Joan Pederson Lecture Feb. 9

Old tale, new threads: Revisioning Red Riding Hood lecture at the Faculty of Education

The Faculty of Education presented the Joan Pedersen Distinguished Lecture on Thursday, February 9, 2012. Lectures will be given by Cornelia Hoogland, Professor in Western’s Faculty of Education, and Sandra L. Beckett, Professor at Brock University and member of the Royal Order of Canada. This lecture took place from 4:30pm to 6:00pm in the Community Room (1037) in the J.G. Althouse building at Western.

With her cloak and basket, Little Red Riding Hood has been going into the woods for centuries. This well-known fairy tale, whose heroine has become a universal icon, still haunts the collective imagination. The Red Riding Hood story has been retold and recast by numerous authors, illustrators, and media artists around the globe. With a forthcoming anthology on international retellings of the Red Riding Hood story, Beckett presented on how this remarkably versatile tale has been adapted to new social and cultural contexts. Hoogland gave a reading from her recent fairy tale revisioning, entitled Woods Wolf Girl (2011).The Joan Pedersen lecture series is made possible through the generous contribution of Dr. George Pedersen, surviving husband of Joan Pedersen (1931-1988). Joan Pedersen was a beloved elementary school teacher, curriculum materials author, and supervisor for primary-junior student teachers at Western. Dr. Pedersen remembers his wife as a person whose “generosity and cheerfulness made her everyone’s favourite.” This annual lecture event pays tribute to Joan Pedersen’s great vitality, outstanding accomplishments, and contributions to enriching the lives of so many others.

The Joan Pedersen lecture is one of many informative and stimulating outreach events of the Faculty of Education that will interest members of the university and the public. There is no charge for the lecture, and free parking is available in the north lot.

For more information, or for an interview opportunity, please contact Professor Cornelia Hoogland at chooglan@uwo.ca.