About this Event
Join us at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore on Thursday, March 5 when David Dunaway comes to the store to present his new book A Four-Eyed World: How Glasses Changed the Way We See. David will sign books after the discussion.
to order a copy of A Four-Eyed World.
Eyeglasses have become so commonplace we hardly think about them—unless we can’t find them. Yet glasses have been controversial throughout history. Roger Bacon pioneered using lenses to see and then spent a decade in a medieval Pr*son for advocating that he could “fix” God’s creations by improving our eyesight. Even today, people take off their glasses before having their picture taken, despite how necessary they are.
A Four-Eyed World: How Glasses Changed the Way We See is the first book to investigate the experience of wearing glasses and contacts and their role in culture. David King Dunaway encourages readers to take a look at how they literally see the world through what they wear. He explores everything from the history of deficient eyesight and how glasses are made to portrayals of those who wear glasses in media, the stigma surrounding them, and the future of augmented and virtual reality glasses, highlighting how glasses have shaped, and continue to shape, who we are. Interwoven is Dunaway’s own experience of spending a week without his glasses, which he has used since childhood, to see the world around him and his newfound appreciation for his visual aids.
This is the story of how we see the world and how our ability to see things has evolved, ultimately asking: How have two cloudy, quarter-sized discs of crystal or glass originally riveted together become so essential to human existence? Shakespeare famously said eyes are windows to the soul, but what about people who see only by covering theirs with glasses? Readers will find out together through this fascinating and insightful cultural history of one of humanity’s greatest inventions.
DAVID DUNAWAY is a Professor of English at the University of New Mexico and the author and editor of 10 books of history and biography. His award-winning documentaries are heard on NPR and internationally. He hosted a show on Albuquerque NPR affiliate KUNM for twenty years and has appeared on PBS, CNBC, and CSPAN’s Book TV. He lives in Los Ranchos, New Mexico.
THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 6:00 pm on March 5.
BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.
DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.
WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.
WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 PM for the event.
PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home.
OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mrs Dalloway's, 2904 College Avenue, Berkeley, United States
USD 0.00
