A nationally-recognized novelist, professor and physicist will take up residence on The University of Memphis campus this afternoon, and will make himself comfortable here over the weekend.
Alan Lightman, the author of "Einstein's Dreams," will participate in symposiums and luncheons during his three days in Memphis. All of his activities are devoted to his novel, which has been adapted for The U of M stage.
Lightman was born in Memphis in 1948 and has gone on to collect degrees at numerous prestigious U.S. schools.
Currently, Lightman is an adjunct professor of humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"He's a genius," said Alice Berry, director of publicity and promotions in the department of theater and dance.
This savant-like status has been in the making since 1970 when Lightman graduated with a degree in physics from Princeton University.
Post-Princeton and pre-MIT, Lightman earned his PhD in theoretical physics in 1974 from the California Institute of Technology. More than 30 years later, in 2005, Lightman was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Bowdoin College.
Hosting such a decorated author and educator is an honor for The U of M programs that brought him here, according to Berry. The Fred Mertz Association, which is affiliated with the department of theatre and dance, worked in conjunction with the Society of Physics Students to bring Lightman to campus.
"We're all really excited about it," said Jennifer Garst, president of the Society of Physics Students.
"Einstein's Dreams" was Lightman's first venture into fiction, and achieved bestseller status around the globe, after it was translated into 30 different languages. Lightman's decade-old release has also been performed on more than two dozen campuses across the country.
This novel, according to a review published in The New York Times, "pulls the reader in like a magnet."
The strong force of Lightman's writing was not lost on Gloria Baxter and Susan Chrietzberg, both of whom co-directed the narrative adaptation for The U of M stage, and are also professors in the department of theater and dance.
The characters of Einstein, Besso and an ensemble of six dreamers make up the cast, which has been performing for more than a week on campus. They will continue to take the stage tonight and tomorrow night.
Lightman will also attend a performance and book signing.
Beginning at 12:30 this afternoon in Rm. 235 of the Theater and Communication Building, Lightman will lead a discussion among various majors on campus, such as Theater, Creative Writing and Physics.
Saturday, at 2 p.m. Lightman will be part of a panel discussion with co-directors Baxter and Chrietzberg. The discussion will take place in the main theater with a question and answer session to follow. Lightman will sign copies of his works immediately after the forum in the lobby of the Theater and Communication Building.
The final two performances of "Einstein's Dreams" begin at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. All tickets are free with a valid U of M student ID.
