Talk ‘Wades with Brooks in Virtuous Waters’

Greg Spencer, professor of communication studies at Westmont, reflects on his own book, “Awakening the Quieter Virtues,” and David Brooks’ book, “The Road to Character,” in a talk on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara Street. The Westmont Downtown Lecture, “Wading with Brooks in Virtuous Waters,” is free and open to the public. No tickets are required; the limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call (805) 565-6051.

“Because Brooks is keen on seeing our lives as a moral struggle,” Spencer says, “I want to examine some current friction-points of that struggle, especially how technology is changing the ways we value time and personal space.”

Spencer will also consider the writings of David Brooks, a New York Times columnist, best-selling author and commentator, and speaker at Westmont’s upcoming President’s Breakfast on Friday, March 4. Spencer will discuss Brooks’ distinction between “resume virtues,” achieving wealth, fame and status, and “eulogy virtues,” which include qualities such as kindness, bravery, honesty and faithfulness.

Spencer, a professor at Westmont for more than 25 years, is the author of two books and two novels, as well as numerous articles on what it means to live in a media-saturated culture.

He earned his doctorate and Master of Science in communication from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

The lecture series, Westmont Downtown: Conversations about Things that Matter, and the President’s Breakfast are sponsored by the Westmont Foundation.