September 19, 2005 Jared Diamond Delivers First Annual Jay I. Kislak Lecture

WHO: Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Guns, Germs, and Steel” (1997) and “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” (2005)

WHAT: Diamond delivers the first annual Jay I. Kislak Lecture on the same topic as his 2005 book and will discuss why some civilizations collapsed in the past and what can be learned from their fate. The Kislak Lecture is one component of the Kislak American Studies Program established at the Library of Congress in 2004 by the Jay I. Kislak Foundation. The Kislak gift includes an important collection of books, manuscripts, historic documents, maps and art of the Americas.

WHEN: The free, public lecture will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20; no tickets are required, but seating is limited. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis.

WHERE: Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

MEDIA COVERAGE IS INVITED with the following stipulations:

Pencil press welcome; seats will be held in first two rows

Non-flash still photos permitted only during the first 5-10 minutes of the talk

No video coverage of the whole speech; sound bite limited to five minutes on-air