Seuls en Scène 2018 presents Harlem Quartet

September 21, 2018 at 7 PM, September 23, 2018 at 8 PM
Whitman College Class of 1970 Theater

Duration: 90 minutes.Performed in French with English subtitles
Tickets are free but must be reserved at tickets.princeton.edu

Hall Montana remembers, recounts and retraces the life of his family and friends, who are part of Harlem’s African-American community in the 1950s and 1960s. Baldwin’s sensual writing style is punctuated by poignant gospel lyrics that take audiences to the heart of Harlem, a world of love, religious fervor and suffering.

Harlem Quartet is a story on human destiny based on the novel Just Above My Head by James Baldwin. Adapted and directed by Élise Vigier in collaboration with Kevin Keiss, with original music by Saul Williams. This critically acclaimed show from the 2017-18 French theatrical season stands out with a rare all-black cast, unusual for a production in France. 

Ludmilla en Nina Simone

September 21, 2018 at 9 PM, September 23, 2018 at 6 PM
Whitman College Class of 1970 Theater

Duration: 70 minutes. Performed in French with English subtitles
Tickets are free but must be reserved at tickets.princeton.edu

Nina Simone, one of the formidable artistic figures of the civil rights movement, was born to a poor black family in Northern Carolina and had dreams of becoming a great classical pianist. Citing racism as the barrier to realizing this dream, she instead became a singer earning the moniker “High Priestess of Soul.”

In conjunction with the production Harlem Quartet, the National Dramatic Center Comédie de Caen asked playwright and musician David Lescot to stage a portrait of the American singer. In the form of a documentary with interviews, this intimate musical portrait showcases Lescot’s desire to create a whimsical form of exchange. He plays guitar accompanying Ludmilla Dabo on stage, an actress with a lifelong affinity for the jazz of Nina Simone.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 20    6:30 p.m.
The National Book Award-winner gives a talk at the paperback release of her critically-acclaimed “The Ninth Hour.” Moderated by Lauren B. Davis, the talk will be followed by a book-signing session. Tickets are $15 and include a copy of the newly released paperback edition of “The Ninth Hour.” Doors open at 6 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. The talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. McDermott is the author of seven previous novels including “After This,” “Child of My Heart,” and “Charming Billy,” winner of the 1998 National Book Award. She is the Richard A. Macksey Professor of the Humanities at Johns Hopkins University. Tickets may be reserved at alicemcdermottprinceton.eventbrite.com.

Reading by Li-Young Lee and Lynn Nottage

Wednesday, September 26, 2018
7:30 PM
Lewis Arts complex
FREE and open to the public

Poet Li-Young Lee and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage read from their work on Wednesday, September 26. This reading kicks-off the 2018-19 Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series presented by the Program in Creative Writing.

Naomi Klein & Yarimar Bonilla in Conversation — The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists
Thursday, September 27th, 2018 at 6PM — Trenton Public Library, 120 Academy St, Trenton
In the rubble of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans and ultrarich “Puertopians” are locked in a pitched struggle over how to remake the island. Labyrinth and the Trenton Public Library invite you to a conversation between bestselling author and renowned activist Naomi Klein and distinguished scholar of the Caribbean, Yarimar Bonilla.

 

In this vital and startling investigation, Klein uncovers how the forces of shock politics and disaster capitalism seek to undermine the nation’s radical, resilient vision for a “just recovery.” The book is a lucid analysis of the forces pitted against each other as the world faces the effects of climate change and unchecked capitalism; it is both an urgent appeal and a blueprint for action.
Phonographic Memory — An Evening of Music and Stories
Monday, October 1st, 2018 at 6PM — Labyrinth Books Princeton Phonographic Memory is a storytelling event dedicated to examining and celebrating the human experience as framed through vinyl records. Presenters will be given 10-12 minutes to tell a personal story about a record in their collection, and then play a song from that album. The program was started in San Francisco in 2014, with free monthly events hosted in public libraries and venues throughout the city. A coinciding podcast, available on PhonographicMemory.org, iTunes and Stitcher, archives stories from these events.If you are interested in sharing a story and song at the October event, send an email to Register@PhonographicMemory.org with your full name and a brief synopsis of your story. If you’d like to just come to listen, please do! All are welcome.

 

 

Katherine Chen, Marie Marquardt, Liza Mundy, and Laura Vanderkam — She Roars: Four Princeton Alumni Authors Present Their Books
Thursday, October 4th, 2018 at 2PM — Labyrinth Books Princeton
Labyrinth and Princeton University invite you to a presentation featuring four accomplished Princeton alumnae who will discuss their new books as part of She Roars, a weekend of celebrating women at Princeton. Come when you can, leave when you must.

 

Katherine Chen is the author of the novel Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice. Set before, during, and after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Chen’s vividly original debut novel pays homage to a beloved classic while envisioning a life that is difficult to achieve in any era: that of a truly independent woman.

 

From Marie Marquardt, the distinguished author, previously, of Dream Things True and The Radius of Us, comes a story of two teenagers learning what to hold on to, what to let go of, and that sometimes love gets in the way of our plans. Marie is chair of El Refugio, a non-profit that serves detained immigrants and their families.

 

New York Times Bestselling author Liza Mundy’s book Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II is the riveting story of the brave young women who cracked German and Japanese code to help win World War II. Mundy is a former reporter at The Washington Post and contributes to numerous publications including The Atlantic, TIME, The New York Times, The New Republic, Slate, Mother Jones, Spectator (UK), and The Guardian. She is a frequent commentator on countless prominent national television, radio, and online news outlets.

 

In Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done, Laura Vanderkam offers strategies that can help if your life feels out of control, but they can also help if you want to take your career, your relationships, and your personal happiness to the next level. Vanderkam has packed this book with insights from busy yet relaxed professionals, including “time makeovers” of people who are learning how to use these tools.  Vanderkam is the bestselling author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. Her 2016 TED talk, “How to Gain Control of Your Free Time,” has been viewed more than 5 million times. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, and other publications.

 

C.K. Williams Reading Series: Hermione Hoby

Friday, October 5, 2018
6:00 PM
Labyrinth Books, Princeton
FREE and open to the public

British author, journalist, and cultural critic Hermione Hoby reads from her work along with creative writing seniors at Labyrinth Books in Princeton.

The C.K. Williams Reading Series, named in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning poet C.K. Williams, who served on Princeton’s Creative Writing faculty for 20 years, showcases senior thesis students of the Program in Creative Writing with established writers as special guests.