THE NEW SCHOOL PUBLIC PROGRAMS: LITERARY EVENTS
SPRING 2007
NEW YORK, January 6, 2007 – This spring, The New School and its Writing Program presents a wide range of literary events and readings. Highlights include readings by Madhur Jaffrey (Feb. 14), Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon (Feb. 13), Dan Chiasson (Feb. 13), Langdon Hammer, editor of the new Library of America edition of Hart Crane’s poems and letters (Feb. 27), Lynne Tillman (Mar. 5) Jonathan Baumbach (Mar. 13), best-selling children’s book author Leda Schubert (Mar. 27), Peter Orner and Kiran Desai (Apr. 9), a rare east coast appearance by poet Amy Gerstler (Apr. 17), David Shields (Apr. 25), and Luc Santé (Apr. 30).
As part of its newly launched Leonard and Louise Riggio Writing and Democracy Program, the New School Writing Program in conjunction with Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts presents the four-part series, The Constitution in Crisis (Feb. 7, Feb. 28, Mar. 15, Apr. 12), which aims to deepen public understanding and raise critical awareness of this charter document by bringing to the school leading scholars of law, history, and literature and human rights activists.
Other notable events include A Tribute to Lynda Hull (Feb. 22), with readings of the works of this late poet by Lucy Brock-Broido, Mark Doty, Elizabeth Alexander, and Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program; and The Writers World (Apr. 4), featuring readings of works by Irish, Mexican and Polish writers.
The New School will also host several prestigious award ceremonies and festivals , including the Story Prize Award Ceremony (Feb. 28); National Book Critics Circle Reading and Awards Ceremony (Mar. 7-8); The Poetry Society of America Festival of New American Poets (Apr. 11-12); 97th Annual Poetry Society of America Awards Ceremony (Apr. 19); Granta 97: Best of Young American Novelists II (Apr. 24); Pen World Voices Festival 2007 (Apr. 24-29); and the Publishing Triangle Awards Ceremony (May 7).
About The Graduate Writing Program at The New School
The New School has been a vital center for writing and its instruction since 1931, when Gorham Munson, a Manhattan editor and influential partisan of the Alfred Stieglitz circle, introduced his now-legendary workshop in creative writing. Since 1996, The New School has offered a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree with concentrations in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and writing for children. Founded by poet and biographer Robert Polito, the MFA program marks the latest transformation in the school’s commitment to creative writing. Over seven decades of steady innovation, The New School’s writing faculty has featured many of America’s most important poets, novelists, literary critics, and editors, including Robert Frost, W.H. Auden, Robert Lowell, and Frank O’Hara. The current faculty includes Francine Prose, Helen Schulman, Stephen Wright, Dale Peck, Vivian Gornick, Susan Cheever, Abigail Thomas, Honor Moore, Suzanna Lessard, and David Lehman.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS IS ATTACHED. All public programs are subject to change.
NONFICTION FORUM: R.J. SMITH
Wednesday, January 24, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents R.J. Smith, who will read from and discuss The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African-American Renaissance. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
NONFICTION FORUM: TED CONOVER
Monday, January 29, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Ted Conover, author of NewJack: Guarding Sing Sing, who will read from and discuss his new work. Moderated by Helen Schulman, fiction coordinator of the New School Writing Program.
FORUM ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN: BEN SCHRANK
Tuesday, January 30, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Ben Schrank, author of the Insiders and other teen series, who will read and discuss his work. Moderated by Deborah Brodie, executive editor, Roaring Brook Press.
NONFICTION FORUM: ANDER MONSON
Wednesday, January 31, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Ander Monson, who will read from and discuss Neck Deep and Other Predicaments. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
FICTION FORUM: BAYO OJIKUTU, MOHAMMAD NASEEHU ALI, AND DOREEN BAINGANA
Monday, February 5, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Bayo Ojikutu, author of Free Burning; Mohammad Naseehu Ali, author of The Prophet of Zongo Street; and Doreen Baingana, author of Tropical Fish: Tales from Entebbe, who will read from and discuss their work. Moderated by Jeffery Renard Allen, faculty member of the New School Writing Program.
THE CONSTITUTION IN CRISIS: CASS SUNSTEIN
Wednesday, February 7, 6:00 p.m.
The New School, Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor.
Admission: Free.
This four-part lecture series organized by visiting professor Sam Haselby and co-sponsored by the Leonard and Louise Riggio Writing and Democracy Program, the New School Writing Program, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts aims to deepen public understanding and raise critical awareness of this charter document of the United States by bringing three of the country’s leading scholars of law, history, and literature and one of America’s outstanding human rights activists to address the topic of the Constitution in Crisis. Cass Sunstein, the Karl N. Llewellyn Distinguished Service Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago, will speak on executive power and the U.S. Constitution. The series continues February 28, March 15, and April 12.
