UMW’s Great Lives Series Announces 2026 Lecture Lineup
For those who stay up for its near-midnight airtime, Saturday Night Live is a staple of no-holds-barred weekend humor. It’s won hundreds of Emmys, sparking the careers of comedy giants the likes of John Belushi, Will Ferrell and Tina Fey, and adding levity to the state of the world.
The show’s creator and executive producer for more than four decades Lorne Michaels is among the prominent personalities to be explored during the University of Mary Washington’s 2026 William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series. And like Michaels’ SNL, the program, which kicks off in January, holds a metaphorical mirror up to its audience.
“The stories and the lives that we learn about remind us our lives are shaped by the times in which we live,” UMW President Troy Paino told a packed room at the series reveal event, announcing the subjects of the new season. “They also offer a time for self-reflection.”
Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live author Susan Morrison is one of 16 writers set to present in this year’s Great Lives program, billed as a “biographical approach to history and culture.” The lineup also features insight into the lives of beloved young adult writer Judy Blume, basketball great Jerry West, women’s rights champion Elizabeth Packard and a dozen more. Now in their 23rd year, the lectures – which are open and free to the public – will take place twice a week, from Jan. 20 to March 19, in UMW’s Dodd Auditorium. Read more.