Andrei Codrescu, Commentator

for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,”

to Talk at Middlebury College on April

29

Andrei Codrescu, a regular

commentator for “All Things Considered” on National

Public Radio (NPR), will deliver the Robert

W. van de Velde, Jr. Memorial Lecture on “The Wages of Relentless

Travel: Two Revolutions and Countless Upheavals,” at 4:30

p.m. on Thursday, April 29 in the auditorium of Middlebury College’s

Twilight Hall on College Street. The lecture is open to the public

and free of charge.

The talk will include discussion of Codrescu’s experiences

as a journalist, as well as stories about Romania, and Cuba, where

he has traveled recently to do research for his most recent book,

“Ay, Cuba! A Socio-Erotic

Journey.”

Andrei Codrescu is a Romanian-born

essayist, editor, novelist, and poet. In addition to his work

as an NPR commentator, he has appeared on “The Today Show,”

the “Tonight Show,” “Nightline,” “The

Late Show with David Letterman,” and network news. He writes

commentary and reviews for The New York Times, The Boston Globe,

and the Chicago Tribune.

Among his best-known commentaries were

a series of reports about the fall of the Ceaucescu government

in Romania, and his own homecoming after a quarter century of

exile. He is the author of three novels, several collections of

poems, and 10 essay collections, including: “Road Scholar:

Coast to Coast Late in the Century” (1993)-based on his PBS

documentary of the same name; “The Muse is Always Half-Dressed

in New Orleans” (1995); “Zombification: Essays from

NPR” (1996); and his most recent book, “Ay, Cuba! A

Socio-Erotic Journey” (1999).

Robert W. van de Velde, Jr. was a member of the Middlebury

College class of 1975. The memorial lecture was established in

1981 by his parents, R.W. and Barbara van de Velde; his widow,

Diana Mooney van de Velde; and other family members and friends.

The lecture series provides an annual talk on the confluence of

public affairs, both foreign and domestic, and journalism-particularly

broadcast journalism. Previous speakers in the series have included

Frank Sesno, Middlebury College class of 1977; Cecil Forster of

the class of 1964; Robert Abernethy; former Governor of Vermont

Madeleine Kunin; Jane Bryant Quinn of the class of 1960; and E.D.

Hirsch.