Stop Drawing … or Else: A Cartoonist’s View on Democracy’s Perilous Moment
Tue, Sep 30, 2025, 7pm
Ann Telnaes, editorial cartoonist and the 2001 and 2025 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary, will be the featured speaker for the 40th Annual Silha Lecture at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30, at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs on the west bank of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
She will be joined by Roslyn Mazer, free expression advocate and author of the amicus brief for the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists in Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell.
After working for The Washington Post for more sixteen years, Telnaes resigned in January 2025 after a cartoon she submitted was rejected because it criticized billionaire tech and media executives, including Jeff Bezos, for trying to curry favor with President Trump.
Jane Kirtley, JD, the guest speaker for UMRA’s November 18 luncheon forum, asked that we share the information about this free lecture.
Kirtley is the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and directs the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, both at the University of Minnesota. She will be speaking to us in November about free speech and academic freedom.
The 2025 Silha Lecture, to be held in the Cowles Auditorium at the Humphrey School, is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. You can find more information and registration details (in-person and webinar) here.
—Erik Hockert, UMRA Program Committee
Upcoming Events
52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander will be the selection for discussion when the UMRA Book Club gathers via Zoom for its first monthly meeting of 2026.
Developing a sense of identity is a central psychological task of the lifespan. Memories and stories from our personal past, as well as cultural memories and stories in society play key roles in how we develop our identities. This presentation will discuss psychological theory and research on how memories and stories make us who we are.
When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
Here’s another great opportunity to buy discounted tickets and join your UMRA friends to cheer for the Gophers when the Women’s Basketball team hosts the Purdue Boilermakers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on February 1.
Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2.
UMRA’s special event for this winter will again be a celebration of brighter days and the approaching end of winter. We’ll have food, fellowship, and music provided by Urban Sound, one of the University’s premier student a cappella ensembles.
"One color" is the theme for the meeting of the UMRA Photo Club on Tuesday, February 10.
Family history with Jim Kurle. A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota including my grandfather, whose unusual relationship to several churches, and religion in general, was one of the reasons for his emigrating.
UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour on Thursday, February 12, will offer an inside look into the rich resources of the University Libraries Borchert Map Library. Map Librarian Ryan Mattke will showcase the treasures and innovations of one of the largest map libraries in the U.S.
Well-known Twin Cities-based financial journalist and economics commentator Chris Farrell will be the featured guest for UMRA’s February 17 Living Well Workshop via Zoom. He will discuss why and how the current generation of older Americans is not following the traditional retirement pattern of a relaxed lifestyle.
UMRA's Book Club I will discuss Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother's Life. Author is Kao Kalia Yang. Discussion leader is Linda Lindeke.
Renee Alexander’s first job at the Great Minnesota Get-Together was as an intern in 1989. She took over the top job in 2023, following the 26-year tenure of her predecessor.
Growing Up by Russell Baker.
Family history with Michelle Casey.