Coastal Carolina University is hosting a reading discussion series titled "Bridging Cultures: Connected Histories" on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 4:30 p.m. in the Lackey Chapel. This last session will explore author Amitav Ghosh's book "In an Antique Land: Egypt Through the Centuries." The public is invited to this free lecture.

Florence Eliza Glaze, CCU associate professor of history, will lead the discussion, an exploration of the intersection between Eastern and Western philosophies, values, economies and cultures from a historical perspective. In the book, author Ghosh presents a lyrical portrait of life in Egypt for readers to understand the complexity and interconnected lands and cultures on the periphery on the Indian Ocean.

Glaze is the current Lawrence B. and Jane P. Clark Chair in History at CCU. Since arriving at Coastal in August 2003, she has served as the chair of the Department of History and as co-director of the University Honors Program. She teaches courses on the Middle Ages, the History of Science and Medicine, and the Age of Crusades. Glaze's current research examines the travel of populations, texts and commodities -- including pharmaceutical ingredients -- from the Indian Ocean across the Mediterranean and into Europe, and thus traces the earliest transmissions of medical ideas and practices from the greater Islamic world into the "West."

The series is in conjunction with "Bridging Cultures," a grant program of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), to familiarize audiences with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world. Kimbel Library is one of the 840 libraries and state humanities councils across the country selected to participate in the project. CCU is also a recipient of the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Award from the NEH in which 25 books, three films and access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online are awarded.

The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf is a project of NEH, conducted in cooperation with the ALA Public Programs Office, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts.

The five-part series is scheduled to discuss a new book every two weeks in Lackey Chapel. The next books in the series and can be found in Kimbel Library on the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf or are available by contacting Barbara Burd at bburd@coastal.edu or 843-349-2401.