3.18.26 7pm

Join us in the East/West Dining Room of the Perry Campus Center at Doane University in Crete for the annual Lucille Cobb Memorial Lecture.

The Lucille Cobb Memorial Lecture Series is funded by an endowment in memory of Dr. Cobb, professor of English at Doane from 1959-69. Former Doane students remember Dr. Cobb as a teacher of writing, 17th-century literature, Shakespeare, and senior seminar. She received a degree in law from Washington University in St. Louis in 1926, and in 1956, a Ph.D. from the same institution, with the dissertation “John Donne and Common Law.” During her tenure at Doane, Lucille Cobb inspired students to develop as thinkers and writers. The Lectureship is intended to broaden public awareness of the art of thoughtful writing by presenting talented, successful authors. Over the years, the Lucille Cobb Memorial Lecture Series has welcomed an impressive array of writers and scholars including Dr. Rita Charon (2020), Tom Robbins, Frank Deford, and many more.

This year, the Doane University English Department and The New Xanadu are excited to host Amy Fleury, an accomplished poet, writer, and educator whose work embodies the enduring relevance of the liberal arts, the transcendent value of the humanities, and the interdisciplinary nature of literary studies.

Amy will share an inspiring lecture about the intersection of healthcare and the humanities. The burgeoning practice of narrative medicine in the 21st century has made patient-centered care more humane and achievable through radical listening, storytelling, and empathy cultivation. Amy will discuss how her experience advocating for her medically complex son in a hospital setting for two and a half years has informed her study of the field, influenced her creative work, and cultivated her desire to share what she's learned. She will read from her poetry manuscript, Stardust & Luck, and discuss the value of connecting practitioners, caregivers, and patients beyond traditional data-driven healthcare. There will be time afterward for discussion with Amy, faculty, students, staff, and university stakeholders.

4.30.26 6pm

Join us for a casual reception on Thursday, April 30 at 5pm in the Perry Campus Center’s East/West Dining Room on Doane University’s campus in Crete, Nebraska. Enjoy coffee, cookies, and conversation as we unveil the 2026 edition of Xanadu, Doane's art and literary magazine since 1956. We will celebrate this year's edition with a live reading by several of our talented student contributors from programs across campus.