Famous as America's "deadline poet," Calvin Trillin has been a gadfly in verse for The Nation since 1990, delighting readers with his rhyming observations on the news of the day. A staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963 and columnist for Time magazine, Trillin has traveled America's highways and byways to keep his finger on the nation's pulse (and its palate). Related Themes: books, food, humor

The Aurora Forum, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, and the Stanford Institute for International Studies are proud to sponsor a one-day symposium on the history and legacy of international campaigns to end Apartheid in South Africa. Related Themes: civil rights, freedom, justice

On July 4, 1855, an anonymous poem entitled Leaves of Grass was published in Brooklyn. Nothing like it had ever been seen before: big, sprawling, sexual, democratic, ecstatic, both rough and gentle. It was, its author claimed, "America singing."In commemoration of this landmark literary event, and in celebration of Whitman's large-hearted vision, the Aurora Forum hosts a dramatic reading of "Song of Myself" directed by Kay Kostopoulos. After the performance—accompanied by music and historic images—a panel of Whitman scholars and poets will discuss the poem's meanings and what it says about democratic ideals today. Facsimile editions of the 1855 version of "Song of Myself" will be given to all who attend. Related Themes: history, poetry

In conjunction with the Office for Religious Life we are honored to present "The Aurora Forum at the Heyns Lecture, The Heart of Nonviolence: A Conversation with the Dalai Lama." This event is part of the Dalai Lama's visit to Stanford on November 4 and 5. Related Themes: Dalai Lama, nonviolence, Tibet

As of October 2004, 117 wrongfully convicted persons from twenty-five states have been released from America's death rows, and the number continues to grow. How do such serious mistakes occur in what some call the best court system in the world? And how can fifty states, each bound by the same Constitution and Supreme Court guidelines, implement the death penalty so differently? Should justice in a democratic society be an arbitrary matter? You are invited to join this conversation about one of the most important civil rights issues of our day. Related Themes: civil rights, death penalty, hope, justice