For release: April 4, 2012
For press information, contact Dr. Lorelei Corcoran, 901-678-2555

Dr. Ronald J. Leprohon

Dr. Ronald J. Leprohon of the University of Toronto will be the guest speaker at this year’s Ninth Annual Legacy of Egypt lecture April 12 at the University of Memphis.  Leprohon, professor of Egyptology in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, will discuss “Performance and Oral Tradition in Ancient Egyptian Autobiographical Texts.”

His illustrated lecture will be in the Fountain View Room on the third floor of the University Center.  The evening will begin with a public reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7:30 p.m.  Both events are free and open to the public.  Paid parking is available in the Zach Curlin Parking Garage adjacent to the University Center.

Leprohon is an expert in the language and literature of ancient Egypt. His particular interest is in state administration and ancient Egyptian myths and autobiographies, especially those that reveal details about the ancient Egyptian’s moral code of behavior.  He is a former director of the Canadian Institute in Egypt, where he supervised all Canadian expeditions working on field projects in Egypt. His numerous scholarly publications include two volumes on all of the funerary stela in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and articles on religious texts and ritual drama.

In his Memphis presentation, Leprohon will provide examples of how the ancient Egyptian used the spoken word to great effect, from ordinary folk tales to the recounting of Pharaoh's great deeds. He will also offer comments on autobiographical narratives, the format of which offers evidence that these accounts of brave deeds and praiseworthy acts were originally recited aloud.

The event is sponsored by the American Research Center in Egypt-Tennessee Chapter and

the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology of the University of Memphis.

For more information, call Dr. Lorelei Corcoran at 901-678-2555.