Oct. 22-25: Saint Anselm to host week-long conference on the Grateful Dead

MANCHESTER, NH — Saint Anselm College will host “A Long Strange Trip: The Culture of the Grateful Dead,” a week-long examination of the cultural impact of the iconic rock band Oct. 22 – 25 through the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute.

The series of events will include a number of panels and discussions to focus on the band’s history, its impact on pop culture, how it affected the drug culture in the U.S. and, of course, the music and lyrics. The week will include a keynote lecture by Thomas Mangan, filmmaker and executive producer of a four-part documentary on the Grateful Dead, entitled Long Strange Trip. The week will conclude with an open mic musical jam.

“People who are fans of the Dead who have followed the band’s concerts and songwriting over the years will be interested in this week of discussion about the band’s language and music within the cultural context of those decades,” said Gary Bouchard, executive director of the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute at Saint Anselm. “This film, Long Strange Trip, offers us a really good opportunity to examine this band’s influence on our culture.”

The following events will comprise the week of discussions, all to be held at the college’s Roger and Francine Jean Event Center:

• Tuesday, October 22, 2:30 p.m. – Panel on the Music of the Grateful Dead, led by Professors Ann Holbrook (English), Sean Parr (Fine Arts) and Beller McKenna (UNH).
• Tuesday, October 22, 4 p.m. – Panel on the History, Politics, and Culture of The Grateful Dead Era, led by Professors Andrew Moore (History) and Matt Masur (History).
• Wednesday, October 23, 2:30 p.m., Panel on The Grateful Dead and the Drug Culture, led by Professors Dan Lavoie (Biology) and Joe Troisi (Psychology).
• Wednesday, October 23, 2:30 p.m. – Panel on the Lyrics of The Grateful Dead, led by Professors Meg Cronin (English) and Georgia Henley (English).
• Thursday, October 24, 7 p.m. – Keynote Lecture by Thomas Mangan, Film Maker and Executive-Producer of the four-part documentary on the Grateful Dead entitled Long Strange Trip (available on Amazon Prime and at the college’s Geisel Library).
• Friday, October 25. 4-9 p.m. – Open Mic Musical Jam in the lobby of the Jean Student Center, with food and beverages.

Saint Anselm College

Founded in 1889, Saint Anselm College is a nationally-ranked four-year liberal arts college providing a 21st century education in the Catholic, Benedictine tradition. Located in the greater Boston region in southern New Hampshire, Saint Anselm is well known for its strong liberal arts curriculum, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, commitment to inclusiveness, a highly successful nursing program, and a legacy of community service.