FICTION FORUM: YVETTE CHRISTIANSE
Thursday, February 8, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, Room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Yvette Christianse, who will read from and discuss her novel, Unconfessed. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
FICTION FORUM: CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
Monday, February 12, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who will read from and discuss her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun. Moderated by Jeffery Renard Allen, faculty member of the New School Writing Program.
AFTERNOON READING SERIES: DAN CHIASSON
Tuesday, February 13, 4:00 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Dan Chiasson, author of Natural History, who will read from and discuss his work. Moderated by Deborah Landau, assistant chair of the New School Writing Program.
POETRY FORUM: PAUL MULDOON
Tuesday, February 13, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Paul Muldoon, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, who will read from his work. Moderated by David Lehman, poetry coordinator of the New School Writing Program.
NONFICTION FORUM: MADHUR JAFFREY
Wednesday, February 14, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Madhur Jaffrey, who will read from and discuss Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India. Moderated by Zia Jaffrey, faculty member of the New School Writing Program.
FORUM ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN: MELANIE CECKA, BARRY GOLDBLATT, AND ADRIENNE WAINTRAUB
Tuesday, February 20, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents a panel on how to get your children’s book published with Melanie Cecka, editorial director; Barry Goldblatt, literary agent; and Adrienne Waintraub, marketing director. Moderated by Deborah Brodie, executive editor, Roaring Brook Press.
FICTION FORUM: BRIAN EVENSON AND ROBERT LOPEZ
Wednesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Brian Evenson, author of The Open Curtain, and Robert Lopez, author of Part of the World, who will read from and discuss their work. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
A TRIBUTE TO LYNDA HULL
Thursday, February 22, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th Street, 5th floor (enter 66 West 12th Street).
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents a tribute to the late poet Lynda Hull featuring Lucy Brock-Broido, Mark Doty, Elizabeth Alexander, and Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program. Her works include Star Ledger: Poems, which won the 1991 Carl Sandburg Award and the 1990 Edwin Ford Piper Award, and The Only World: Poems, published posthumously by Harper Perennial in 1995. Hull served as the poetry editor at the journal Crazyhorse and was the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council. Poet David St. John wrote that “of all the poets of my generation, Lynda Hull remains the most heartbreaking, merciful, and consoling.”
POETRY FORUM: RICHARD ZENITH ON FERNANDO PESSOA
Monday, February 26, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents translator Richard Zenith on the poetry of Fernando Pessoa. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
POETRY FORUM: LANGDON HAMMER
Tuesday, February 27, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Langdon Hammer of Yale University, editor of the new Library of America edition of Hart Crane’s poems and letters, who will read Crane’s poetry and discuss his work. Moderated by David Lehman, poetry coordinator of the New School Writing Program.
THE CONSTITUTION IN CRISIS: ERIC FONER
Wednesday, February 28, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, 55 West 13th Street, 2 Fl.
Admission: Free.
This four-part lecture series organized by visiting professor Sam Haselby, and co-sponsored by the Leonard and Louise Riggio Writing and Democracy Program, the New School Writing Program, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts aims to deepen public understanding and raise critical awareness of this charter document of the United States by bringing three of the country’s leading scholars of law, history, and literature and one of America’s outstanding human rights activists to address the topic of the Constitution in Crisis. The second lecture will be delivered by Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, speaking on the history of freedom under the U.S. Constitution. The series continues on March 15 and April 12.
THE STORY PRIZE AWARD CEREMONY
Wednesday, February 28, 7:30 p.m.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
Admission: $14. For more information visit www.thestoryprize.org.
The New School Writing Program and the Story Prize present the three finalists for this annual book award for short fiction, who will read from their collections and discuss their work with Larry Dark, director of the Story Prize. The event culminates with the announcement of the 2007 winner, who receives a $20,000 award. Recent winners include Edwidge Danticat and Patrick O’Keeffe. This year’s finalists will be announced in January.
FICTION FORUM: LYNNE TILLMAN
Monday, March 5, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Lynne Tillman, who will read from and discuss American Genius: A Comedy. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
FORUM ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN: DON BROWN
Tuesday, March 6, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Don Brown, author of Mack Made Movies and The Notorious Izzy Fink, who will read from and discuss his work. Moderated by Deborah Brodie, executive editor, Roaring Brook Press.
THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE READING AND AWARDS CEREMONY
Reading, Wednesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.
Award Ceremony, Thursday, March 8, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
Admission: Free.
The New School Writing Program hosts the annual National Book Critics Circle awards for the finest books published in English in the categories of fiction, general nonfiction, biography and autobiography, poetry, and criticism. The first night, this year’s finalists read from their work. The second night, the winners are announced at the awards ceremony.
