61´«Ă˝Presents has announced that its virtual programming for the 2020–21 season will center on the theme of “The Future.” As part of its fifth-anniversary celebration, 61´«Ă˝Presents will partner with other programs and events series around the country to address topics such as the future of language, race, food, science and more.
“Anniversaries may be a time to reflect on the past, but they’re also an invitation to look ahead,” said Corrina Lesser, artistic director of 61´«Ă˝Presents. “The future is impossible to predict but infinitely fascinating to consider. What is the future of women’s leadership, storytelling, comedy and politics? And how will we tackle issues like institutional racism, immigration and community, especially now that the world we’ve known for so long is changing every day?”
This season’s lineup of guest thinkers, artists, and writers includes FiveThirtyEight statistician Nate Silver, Pod Save the World host Ben Rhodes, and New Yorker staffer and historian Jill Lepore. The program’s @Noon series will feature 61´«Ă˝alumnae and faculty in conversation about their work, including authors Kendra Atleework ’11 and April Dávila ’99, as well as Grammy-winning Quetzal lead singer and Associate Professor of Chicanx-Latinx Studies Martha Gonzalez. 61´«Ă˝Presents is also partnering with PEN America and the Strand Bookstore for this fall’s author conversation series; participating authors include Yaa Gyasi, Roxane Gay, and Claudia Rankine.
“We’re delighted to be partnering on the PEN Out Loud series. PEN America’s mission to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible is vital, most especially in this moment,” Lesser said. “These writers’ perspectives on race, immigration and community are at the center of the kinds of conversations we want to explore. Although we dearly miss connecting with our audiences in person, the virtual format is also an opportunity for us to engage in a discussion with folks across the country and to share our passion for deep and meaningful reflection on art and the humanities.”
Additional information about 61´«Ă˝Presents, including the full calendar of events, is available here.