“Education can be many things, but fundamentally it is nothing less than mental adventure,” explained Michael Dirda.
Dirda proudly received a Pulitzer Prize for his columns and was an editor for The Washington Post Book World. He came to Longwood University to speak to students on Sept. 19 about, “Becoming a Citizen of the World.” His speech, located in Blackwell Hall, was hosted by Longwood’s English and modern languages department. The majority of the department’s lecturers promoted the event in their classes.
The event began with an introduction of Dirda, which gave the audience a sense of who he was and what he had accomplished throughout his career.
Then, he took the stage. His quick wit and funny tales captured the audience’s attention from the start.
He explained he was from a working class family without a lot of money, getting by with what they had. Dirda’s explanation resonated with the audience members as clapping broke out among them.
He shared his belief that in the face of doubt, even if someone can't afford some luxuries, they can still prosper and learn to be an intelligent and cultured citizen.
He described how teachers would have described him as “slow” or “hard of hearing."
He talked about his mother. He said she was the one who taught him to read; a few novels he described to be among his favorites were “Moby Dick” and “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
“In eighth grade, I was elected king of the book fair,” he joked, receiving laughter from the audience.
Early on, Dirda said he realized he could create his own destiny and knew others could recreate themselves as well.
“Dumas’s book (author of Monte Cristo) set me to think about my life and future, looking back I realized that its message is fundamentally American, you can change you apparent destiny, you can reinvent yourself and education is the means that will enable you to do so,” stated Dirda.
Dirda, proud to be a cultured man, exposed himself to art such as literature, writing, languages and musical influences.
“In my own case with a blue-collar background, I learned to be cultured so I could feel comfortable around people from any sort of background; but above all, I wanted to be a cultured citizen,” said Dirda.
Dirda switched his speech to more inspirational messages, urging the audience to believe in themselves no matter what.
“If you follow around less traveled, be prepared for setbacks; it may take awhile to get the career (you had hoped for),” said Dirda.
Dirda described majors in college, focusing more on English majors, and how their degree could lead to great things.
He said when people ask, “What can you do with an English degree?” He responds, “(An english degree) prepares you for anything and you never know what course could change your life.”
Six inspirational words concluded Dirda’s speech and led the full house in Blackwell to a round of applause, “Try again, fail again, be better.”
Book critic, Michael Dirda, spoke to a large crowd of students and faculty last Monday in Blackwell Hall.
