Duncan Sheik, the musical mastermind behind the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "Spring Awakening," will be speaking in Iowa City at the University of Iowa Theatre Building from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15. Sheik’s visit coincides with the UI Theatres Mainstage production of "Spring Awakening," which runs Nov 9-17.

The University of Iowa School of Music will present a guest recital by violist Istvan Szabó and pianist Narae Joo at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, in the University Capitol Centre recital hall.

Several alumni of the University of Iowa Department of Dance will conclude a week of teaching and rehearsals with two performances of works they are creating and performing across the country at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 9-10, in Space Place Theater of North Hall. The performances are open to the public and no tickets are required.

Excerpts from Kurt Vonnegut: Letters provide a glimpse into his relationship with his first wife and childhood sweetheart, Jane Marie Cox. Huffington Post prints part of one letter written in 1966 that was sent just before he began teaching at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

Roberto Sion, one of the respected names of Brazilian instrumental music, both as a player and as a composer/arranger, will be performing as a guest artist of the University of Iowa School of Music numerous times between Nov. 6 and 15.

The University of Iowa will celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide by recognizing International Education Week 2012 through several events and activities on the UI campus.

A recent study by University of Iowa scientists published in Developmental Psychology shows certain kinds of variation in words may help early readers learn better.

Iowa Writers’ Workshop alumna Regan Good will read from "The Atlantic House" at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13, in a free reading at Prairie Lights Books in downtown Iowa City. The reading also will be streamed live on the University of Iowa Writing University website.

The University of Iowa Center for New Music, part of the UI School of Music, will present a free concert featuring guest violinist Wolfgang David and pianist/Center for New Music director David Gompper at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in the Senate Chamber of Old Capitol on the UI campus.

How do you recover from a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, which is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in economic losses, as well as emotional damages from the rising death toll? An upcoming UI workshop will examine several recent worldwide disasters in an attempt to answer that question.

A University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released Wednesday indicates a much tighter race in Iowa, with President Barack Obama having a slight edge, with 42.7 percent of all respondents indicating they would vote for him and 41 percent indicating they would vote for Gov. Mitt Romney.

Many educators have long believed that when words differ on only one sound, early readers can learn the rules of phonics by focusing on what is different between the words. Scientists at the University of Iowa are turning that thinking on its head. A recent study shows certain kinds of variation in words may help early readers learn better.