Fall 2007 Events
September
Welcome Back Open Mic
Wednesday, August 29 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
The Writers House welcomes readers and friends to the first open mic night of the year. Bring your poems, short stories, songs and essays! With readings and free food, this event is the perfect way to start the college year and it is free and open to the public.
Poetry Reading: Tess Gallagher
Thursday, September 13 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Tess Gallagher is a poet, essayist, novelist, and playwright. Her first collection of poems, Instructions to the Double, won the 1976 Elliston Book Award for "best book of poetry published by a small press." In 1984, she published the collection Willingly, which consists of poems written to and about her third husband, author Raymond Carver, who died in 1988. Other collections include Dear Ghosts, (Graywolf Press, 2006), My Black Horse: New and Selected Poems (1995), Owl-Spirit Dwelling (1994) and Moon Crossing Bridge (1992). Her honors include a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, two National Endowment of the Arts Awards, and the Maxine Cushing Gray Foundation Award. This event co-sponsored by the English department and is free and open to the public.
Read a few of Tess Gallagher's poems
Fiction Reading: Julie Orringer
Wednesday, September 19 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Julie Orringer is a Helen Hertzog Zell Visiting Professor in the Department of English at the University of Michigan. Her short story collection, How to Breathe Underwater, was a New York Times Notable Book and the winner of the Northern California Book Award. Orringer is a graduate of Cornell University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and was a Truman Capote Fellow in the Stegner Program at Stanford. Her stories have appeared in The Paris Review, McSweeney's, Ploughshares, Zoetrope: All-Story,The Pushcart Prize Anthology, The Best New American Voices, and The Best American Non-Required Reading. She was the recipient of a 2004-5 NEA grant for her current project, a novel set in Budapest and Paris in the late 1930's. This reading is free and open to the public.
Read an excerpt from Julie Orringer's short story "The Isabel Fish"
Poetry Reading and Conversation: Sarah White
Thursday, September 20 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Sarah White, emeritus professor of French, retired in 1999 after 23 years at F&M, will be reading from her book Cleopatra Haunts the Hudson. Sarah White moved to Manhattan in 1999 after retiring from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she taught for 23 years in the Department of French and Italian. Her study of Romance literature, especially from the medieval period, informs her poetry, memoir, tales, translations, and libretti. Her verse has appeared in the Paris Review, Harvard Review, OC (a Toulouse journal of Occitan letters) and other magazines, and has been set to music by Kristina Boerger, John Carbon, and Tanya León. Prose writings include a memoir chapter, The Jews of Spain, published in Southwest Review, and she is co-translator of Songs of the Women Troubadours (Bruckner et al., Garland Press, 2000). She has been a Fellow of Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and The MacDowell Colony. This event is co-sponsored by Comparative Literary Studies Program and is free and open to the public.
Read a few of Sarah White's poems
October
A Day with the Ugly Duckling Presse
Thursday, October 4
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Non-profit publishers Ugly Duckling Presse will offer the following: Eds. Anna Moschovakis and Matvei Yankelevich will discuss sustainable small-press publishing and alternative publishing at 4:30 PM. Three poets (Anna Moschovakis, Matvei Yankelevich, and Dan Macklin) will read from a recently published collection of poems at 8:00 PM.
Read a few poems by the Ugly Duckling Presse poets
Writers House Community Meeting
Wednesday, October 10 4:30 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Writers House community meetings bring students, staff and faculty together to imagine and oversee programs and business of the Writers House. Food will be served. This event is open to members of the Franklin & Marshall Community.
Read to the Beat: Celebrating 50 Years of Jack Kerouac's On the Road
Wednesday, October 10 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Be spontaneous. Break social norms. And best of all, listen to faculty read from On the Road. This very special open mic night honors one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, a harbinger of 60s counter culture. So bring your favorite beat writings, or choose from our optional readings, and let your voices be heard. The apple pie, ice cream and Thelonious Monk are on us. This event is free and open to the public.
Mark St. Amant '90: A Writer's Sporting Life
Saturday, October 20 10:00 AM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
In the spirit of George Plimpton and Chuck Klosterman, Mark St. Amant '90 chronicles the sports he loves as both insightful observer and rueful participant. He is the author of two memoirs: Committed: Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie, an account of his and the nation's growing obsession with fantasy football, and Just Kick It: Tales of an Underdog, Over-Age, Out-of-Place, Semi-Pro Football Player, a record of his stint as the unlikely kicker for an inner city semi-pro football team. He is a contributor to the New York Times and has appeared on ESPN. Join Mark for an informal conversation about writing, sports and life. This event is free and open to the public.
