Normandale 2026 Spring Richard Brown Colloquium Series continues on April 27 with presentation of The Ancient Imagination of Ireland - Heroic Tales of Ulster

The Normandale Community College 2026 Spring Semester Richard Brown Colloquium Series continues on Monday, April 27 from 2-2:50 p.m. in College Services Room C 1020. All sessions are free and open to the public and campus community.

The upcoming session on April 27 features The Ancient Imagination of Ireland: Heroic Tales of Ulster featuring Réamonn O Ciaráin, CEO of Gael Linn and author  of Cúchulainn: Ulster's Greatest Hero.

"The Colloquium Series was meant to provide additional learning and discussion opportunities outside the traditional classroom setting for Normandale students and the general public,” said Richard Brown’s son Jason Brown. “My dad would be honored and thrilled that the series continues to this day in his name."

The Colloquium Series is an important part of the living history of Normandale. It is a welcoming platform for sharing ideas in free talks given by a variety of speakers, usually but not exclusively faculty.

It originally ran from 2006-2018 and was renamed the Richard Brown Colloquium Series by the English Department to honor the faculty member who largely ran it. Brown passed in 2020. The series was revived across 2023-2024. Since that 2023 revival, more than 20 faculty in English, Art, Music, History, Theatre, and World Languages have all participated.

This spring semester has featured five colloquium presentations, which include:

• Lightning from the Page: Reading the one (or two) inspiring literary work(s) that first ignited a lasting commitment to the life of the imagination. It will feature Normandale English faculty Kris Bigalk, Sonia Greenfield, Roy Guzman, Mary Hammerbeck, Matt Mauch and Eric Mein
• Summoning the Hidden Folk: How History Helps You Write featuring English instructor Tom Maltman and recently-retired English instructor Lynette-Reini-Grandell.

• The Work of Angels: Aspects of the illuminated medieval Celtic manuscript Book of Kells featuring Art instructor Molly Skjei and English instructor Patrick O'Donnell on March 16
• The Sublime Through the Lens of a Scientist: The Life and Writings of Carl Sagan featuring Jason Brown, who is the Senior Principal Statistician and Technical Fellow at Medtronic
• Lift Up Your Voices: Poems for Earth Day."Andy Tix, faculty in Psychology; Anna Meek, and Mary Hammerbeck, both faculty in English on April 20

The final session of the spring semester will be Mages, Murderers, and Matchmakers:  The Literary Side of Genre Fiction with English faculty Sonia Greenfield, Eric Mein, and Patrick O'Donnell on May 4.

Later in September 2026, the Colloquium Series will celebrate its 20th anniversary (with a break of a few years from 2019-22). You can find all of the Colloquium series listings at normandale.edu/events.