The 7-Up Series at the Kelly Writers House

The 7-Up series is an annual program for which we invite seven guests to speak for seven minutes each about a topic. Each speaker gives their insight on some aspect of the chosen theme; interesting interpretations and musings always result!

March 3, 2008: 7-Up on Rock

7-up on Rock featuring Rock-paper-scissors, Rocky Horror, pop literacy, Rocky, alternative healing, rock DJ, stone soup (Dan McQuade, Matt Rosenbaum, Maria Tessa Sciarrino, Blair Borish, CA Conrad, Lauren Lipsay, and Sam Allingham) followed by: dirt cake, meatloaf, rock candy, rocky road, and (again) stone soup.

February 22, 2007: 7-Up on Bitter

7-Up on Bitter features seven people speaking about bitter things: herbs, chocolate, breakups, personalities, cold, and taste-receptors. Featuring chocolate maker Kira Baker-Doyle, poet and hub member Julia Bloch, failed-relationship expert Meredith Broussard, Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, philosopher and hub member Richard Lawrence, memoirist and hub member Jamie-Lee Josselyn, and Temple University Biology Department faculty member Dr. Greg Smutzer.

Eric Karlan writes about this event as part of his "Notes from the Green Couch" series.

January 17, 2006: 7-Up on Ben

7-Up on Ben features seven members of the Writers House and Penn communities speaking on some aspect of Penn's multifaceted founder. Featuring Penn History professor Michael Zuckerman, Penn artist and print instructor Matt Neff, actress and hub member Sarah Giovaniello, hub member Ben Filreis, poet and hub member Tom Devaney, Penn Professor of Religious Studies Ann Matter, and Writers House friend Jerry Rudisill.

September 29, 2004: 7-Up on Gold

The Kelly Writers House, in conjunction with the Esther Klein Gallery's Color Project, present seven members of the Writers House and Penn community speaking, reading, telling stories, and singing for seven minutes each on the color gold. Gold and gold imagery abound in literature, art, and daily life so join us for a no-holds-barred program about this meaningful hue! Speakers include Talia Stinson, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Hermann Pfefferkorn, Kelly Professor of English and Faculty Director of Kelly Writers House Al Filreis, Jenny Suen, The Kelly Writers House Director Jennifer Snead and archaeologist who specializes the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean William (Brad) Hafford. Hosted and moderated by Tom Devaney.