Christian Kiley

Professor Andrew Bricker, Associate Professor of English Literature at Ghent University, visited Penn State Abington on Tuesday, February 27th. The Penn State Abington English Program organized two events surrounding this visit. The first event, “Validating the Vicious: Rationalizing Satire’s Failures in the Twenty-First Century,” was held from 12pm to 1pm in Lares Banquet Hall. Bricker discussed his ongoing research on how society has come to think of satire. He delves into the history of satire, discussing how satirists of the 17th and 18th centuries were shaped by the politics of the times, and how that relates to a modern view of satire. 

Bricker detailed the origins of his research, the 2019 Carnival celebration in Aalst, Belgium. He noted that some floats in the parade could be seen as offensive depictions of certain cultures or races, and how many were dismissive of these depictions, claiming that they are not offensive due to its satirical nature. Bricker went on to explore how dangerous it can be for society to dismiss offensive material and reduce it being “just satire.”

During Bricker’s presentation, lunch was served for those attending. Copies of Bricker’s book, Libel and Lampoon: Satire in the courts, 1670-1792, were raffled off. After the presentation, Bricker took questions from attendees. 

The second event, a book party, was Bricker in conversation with Dr. Marissa Nicosia, Associate Professor of Renaissance Literature at Penn State Abington. The event was held in the Sutherland Building from 3pm-5pm. It was held in person as well as via Zoom. Bricker interviewed Nicosia about her new book, Imagining Time in the English Chronicle Play: Historical Futures, 1590-1660. In her book, Nicosia takes a look at how English playwrights drew inspiration for their work from historical accounts of England, and how they would slip in the present, and then into a speculative future. Those who attended were able to ask Nicosia questions after the interview in a Q&A.