WOMEN WRITERS OF THE DIASPORA
Wednesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: Free. For more information, call 212.229.5615.
The New School Diversity Committee with support from the University Diversity Initiative presents an ongoing series of readings and discussions celebrating the growing body of literature written by women across the African Diaspora. Eisa Nefertari Ulen will read from her novel Crystelle Mourning. A book signing will follow.
FICTION FORUM: JONATHAN BAUMBACH AND FELICIA LEMUS
Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Jonathan Baumbach author of On The Way to My Father’s Funeral, and Felicia Lemus, author of Like Son, who will read from and discuss their recent work. Moderated by Deborah Landau, assistant chair of the New School Writing Program.
NONFICTION FORUM: ABIGAIL THOMAS
Wednesday, March 14, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5
The New School Writing Program presents Abigail Thomas, who will read from and discuss A Three Dog Life. Moderated by Luis Jaramillo, associate director of the New School Writing Program.
THE CONSTITUTION IN CRISIS: ELAINE SCARRY
Thursday, March 15, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th Street, 5th floor (enter at 66 West 12th Street).
Admission: Free.
This four-part lecture series organized by visiting professor Sam Haselby, and co-sponsored by the Leonard and Louise Riggio Writing and Democracy Program, the New School Writing Program, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts aims to deepen public understanding and raise critical awareness of this charter document of the United States by bringing three of the country’s leading scholars of law, history, and literature and one of America’s outstanding human rights activists to address the topic of the Constitution in Crisis. The third lecture will be delivered by Elaine Scarry, Walter M. Cabot Professor of Aesthetics and the General Theory of Value at Harvard University, who will speak on the U.S. Constitution in relation to war and the social contract. The series concludes on April 12.
Fridays @ 1: ESTHER SCHOR ON EMMA LAZARUS
Friday, March 16, 1:00 p.m.
The New School, Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th Street, 5th floor (enter at 66 West 12th Street).
Admission: Free. Seating is limited, reservations required by calling 212.229.5682 or emailing [email protected].
The Institute for Retired Professionals presents Esther Schor, who will discuss the biography of Emma Lazarus, the author of the poem on the Statue of Liberty and a woman who, in her time, had a profound impact on New York City. Drawing on a cache of personal letters undiscovered until the 1980s, Schor brings Lazarus to life by combining a scholar’s familiarity with the poet’s world and a fellow poet’s sympathy for her subject. Schor is a professor of English at Princeton University; her poems and scholarly articles are widely published. This program is partially supported by a bequest in memory of Estelle Tolkin.
FICTION FORUM: LORE SEGAL
Monday, March 26, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Lore Segal, author of Her First American, who will read from and discuss her work. Moderated by Jeffery Renard Allen, faculty member of the New School Writing Program.
FORUM ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN: LEDA SCHUBERT
Tuesday, March 27, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Leda Schubert, author of Here Comes Darrell and Ballet of the Elephants, who will read from and discuss her work. Moderated by Deborah Brodie, executive editor, Roaring Brook Press.
CAVE CANEM LEGACY CONVERSATION
Friday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, Room 510
Admission: Free
In association with The New School Writing Program, Cave Canem Foundation presents a Legacy Conversation, the 12th in a series documenting the lives and work of poets and scholars who have contributed significantly to poetry of the African Diaspora. Program to be announced.
AFTERNOON READING SERIES: BRENDA HILLMAN
Wednesday, April 4, 4:00 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5
The New School Writing Program presents Brenda Hillman, author of Pieces of Air in the Epic, who will read from and discuss her work. Moderated by Deborah Landau, assistant chair of the New School Writing Program.
THE WRITER’S WORLD
Wednesday, April 4, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th Street, (enter 66 West 12th Street).
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program and Trinity University Press presents Eavan Boland, Margaret Sayers Peden, and Adam Zagajewski, who will join Edward Hirsch, series editor for The Writer’s World, to read from three new anthologies, Irish Writers on Writing, Mexican Writers on Writing, and Polish Writers on Writing. The authors introduce work previously unknown to American audiences and consider what it means to write and to be a writer in each of these countries.
FICTION FORUM: PETER ORNER AND KIRAN DESAI
Monday, April 9, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Peter Orner, author of The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo, and Kiran Desai, author of The Inheritance of Loss, who will read from and discuss their books. Moderated by Helen Schulman, fiction coordinator of the New School Writing Program.
WAVE BOOKS READING
Tuesday, April 10, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Eileen Myles, Matthew Rohrer, and Christian Hawkey, reading works from their recent Wave Books collections.
