Professor at Large

And now for something completely different. Professor at Large features beloved English comedian and actor John Cleese in the role of Ivy League professor at Cornell University. His almost twenty years as professor-at-large has led to many talks, essays, and lectures on campus. This collection of the very best moments from Cleese under his mortarboard provides a unique view of his endless pursuit of intellectual discovery across a range of topics. Since 1999, Cleese has provided Cornell students and local citizens with his ideas on everything from scriptwriting to psychology, religion to hotel management, and wine to medicine.

His incredibly popular events and classes—including talks, workshops, and an analysis of A Fish Called Wanda and The Life of Brian—draw hundreds of people. He has given a sermon at Sage Chapel, narrated Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with the Cornell Chamber Orchestra, conducted a class on script writing, and lectured on psychology and human development. Each time Cleese has visited the campus in Ithaca, NY, he held a public presentation, attended and or lectured in classes, and met privately with researchers. From the archives of these visits, Professor at Large includes an interview with screenwriter William Goldman, a lecture about creativity entitled, "Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind," talks about Professor at Large and The Life of Brian, a discussion of facial recognition, and Cleese's musings on group dynamics with business students and faculty.

Professor at Large provides a window into the workings of John Cleese's scholarly mind, showcasing the wit and intelligence that have driven his career as a comedian, while demonstrating his knack of pinpointing the essence of humans and human problems. His genius on the screen has long been lauded; now his academic chops get their moment in the spotlight, too.

John Cleese is a comedian, actor, producer, and director, as well as the Provost’s Visiting Professor at Cornell University. Cleese is best known for his work on Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers, as well as numerous other on-screen performances, including as Q in the James Bond franchise and Nearly Headless Nick in the Harry Potter movies. Cleese holds an M.A. in law from Cambridge University, and an honorary LL.D. from St. Andrews University, where he was rector for several years.

Brilliant.... As with a really fine magazine that makes you want to keep reading even as one piece ends and a completely unrelated one begins, Cleese provides an appealing sensibility amounting to a connecting thread that makes you eager to see where he'll go next.... It's a delight to learn along with him.

Cleese reveals a sharp but humane sensibility as well as a wicked sense of humor when it comes to human frailty. What surprises is the depth of his understanding. As provocative as it is amusing—an edifying journey through the mind of a major talent.

This collection of speeches and conversations with Monty Python alum Cleese is not unlike the man himself: hilarious, always clever, and a little off-kilter.

Cleese's observations on human nature and scientific topics stand the test of time.... Fans of the Monty Python sketches and films, the sitcom Fawlty Towers, the film A Fish Called Wanda.... and more know that he's clever, quick and funny. The Cornell lectures demonstrate those traits as well as his wide range of interests, his expertise in a variety of fields, and his humanity.

Cleese is a lively, quirky enlightener, always zipping between—or bringing together—the ridiculous and the sublime.... Professor Cleese, may I audit your next course?

An entertaining collection.... Informative and engrossing with expert insights.

Professor Cleese is often funny, frequently perceptive and, unlike many professors, never dull.

A fascinating insider look at the mind behind Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. Cleese's lectures are, expectedly, equal parts entertaining and thoughtful.

Bill Maher:

John Cleese is the whole reason I love the British when, frankly, there are so many reasons not to. I went to Cornell in the 70s, and if John had been making these speeches there back then, I would have had a much better time.