Oscar Wilde Salon Series: The Picture of Dorian Gray Book Club

Saturday, May 18, 2019

The first event in our Oscar Wilde salon series that will explore the fascinating life and literary work of Oscar Wilde. One of the most popular authors of his time, Oscar Wilde is celebrated for his humor, wit, and as a pioneer of the aesthetic movement in literature. In 1890, Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was deemed fit “for none but outlawed noblemen and perverted telegraphy boys.” Join Dr. Jennifer Conary as she discusses this scandalous 19^th century narrative, in light of his provocative persona and the influence of censorship and commercial interests on Wilde’s legacy. Refreshments will be served.

Jennifer Conary received her PhD from the University of Southern California and joined DePaul University faculty in September 2008. Her research interests include Victorian literature and culture, the history of the novel, 18th- and 19th-century British women’s writing, and issues related to gender in the long 19th century. She teaches courses on British literature in the long 19th century; 19th-century Gothic; the history of romance and the novel; the British novel; major novelists such as Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Charles Dickens; and the contemporary coming-of-age novel.

Image: Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Photograph by Napoleon Sarony ca. 1882.