Homecoming 2007: Writers House Open House
Saturday October 20, 11:00 AM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Come see where all of the literary magic happens on campus! Meet our staff and students and enjoy refreshments.
Homecoming 2007 Tailgate Party
Saturday October 20, 12-2 PM
Williamson Parking Lot: Tent #5
Poetry will be in the air as Writers House staff and students welcome returning Franklin and Marshall alumni to campus. We will have free Writers House mugs, event calendars and "poems about home" for anyone who stops by our tent. There will also be entertainment, food, beer & wine, and of course, clowns!
Dance Critic: Lisa Kraus
Tuesday, October 30 12:00-1:20 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Join the students in Professor Lynn Brooks's Theatre, Dance and Film seminar, "Writing Dance," for a conversation with dance critic Lisa Kraus. Kraus, formerly a dancer with the Trisha Brown Company, is now an independent choreographer and dance writer. Her writing has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dance Magazine and Dance Insider, among other publications. This event is co-sponsored by the department of Theatre, Dance and Film and is free and open to the public.
November
Dead Writers Society
Thursday, November 1 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Deceased writers will rise from the grave at the Writers House annual Halloween Open Mic. Come in costume as your favorite deceased author and read from his or her work! This event is free and open to the public.
Dinner Theatre: Brian Silberman reads from his play Salvage Operations
Wednesday, November 7 6:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Brian Silberman is a new tenure-track professor of playwriting in the department of Theatre, Dance and Film. His plays have won the Clauder Prize, the Pinter Review Prize for Drama and have appeared in Best American Short Plays of 2001 and New American Short Plays of 2005. Help welcome Brian to Franklin and Marshall at this buffet-style dinner, followed by coffee and dessert in the Reading Room. There, Brian will read from Salvage Operations, transporting us to the eve of the funeral of Walter Earl, when Bottom and Short George meet in Booger's Salvage Yard, debating the remains of Walter's fire-damaged car and struggling to uncover the mystery and meaning of their friend's death. This dinner and reading is open to members of the Franklin and Marshall community.
Read an excerpt from Brian Silberman's play Salvage Yard
Margaret Litvin: The Reception of Shakespeare in the Arab World "Shall We Be or Not Be"
Thursday, November 8 4:30 PM
Stahr Auditorium, Stager Hall
Dr. Margaret Litvin's work focuses on contemporary Arab drama and public culture. Her book Hamlet's Arab Journey examines how critics and playwrights in the postcolonial period have received and deployed Shakespeare's "Hamlet.” This program is sponsored by the Comparative Literary Studies Program and is free and open to the public.
Read the introduction to Margaret Litvin's translation of Forget Hamlet
Danielle DiGiacomo Ganek '85 at the World Cafe Live
Friday, November 9 6-8 PM
Second Floor, 3025 Walnut Street in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Regional Chapter and the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House invite you to a celebration honoring Danielle DiGiacomo Ganek '85 and her universally acclaimed debut novel, Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him. Following a reception, Danielle will read from Lulu, take questions and sign copies of her book. The is no charge for this event, which is open to the entire Franklin and Marshall Community; however, registration is requested. Register by visiting www.alumni.fandm.edu and clicking on "Event Registration," or by calling the Alumni Programs Office at 866-925-5500.
Fiction Reading and Reception: Danielle DiGiacomo Ganek '85
Saturday, November 10 4:30 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Upon receiving a B.A. in English from Franklin and Marshall College, Ganek moved to New York City to write. She took day jobs working in the magazine world, first under Ellen Levine at Woman’s Day, then at Mademoiselle, eventually landing at French department store chain Galeries Lafayette as a Creative Director. At the same time, she continued to study writing, with classes at Columbia University School of Continuing Education, Writers Boot Camp and the Writers Studio. She wrote pieces of novels and short stories, with much of her early work focusing on women pursuing their creative goals. Her first book, Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him, was published by Viking Penguin Press in June 2007. Ganek is involved in various organizations for the arts, including the Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum of Art. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Southampton Fresh Air Home and on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and their three young children and is currently working on her next novel. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to 717-291-4244.
