On 31 March, Dr. Marc Napolitano, whose scholarly specialty is the work of Charles Dickens, participated in the kickoff weekend of a seven-month series of events called “Dickens in Lowell” in Lowell, Massachusetts—all in commemoration of the Dickens Bicentennial, which is a matter of significant international interest.  Dr. Napolitano, who complements his scholarly endeavors with performances of Dickens’s work, gave two dramatic presentations: one for children (using puppets), and the other for adults, in which he presented a speech written by Dickens during the author's 1842 trip to Lowell.  Dr. Napolitano also spoke at the Whistler House Museum, discussing the lives and careers of George Washington Whistler (a West Point graduate and distinguished Army engineer) and his son, the great artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, who attended West Point but did not graduate.