Film critic Jim Emerson will be at the University of Colorado in Boulder all next week (April 4-9) at the annual Conference on World Affairs (CWA). Emerson will be participating in panels throughout the week as well a hosting the Cinema Interruptus event, described as "an interactive film analysis series" where "any member of the audience may freeze the film by yelling, 'STOP!' in order to make comments or ask questions." Emerson describes this year's film, the Coen brothers' A Serious Man, as being "perfect for the CWA because it wrestles with the Big Issues: religion, philosophy, morality, tradition and television reception."

I encourage you to attend the event if you have the chance (Tuesday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00) or any of the other panels that Emerson will be serving on (view Emerson's complete CWA schedule). I think you'll find that Jim is not only a great panelist, emcee, and critical thinker, but a genuinely wonderful person as well. You can also tune into KGNU (88.5 FM/1390 AM) at 8:30 am on Monday, April 4th, to hear Emerson give an interview on why he selected the film (or stream the interview from KGNU's website at your leisure).

Emerson, a huge fan of the Coens and one serious blogger, has written a number of pieces on A Serious Man. Check out everything he's had to say on the film over at his blog, Scanners:

A Serious Man: Kafka in Minneapolis
A Serious Man and His Music
A priest reviews A Serious Man
A screenwriter and a neuroscientist on randomness, God and A Serious Man

With the Interruptus looming, I've also decided to dust off my old notes and give the film another look. You can read my previous articles on A Serious Man at my blog, Reel 3, as well as my latest response to the film, "A Serious Man: On Sex, Manhood, and Not Thinking":

A Serious Man: On Sex, Manhood, and Not Thinking
The Search for Answers in A Serious Man
My A Serious Man Fan Art

Finally, here are two articles that Emerson posted after returning from last year's Cinema Interruptus. You'll definitely want to read his humorous but scathing takedown of "nonsensical or ill-thought-out questions" in Part 1:

Shooting the rapids with Werner Herzog (Part 1)
What price masterpiece? Werner Herzog (Part 2)

For more information, see the Conference on World Affairs website.