Humanities Week
A weeklong celebration of the human adventure across time, history, culture and place.
Now entering its fifth year, Humanities Week opens the door to discovering how studying the humanities at Arizona State University can lead to a successful career, a good life and a more just world.
Students and the public are invited to engage with varied events throughout the week, from open houses to hands-on activities to panel discussions.
Humanities Week 2025 is October 20–24. View the schedule below for events on the calendar so far. Check back soon for updates, including details on our signature event, the Marshall Distinguished Lecture.
Signature event
2025 Marshall Distinguished Lecture: An Evening with Jesmyn Ward
MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient and two-time National Book Award-winner Jesmyn Ward has been hailed as the standout writer of her generation, proving her “fearless and toughly lyrical” voice in novels, memoir and nonfiction. In 2017, she became the first woman and the first person of color to win two National Book Awards for Fiction — joining the ranks of William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, John Cheever, Philip Roth and John Updike. In 2024, "Men We Reaped," "Salvage the Bones" and "Sing, Unburied, Sing" were named in the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times.
Ward is currently a professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, where she teaches creative writing.
Register to attend.
2025 schedule of events
Monday, Oct. 20
Humanities Week Open House
10 a.m. | Durham Hall courtyard | Learn more.
The Art and Science of Conlanging
10:10 a.m. | Armstrong Hall 101 | Learn more.
Onigiri Action 2025
1:30 p.m. | Durham Hall, First Floor Lobby | Learn more.
The Transformative Power of Language Learning for Neurodiverse Learners
4 p.m. | Durham Hall room 135 and online | Learn more.
Native Nation Project: From ASU to the Future
6:30 p.m. | Labriola National American Indian Data Center at Hayden Library level two | Learn more.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
La Mia Italia Photo Contest
11 a.m. | Durham Hall exhibit lobby | Learn more.
Spanish Heritage voices at ASU
11 a.m. | Durham Hall room 240 | Learn more.
Exploring Día de los Muertos: A Guided Tour with Mathew Sandoval
1:30 p.m. | Interdisciplinary B room 280 | Learn more.
Echoes of David William Foster’s São Paulo in Contemporary Film
3 p.m. | Hayden Library room 236 | Learn more.
"Queen of Flowers and Pearls": A Performance by Gabriella Ghermandi
4 p.m. | Pima Auditorium, Memorial Union | Learn more.
Book launch: “Shifting Paradigms of Evil in Philosophy: Reading the Armenian Genocide with the Shoah” by Imge Oranli, part of ASU Humanities Week
6 p.m. | Durham Hall room 240 | Learn more.
Marshall Distinguished Lecture: An Evening with Jesmyn Ward
7 p.m. | Armstrong Hall 101 | Learn more.
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Dig In: Humanities Lab (and Sparky!) at Sparky’s Garden
10:30 a.m. | Social Sciences Building Sparky's Garden | Learn more.
ASU Humanities Week Program: “Jewish Travelers and Voyages of Diasporic Self-Discovery"
Noon. | Coor Hall room 4403 | Learn more.
Narrative Studies Symposium (Part of ASU Humanities Week)
Noon. | Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 room 312 | Learn more.
Spanglish Open mic & Poster presentation
12:30 p.m. | Durham Hall lobby | Learn more.
Fun with K-pop Demon Hunters
1 p.m. | Durham Hall room 240 | Learn more.
ASU Public History Poster Show
2 p.m. | Lattie Coor Hall first floor breezeway | Learn more.
Day 1: Toward Morning—Nyamathaam’im—‘Abíní, a Lecture Series
5:30 p.m. | Armstrong Hall room 101 | Learn more.
Dr. Suad Joseph: Traumatic Contestations: A Struggle for a Historical Concept of Trauma in the Arab Region
6 p.m. | Virtual | Learn more.
Thursday, Oct. 23
Global Doors: What Spanish and Portuguese can do for you!
8 a.m. | Durham Hall SILC Café | Learn more.
ASU Book Group: ‘Wild for Austen’ by Devoney Looser
Noon | Hayden Library Luhrs Reading Room (LIB 101) and online | Learn more.
Threads of Arabic Life: Food, Calligraphy & Conversation
Noon | Durham Hall lobby | Learn more.
Day 2: Toward Morning—Nyamathaam’im—‘Abíní, a Lecture Series
1 p.m. | Old Main Carson Ballroom | Learn more.
The Future Is Now: Nnedi Okorafor in Conversation with Matt Bell
3 p.m. | University Club | Learn more.
Torah and Tactics: Jewish Ethics, Just War and the State of Israel
4:30 p.m. | Pima Auditorium, Memorial Union room 230 | Learn more.
Friday, Oct. 24
Water Workshop
9:30 a.m. | Ross-Blakley Hall RBH196 | Learn more.
So what are you going to do with that?: Humanities alumni panel
Noon. | Armstrong Hall L1-30 and online | Learn more.
Water Power: Water Politics and Environmental Histories from Arizona to Arabia
Noon. | Walton Center auditorium | Learn more.
Stellar Alumni Reading Series: M.L. Martin and Hayden Casey
6 p.m. | Ross-Blakley Hall room 196 | Learn more.
2024 highlights
In 2024, ASU hosted over 30 events for Humanities Week. You can view recordings of a few highlights below.