Prof John Plotz: finding new meaning in old books

Posted: Tuesday Aug 15, 2023

Among his varied interests, leading Victorian literature scholar and prison educator Professor John Plotz revisits forgotten novels, giving them a second life, and explores the redeeming value of books for former prisoners.

Professor of Humanities at Brandeis University, Plotz is the editor of the B-Sides series on Public Books. His first book Portable Property examines the objects Victorian Britons took with them when they traveled abroad, to persuade them their national identity was intact. Professor Plotz is giving this year's University of Otago Dalziel lecture on August 25 in Dunedin, related to his current work about science fiction and satire; how it makes you think by making you laugh.

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