with a lecture entitled “Gender and the Speech Police.” Damour, a New York Times bestselling author, will explore 12 myths related to women’s communication. The author of “Untangled,” “Under Pressure,” and “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers,” also will discuss managing conflicts and setting boundaries.

The event is set for 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the Lied Center Pavilion on KU’s West Campus. Like all the events in the series, it is free and open to the public.

Here’s a look at the other events scheduled by the Hall Center for the spring semester:

• Erik Scott: “Defectors: How the Illicit Flight of Soviet Citizens Built the Borders of the Cold War World.” Scott, a KU history professor, examines how defections during the Cold War reshaped political asylum policies and other topics. 6 p.m., Feb. 25, Lawrence Public Library auditorium.

• Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: “Journey to the Edge of Space-Time.” The physicist will examine black holes, quantum radiation and examine how humans strive to understand the universe. 7 p.m. March 10, Hall Center Conference Hall.

• Peter Hessler: “Other Rivers: A Chinese Education.” Hessler, a journalist, explores through the lens of education how China is changing. Hessler has taught in China multiple times since 1996. 7 p.m., April 1, Hall Center Conference Hall.

• Alicia Elliott: “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground.” Elliott, a Native American writer, will discuss colonization and the intergenerational trauma it has produced for Indigenous women. 7 p.m. April 17, Haskell Auditorium at Haskell Indian Nations University.

• Maya Gurantz: “Art and American Demonologies in the Age of Trump.” Gurantz is an artist who also is serving as the Hall Center’s public humanities fellow this year. She’ll explore how American democracy has used “symbolic demons” to justify political repression. Gurantz, who as a podcaster has examined the idea of the “Trump cult,” specifically will examine how the idea of symbolic demons has played out during the era of President Donald Trump. 7 p.m., May 7, Hall Center Conference Hall.