'Compassionate Cannibalism' topic of lecture

The third "Thinking Out of the (Lunch) Box" lecture features a conversation between Beth Conklin, associate professor of anthropology and religious studies, and Professor of Philosophy David Wood on "Is Eating People Always Wrong? Compassionate Cannibalism."

This lecture is based on Conklin's studies of the Wari, a group of people native to the Amazon rainforest who, until the 1960s, practiced two forms of cannibalism centered on wartime and funereal rituals.

The box lunch and lecture series, sponsored by Vanderbilt and the Nashville Public Library, will take place 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, at the Downtown Nashville Library and is free and open to the public. Last month's "conversation with a philosophical flavor" attracted more than 250 people. Lunch is catered by Vanderbilt neighbor Provence Breads and Café, and reservations, which are required, can be made by calling 322-5252.

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