Carnegie Mellon University

Often cited as a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Dimitris Lyacos‘s work defies genres. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Dimitris often incorporates religion, Classics, philosophy, and anthropology into his work, and in turn, his work has inspired a number of associated projects in dance, sculpture, video, opera, and music. In this program, audiences will enjoy readings and conversations on Dimitris’s impressive oeuvre and approach to writing, as well as musical collaborations and interludes inspired by Dimitris’s work, performed by Liam Battle. One featured musical composition is “Cairn,” a solo cello piece from the Nyctivoe cycle. The Nyctivoe cycle is a set of mixed chamber ensemble works by Gregory Rowland Evans that uses Dimitris’s writing. The writing supplies sung text for the cycle as well as a less overt overall aesthetic inspiration. Come early for a solo cello performance from Liam Battle, starting at 6:30 pm, and stick around after the program for a public reception complete with light refreshments. This reading is presented in partnership with the Pittsburgh Review of Books, which publishes engaged, incisive, and smart cultural criticism and analysis.