Dr. Jonathan M. Newman, the Clif and Gail Smart Professor of English at Missouri State University, will deliver the fall address at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at the Johnson Library and Museum in Osceola, Missouri. The event is open to the general public. Ample free parking is available on the grounds. A buffer supper will precede the talk at 6:00 p.m. After the talk, tours of the complex will be available. 

Dr. Newman’s talk will analyze Milton’s treatment of political rhetoric and “echo chambers” against the backdrop of the religious and political strife of Milton’s own life. It will focus in particular on the power of individual conscience and moral courage demonstrated by Milton’s portrayal of the angel Abdiel, who, demonstrating heroic faith and conviction, dissents from the crowd of rebel angels flocking to Lucifer at the onset of the War in Heaven.

The Johnson Library and Museum and the Missouri State University Libraries have collaborated on several projects to preserve the collections and enhance access to the catalogs and other metadata.