Read an excerpt from Danielle Ganek's novel Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him
Science Writing with Mueller Lecturers Dr. Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan
Tuesday, November 13 12:00 Noon
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Lynn Margulis is Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1983, received from William J. Clinton the Presidential Medal of Science in 1999. The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., announced in 1998 that it will permanently archive her papers. She was a faculty mentor at Boston University for 22 years. Professor Margulis, who participates in hands-on teaching activities at levels from middle to graduate school, is the author of many articles and books. The most recent include Symbiotic Planet: A new look at evolution (1998) and Acquiring Genomes: A theory of the origins of species (2002), co-written with Dorion Sagan. Dorion Sagan is the author of numerous articles and sixteen books translated into eleven languages, including Into the Cool: Energy Flow, Thermodynamics, and Life (with Eric D. Schneider, 2005) and Up from Dragons: Evolution of Human Intelligence (with John Skoyles, 2002). His What is Life? (with Lynn Margulis) was chosen (with works by Billie Holiday, Shakespeare, and others) as one of fifty “mind-altering masterpieces” by the Utne Reader. Sagan’s essays are included in collections edited by Richard Dawkins and E. O. Wilson. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst with a degree in history and has interests in philosophy and literature. This event is open to members of the F&M Community and is sponsored by the Mueller Fellow Committee. To reserve a place, call 291-4244. Lunch will be served.
Read an excerpt from Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan's book What is Life?
Thanksgiving Dinner
Wednesday, November 14 5:30 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Join your fellow readers, writers, and visiting author Chris Adrian to celebrate Thanksgiving with a home-cooked potluck dinner, readings and music. This dinner is open to all members of the Franklin and Marshall community. For more information or to R.S.V.P., contact us at or 291-4244.
Fiction Reading: Chris Adrian
Wednesday, November 14 8:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Chris Adrian has published two novels, Gob’s Grief and The Children’s Hospital. His short fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, Zoetrope, McSweeney's,The New Yorker, and Best American Short Stories. He recently completed a pediatric residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and is currently a student at Harvard Divinity School. This event is co-sponsored by the English department and is free and open to the public.
Read an excerpt from Chris Adrian's novel The Children's Hospital
Discussion with Ofelia Zepeda
Thursday, November 15 4:30 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
The Writers House welcomes Ofelia Zepeda as a part of Native American Heritage Month. Zepeda was born and raised in Stanfield, Arizona, near the Tohono O'odham and Pima reservations. Zepeda received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, and is a professor of linguistics and former director of the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Arizona. Zepeda is considered the foremost authority in Tohono O'odham language and literature. Zepeda has authored the first grammar of the Tohono O'odham language, and has edited several collections of Native American folktales and poetry. She actively helps her tribe to improve literacy in their native language and English. She also directs the American Indian Language Development Institute, an annual summer institute for American Indian Teachers. This event is co-sponsored by the Anthropology department and is free and open to the public.
Read a translation of Ofelia Zepeda's O'odham poetry
Film Screening: Danny Schechter
Monday, November 19 4:30 PM
At Roschel Center for the Performing Arts
Join journalist, author, and filmmaker Danny Schechter for a screening of his new film, In Debt We Trust: America Before the Bubble Bursts. The former ABC News and CNN producer's new documentary investigates why so many Americans are strangled by debt. Founder and executive producer of Globalvision, Inc., Danny Schechter has earned Emmy Awards, the IRIS Award, the George Polk Award, the Major Armstrong Award, and recognition from the National Association of Black Journalists. This event is free and open to the public, and is co-sponsored by the Center for Liberal Arts and Society, the Department of Economics, and the College House System.
Launch Party for the Franklin & Marshall Liberal Arts Review
Thursday, November 29 5:00 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Join the editors and writers of the Liberal Arts Review for a publication party to celebrate their second issue, featuring the theme of "identity." Come chat about your existential crisis over hors d'oevres.
December
Writers House Commune Meeting
Wednesday, December 5 4:30 PM
At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Join your fellow readers and writers to discuss this year's events. This meeting will feature reports by all of the WH committees, as well as a guest appearance by Fly Magazine editor Jeff Royer.
WHAM Committee will offer an overview of a literary-themed art exhibition planned for WH this Spring.
Hospitality Committee will share their continuing efforts to make WH homey.
Mission Statement Committee will explain their process for finalizing a mission statement for WH by Spring.
Student Initiatives Committee will report on the writers who have been invited by students.
Publications Committee will confess that they haven't met, yet.
Internships Committee will preview a spring program for students interested in writing-related careers.
Sundae Party
Monday, December 10 3:00 PM
At Booth Ferris
Come celebrate with the WH community, WFNM, and Alpha Phi, who were all co-winners of the "most interactive tent" award at Homecoming 2007.
