Femmes fatales and other women of ‘The Maltese Falcon’ to highlight March 28 discussion at UVa-Wise

Seductive femmes fatales and other women of “The Maltese Falcon” will be the topic of a presentation given at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise as part of Women’s History Month and in conjunction with the Lonesome Pine Regional Library’s celebration of the Big Read.

Marla Weitzman, assistant professor of English, and Elizabeth Steele, coordinator of advising and retention, will explore the female characters of Dashiell Hammett’s classic novel. The pair will discuss the “good” and “bad” women of the novel.

The lecture will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 28, in the Chapel of All Faiths. The event is free and open to the public.

Often called the first private detective novel, “The Maltese Falcon” introduced the world to Sam Spade in 1930 and chronicled his search for the titular treasure amid a murder mystery.

Also in conjunction with the Big Read, UVa-Wise’s Roman Zylawy, professor of French, will present a lecture on the film noir genre with clips from 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon,” a prime example of the genre starring Humphrey Bogart.

Zylawy’s lecture will be held April 7 at 1 p.m. in the Chapel of All Faiths. The presentation is free and open to the public.

The Lonesome Pine Regional Library is one of 127 organizations throughout the nation to receive the National Endowment for the Arts grant. Grantees represent 38 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The NEA launched the Big Read nationally in 2007 in partnership with the institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

The Big Read helps promote the joy of reading in communities across the nation. The event will officially kick off in Wise County with a reading on the steps of the Wise County Courthouse on Wednesday, March 26, at 2:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the Office of College Relations at 276-328-0130.

Posted March 21, 2008