The Richardson American Studies Lecture Series
Since 1987, The Richardson American Studies Lecture Series has been fixture of intellectual life at Georgetown. With scholars, journalists, politicians, and public figures reflecting on their work in the fields of U.S. history, politics, and culture. The lecture is the highlight of the American Studies calendar and one of the most treasured lecture events hosted at Georgetown.
The Richardson American Studies Lecture Series was created through the generous gift of Mrs. Eudora Richardson C’84.
Fit Nation?: The Pressures and Privileges of American Exercise Culture with Natalia Mehlman Petrzela (The New School)
Thursday, March 14th, 4:30pm-6:00pm, Arrupe Multipurpose Room
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela (new window) is Associate Professor of History at the New School. She is the author of Classroom Wars: (new window)Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture (new window) (Oxford University Press, 2015) and Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession (new window)(University of Chicago Press, 2023). She is co-producer and host of the acclaimed podcast WELCOME TO YOUR FANTASY (new window), from Pineapple Street Studios/Gimlet, and a co-host of the PAST PRESENT (new window) podcast. She is a columnist for MSNBC Opinion, and a regular contributor to outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and The Atlantic.
This year’s lecture, “Fit Nation?: The Pressures and Privileges of American Exercise Culture,” asks how Americans have arrived at a consensus that exercise is not just good for you, but a marker of moral virtue. Drawing on her latest book, the historian, podcaster, and fitness professional Natalia Mehlman Petrzela explores how exercise evolved from a strange subculture to a social imperative–and how we might build a more inclusive and healthy future.