Denison University welcomes Daniel Makagon presenting “Sounds of the City: Audio Documentary and Urban Public Life” at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, in Higley Hall Auditorium (100 Ridge Road). This discussion will address how recordings of the spoken word can help people in cities overcome fears stemming from cultural differences. Makagon will discuss how audio recordings of oral storytelling by citizens in urban settings can enhance their connections to one another. The Department of Communication and Denison’s McGregor Connections Initiative are sponsoring this event.

Makagon received his doctorate from the University of South Florida. He currently teaches communication at DePaul University, where his research focuses on urban communication, ethnography, documentary, cultural studies, media criticism and community.

Makagon has published articles on guerilla art and democracy in urban life, and his audio documents have been broadcast on public radio and the Internet. In 2004, he published “Where the Ball Drops: Days and Nights in Times Square.” He is the co-author of “Recording Culture: Audio Documentary and the Ethnographic Experience” with Mark Neumann. He has won publication awards from the Urban Communication Foundation, and has been honored by both the Critical and Cultural Studies Division and the Ethnography Division of the National Communication Association.