Join us for a conversation with Naomi Kanakia, author of the recently-published What’s So Great About the Great Books? Why You Should Read Classic Literature (Even Though It Might Destroy You) (Princeton University Press, 2026). She will be joined on stage by Professor Amanda Goodman to discuss what makes the great books great and what we can gain by reading them.
About the Speaker
Naomi Kanakia is a novelist, essayist, and literary critic whose work explores the enduring value of great literature and the pleasures and challenges of reading the classics. She is the author of What’s So Great About the Great Books? (Princeton University Press, 2026). Kanakia is also the author of four novels and writes Woman of Letters, a literary newsletter on Substack devoted to classic and contemporary literature and the culture of reading. A lifelong and wide-ranging reader, she brings a distinctive perspective to questions about what makes a book great, why we continue to engage with works from the distant past, and how reading can deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world.
Date: Thursday, November 5
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Location: Buddha Hall, Sudhana Center, 225 S Hope St, Ukiah, CA