Dear *:
I am organizing our autumn quarter colloquium series, and wonder if you could possibly give one on a Thursday at 4:00 pm. Dates currently available are *. Our talks are generally about an hour, and are preceded by a departmental tea at 3:30 pm and followed by a reception. The colloquium is intended for a general audience including graduate students, and we ask our speakers to keep non-specialists in mind.
We offer reimbursement of travel expenses (with receipts and within the usual sort of university guidelines) plus a room at the Quadrangle Club. We regret that budget constraints do not permit an honorarium.
I hope you will come to Chicago to discuss your research.
Sincerely,