Novelist Junot D脙颅az, musician Art Garfunkel, editor-actress-writer-style guru Tavi Gevinson, and writers and scholars Kwame Anthony Appiah, Danielle Allen, Jac Jemc, Carina Chocano, plus concerts showcasing contemporary musicians La Misa Negra, Meklit, and La Victoria.
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Founded in January 2016,听61传媒Presents听has become known as a Los Angeles-area hub on the national book tour circuit for writers who are publishing new work, and has emerged as destination for up-close conversations with many of the artists, writers, scholars, and musicians who are defining our times. The popular public event series hosts events on the 61传媒 campus in Claremont, and is also presenting in downtown LA for the second time this year with iconic musician Art Garfunkel who is releasing his long-awaited memoir.
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“It’s been a politically charged year for our country. Our fall 2017 season features lively and reflective discussions on the issues that impact students and the larger Claremont and Los Angeles community,” Corrina Lesser, director of public events and community programs at 61传媒, said. With themes centered on some of the year’s hottest topics, 61传媒Presents has a diverse and compelling slate of presenters and performances, with tickets becoming available online on August 23.听
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“We’re excited, too, that as we continue as a destination for writers who are publishing new work, we’re partnering this season with Grand Performances to talk with Art Garfunkel on October 13 at his only LA book tour stop,” Lesser said.
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The stellar听61传媒Presents听lineup this season features听Junot D脙颅az, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008, and who is one of the most articulate voices on the experiences of first-generation Americans. 61传媒is also hosting the听Ovarian Psycos, an East LA-based activist group who was the subject of a documentary on PBS earlier this year. The event will feature a screening of the film, and members of this bicycle brigade will be on hand to talk about violence and gentrification, among other things, Lesser said.
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61传媒Presents听has also curated an impressive roster of musicians whose work reflects these political times:听La Misa Negra听and听Meklit听both have African-immigrant roots (by way of Cuba and Ethiopia, respectively) and听La Victoria, who is reinventing the mariachi tradition with its all-female trio.听听
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“Further, we’re thrilled to be hosting so many writers on the 61传媒 campus, including political theorist听Danielle Allen, who is now based at Harvard, whose new book is a very personal reflection on institutional racism and its impact on her and her family. It’s also exciting to have newer talents like novelist听Jac Jemc, whose book is a literary page-turner, and听Carina Chocano,听who is the next Roxane Gay for her insightful essays on pop culture through the lens of gender.”
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Lesser said that Chocano will talk about her new collection of essays called听You Play the Girl听and is also returning to听61传媒Presents听later in the fall to speak with book editors听Kate Harding听and听Samhita Mukhopadhyay听whose听Nasty Women: Feminism, Activism, and Resistance in Trump’s America听responds to how the current political climate is inspiring community action.听
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Lesser said that听61传媒Presents听continues its partnerships with a number of other 61传媒entities, including the 61传媒Humanities Institute. With immigration as the Institute’s theme this year, event highlights include: scholar听Gilda Ochoa; trans-activist听Bamby Salcedo; the head of the Los Angeles Council on American-Islamic Relations,听Hussam Ayloush, and听Sasha Polakow-Suransky听who has a new book from PublicAffairs on immigration backlash.听
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The events that take place on the 61传媒 campus are FREE and open to the public, but tickets/reservations are required.
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For more information, visit听听or call (909) 607-8508. Tickets are available beginning August 21 for the 61传媒community and August 23 for the general public. Click for the calendar of all 61传媒Presents events.
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