CBC Massey Lectures 2007: Alberto Manguel - The City of Words

The end of ethnic nationalism, building societies around sets of common values, seems like a good idea, but something is going wrong. In these lectures, writer Alberto Manguel takes a fresh look at some of the problems we face and suggests we should look at what stories have to teach us about society. "How do stories help us perceive ourselves and others?" he asks. "How can stories lend a whole society an identity...?" From "Gilgamesh" to the Bible, from "Don Quixote" to "The Fast Runner," he explores how books and stories hold the secret keys to what binds us together. Internationally acclaimed as an anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist and editor, Alberto Manguel is the bestselling author of several award-winning books, including "A Dictionary of Imaginary Places" and "A History of Reading." He was born in Buenos Aires, moved to Toronto in 1982 (where he lived for 20 years) and now lives in France, where he was named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters. Among other awards and honours, he is also a Guggenheim Fellow. Regular $19; students/seniors $13 (tax and charges incl.)