John McNamee, a playwright and one of Ireland's best-loved poets, will present "A Celebration of Irish Writing" at UNLV on Oct. 11 as part of the University Forum lecture series.

McNamee, who has been known to stand in the streets of Dublin and sing out his verses until dawn, is the author of eight collections of poems and stories plus numerous plays and broadcasts for Irish TV. During his talk, McNamee also will discuss his most recent book, The Trophy & New Writings.

McNamee's lecture, which is cosponsored by UNLV's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and the International Institute of Modern Letters, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History.

On Oct. 19, Margo Torea, a lecturer with UNLV's dance department, will present a University Forum lecture and live performance on "The Art and Expression of Spanish Dance: Flamenco." The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Alta Ham Fine Arts Building, Room 111.

Torea, who is a retired professional dancer and a current speaker for the Dance Educators of America, will explain the history of the Flamenco, including the artistic elements of music, rhythm, instruments, and costumes that are associated with the Spanish dance. In addition, she will demonstrate the Flamenco for the audience.

Both of these University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the Lodge Kalafatis Trust and the UNLV Foundation. For more information on the series, call 895-3401 or send an E-mail to: forum@nevada.edu.