New York Times investigative reporter and
Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh's upcoming
appearance at the University of Arkansas at Monticello
aroused some controversy locally.
A UAM administrator reports one irate caller questioned the value
of bringing such a controversial speaker to campus,
claiming "(Hersh is) un-American because
he has been consistently critical of our government's
policies in Iraq."
Hersh will talk informally with students and interested public at 3
p.m. Thursday, March 9, in the Memorial Classroom
Building Auditorium. That evening at 7:30 in the Fine
Arts Center Auditorium he will deliver the 2006 UAM
Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture, entitled "The Road
From 9/11 to Abu Ghraib." Both events are free and open
to the public.
Hersh broke the major news story about the prisoner abuse scandal
at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. His Rockefeller Lecture
follows the outline of his best-selling book "Chain of
Command." The New York Times said recently of this book,
"Necessary reading for anyone remotely interested in
what went wrong and continues to go wrong in Iraq."
United Press International said of Hersh's book, "A first-class
work ... (Hersh) is the greatest reporter at work in
America today." "Chain of Command" won the National
Press Foundation W.M Kiplinger Award and the Overseas
Press Club Award. It has been named one of the best
books of the year by The New York Times, The Economist,
The Christian Science Monitor, The Manchester Guardian
and the Seattle News, among others.
Following the evening lecture, an open-mic question and
answer session with Hersh will provide a "civil
discourse" with a free and open discussion of government
policies, which the framers of our Constitution regarded
as one of the most important elements of a democracy.
Following the Q&A session, Hersh will sign books. A
reception follows in the Spencer Gallery of the Fine
Arts Center. All events are free and open to the public.
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