Ritchie explains critics’ misconceptions
Dan Ritchie talks about his article on the staying power of classic literary works.
By Mary Hajduk
Dan Ritchie walks up to the podium after his introduction, ready to give a speech with opinions that disagree with three modern scholars.
At 11:15 a.m. Thursday in the Fireside Lounge of the Bethel University Library, Ritchie, retired professor of English Emeritus, gave a lecture on his article in National Affairs magazine titled Is Great Art Ahead of Its Time?
About 45 people attended the lecture, the most an event in the library has hosted this year. Primetime events like this involve a speaker and typically happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and there have been five this semester.
“There were a lot more people than we usually have, and there was a lot of engagement,” said Emma Dangers, Public Services Supervisor in the library, who helped orchestrate the event.
Dangers says that the Primetime events don’t usually use the whole time allotted, and this one did, due to the many questions asked of Ritchie, and by him to his former students.
“It’s always worth listening to Dr. Ritchie, and we don’t get to see him very often,” — Andy Bramsen, political science department co-chair
The audience was made up of both faculty and students, excited to have Ritchie back on campus.
“It’s always worth listening to Dr. Ritchie, and we don’t get to see him very often,” said Andy Bramsen, professor of political science and longtime colleague of Ritchie.
Although Ritchie’s speech centered on literary works and how they affect modern day society, Bramsen feels that it can apply to many fields — not just political science — and it’s worth thinking about for anyone.
After finishing his presentation, Ritchie answered questions that further explored his ideas, and pushed the spotlight onto former students who participated in the humanities program he founded. After 40 years of teaching at Bethel, he retired in 2022, but was happy to come back and talk about his next work.
He analyzed critics and their use of literary works for their own ends, and defended the legacies of both Homer and Jane Austen, both of whom have been misunderstood in his opinion.
“Stop, listen, receive,” — Dan Ritchie
Ritchie’s biggest point came at the end of his talk, something he said Bethel does a great job expressing.
“Stop, listen, receive,” Ritchie said, leaving his audience with concise advice.
The next Primetime event will be on Apr 4, at 11:15 am in the Bethel University library, featuring author Mélina Mangal, talking about her path to publication and highlighting the importance of getting younger readers involved.
