Great World Texts

press release: At 24 high schools across the state, students have been studying renowned writer Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman. This revolutionary story focuses on two prisoners who form a strong bond in their cell just prior to the start of Argentina’s Dirty War. On April 8, 2020, more than 1,000 students will convene to discuss Puig’s novel at the 16th annual Great World Texts in Wisconsin student conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with celebrated academic, Suzanne Jill Levine.

The Great World Texts in Wisconsin program reaches students and teachers in dozens of school districts throughout the state of Wisconsin. Drawing from world literature throughout the ages, the program’s selection of texts reflects a capacious understanding of the idea of the “literary classic.” In previous years, faculty, teachers, and students have collaborated on texts associated with 16th century China, ancient Greece, and contemporary India. Each year, participating students read and discuss one such work in their classrooms and create projects which connect the book to their own interests. 

GREAT WORLD TEXTS: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN IN WISCONSIN

Student Conference Schedule

Monday, March 9, 2020, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID), 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, and Union South, 1308 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53715

Plenary: Teachers, parents, campus and program partners welcome!

Union South (Varsity Hall, Second Floor)

8:45-9:00    Welcome

9:00-10:15    Plenary Session

10:15-10:30    Break

10:30-11:30    Keynote Address with Suzanne Jill Levine

11:30-12:15    Lunch Break

12:15-12:30    Passing Period: Proceed to the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery

Poster Sessions: All visitors are welcome to participate!

Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (Ground Floor)

12:30-2:30    Student Poster Sessions

Session 1 (12:30-1:30)        Group 1 schools present projects

                Group 2 schools tour project sessions

Session 2 (1:30-2:30)        Group 1 schools tour project sessions

                Group 2 schools present projects

2:30-2:45    Project Prizes, Closing Remarks and Departures

Public Evening Lecture: All are welcome!

Madison Central Library (Third Floor)

7-8:30    Suzanne Jill Levine’s Humanities Without Boundaries lecture

Kiss of the Spider Woman in Wisconsin is an initiative of the Center for the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin Madison, supported by the A. W. Mellon Foundation; the Evjue Foundation; UW-Madison Libraries; the Department of English; the Anonymous Fund of the College of Letters & Science; and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.