THE POETRY SOCIETY OF AMERICA FESTIVAL OF NEW AMERICAN POETS
Wednesday & Thursday, April 11–12, 7:30 p.m.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
Admission: $10 for both nights; $7 for PSA members and students with ID; or $7 for one night; $5 for PSA members and students.
The New School Writing Program and the Poetry Society of America present a celebration of new American poetry on two back-to-back evenings, with ten poets reading each night. Featured are 12 poets selected for their distinctive and original debut collections, along with the 2005 and 2006 PSA Chapbook Fellowship recipients.
THE CONSTITUTION IN CRISIS: BRYAN STEVENSON
Thursday, April 12, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor.
Admission: Free.
This four-part lecture series organized by visiting professor Sam Haselby, and co-sponsored by the Leonard and Louise Riggio Writing and Democracy Program, the New School Writing Program, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts aims to deepen public understanding and raise critical awareness of this charter document of the United States by bringing three of the country’s leading scholars of law, history, and literature and one of America’s outstanding human rights activists to address the topic of the Constitution in Crisis. The final lecture will be delivered by Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, professor of clinical law at New York University, a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, speaking on political rights under the U.S. Constitution.
POETRY FORUM: AMY GERSTLER
Tuesday, April 17, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Amy Gerstler, Los Angeles-based winner of the National Book Critics Circle award in poetry, making a rare East Coast visit. Moderated by David Lehman, poetry coordinator of the New School Writing Program.
AFTERNOON READING SERIES: BENJAMIN WEISSMAN
Tuesday, April 17, 4:00 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Benjamin Weissman, author of Headless (Little House on the Bowery), who will read from and discuss his work. Moderated by Deborah Landau, assistant chair of the New School Writing Program.
AFTERNOON READING SERIES: MAJOR JACKSON
Wednesday, April 18, 4:00 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Major Jackson, author of Hoops, who will read from and discuss his work. Moderated by Deborah Landau, assistant chair of the New School Writing Program.
THE 97TH ANNUAL POETRY SOCIETY OF AMERICA AWARDS CEREMONY
Thursday, April 19, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
Admission: $10, PSA members and students with ID, $7.
The Poetry Society of America and the New School Writing Program co-present the gala ceremony, which centers on the presentation of the 2007 Frost Medal and delivery of the annual Frost Lecture. Winners of all 12 annual awards are officially announced. A reception follows.
AFTERNOON READING SERIES: SAMUEL MENASCHE
Tuesday, April 24, 4:00 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Samuel Menasche, reading from and discussing Samuel Menasche: New and Selected Poems (American Poets Project). Moderated by Nicholas Birns, faculty member at The New School.
GRANTA 97: BEST OF YOUNG AMERICAN NOVELISTS II
Tuesday, April 24, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
Admission: $10.
In 1996, Granta’s acclaimed Best of Young American Novelists issue featured Jeffrey Eugenides, Jonathan Franzen, and Lorrie Moore. Who will match them in the new generation? This reading features original work by 20 writers under 35 years old selected by Granta’s judges as the most interesting new voices in American fiction today, appearing in issue number 97 this spring.
PEN WORLD VOICES FESTIVAL 2007: THE NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE
Tuesday through Sunday, April 24–29.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street, and other venues throughout New York City.
For more information, visit the PEN website at www.pen.org.
The PEN World Voices Festival is an annual showcase of writers from all over the world. It consists of public panels and literary conversations, readings, and tributes. This year, by convening international writers to discuss their relationships to their own and each others’ homes, PEN World Voices aims to highlight an essential aspect of the human experience that promises to play a crucial role in the interactions of nations, peoples, and individuals in the future as geographic and cultural boundaries fade away.
FICTION FORUM: DAVID SHIELDS
Wednesday, April 25, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents David Shields, who will discuss his forthcoming book, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto, in which he argues for the excitement of works of indeterminate genre. Moderated by Helen Schulman, fiction coordinator of the New School Writing Program.
NONFICTION FORUM: LUC SANTÉ
Monday, April 30, 6:30 p.m.
The New School, 66 West 12th Street, room 510.
Admission: $5.
The New School Writing Program presents Luc Santé, author of Kill All Your Darlings: Pieces 1990–2005 and translator of Novels in Three Lines by Felix Feneon, who will read from and discuss both books. Moderated by Robert Polito, director of the New School Writing Program.
PUBLISHING TRIANGLE AWARDS CEREMONY
Monday, May 7, 7:00 p.m.
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
Admission: Free.
The New School Writing Program will host the Publishing Triangle Awards Ceremony, in which the Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction, the Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction, the Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry, and the Publishing Triangle Award for Gay Poetry will be presented. The Publishing Triangle partners with the Ferro-Grumley Literary Awards to present awards in gay and lesbian fiction. The Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement is also presented at that time, as are awards in playwriting from the Robert Chelsey Foundation.