Reunion Homecoming is all about alumni coming home to the Farm. But what is home? What does it mean to come home? Join Professor Ato Quayson as he shares how classic literature defines home. We’ll look at pieces done by the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare, Faulkner, García Márquez, and Morrison. Experience the first in-person Night Before event, an online series held once per quarter.

Ato Quayson is the Jean G. and Morris M. Doyle Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies and Professor of English and African and African American Studies. Prior to joining the Stanford faculty, he was Professor of African and Postcolonial Literature at New York University (2017–2019) and Professor of English and inaugural Director of the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto (2005–2017). In 2016 he was appointed University Professor at the University of Toronto, the highest distinction that the university can bestow. 

About the Series

The Night Before is a series of conversations in which we examine ritual occasions through the insights of the humanities. As we come together, handcrafted cocktails and mocktails tell their own stories about these unique times of year. In one hour, we learn to experience the next day differently.

Hosted by Stanford alumni, each online party is free, and features a guided conversation led by faculty or Humanities Center Fellows.

In-person attendance is reserved for alumni who have registered for Stanford Reunion Homecoming Weekend. A Zoom-only option is available.