this week in literature

BUNHEADS: MISTY COPELAND IN CONVERSATION WITH VANITY FAIR’S RADHIKA JONES

Who: Misty Copeland, Radhika Jones
What: Online discussion
Where: 92nd St. Y online
When: Wednesday, September 30, $10, 7:00
Why: “When Miss Bradley announced they’d be performing the ballet Coppélia for the recital, everyone in Misty’s class shouted excitedly and gathered around to hear their teacher tell the story of Coppélia. Misty didn’t know what Coppélia meant, and she was too shy to ask — especially since it was her first ballet class ever! So Misty took a spot on the floor, and before she knew it, she was completely entranced as Miss Bradley told the tale.” So begins Misty Copeland’s second children’s book, Bunheads (Putnam, September 29, $17.99), the follow-up to her debut, The Firebird. The start of a new series, Bunheads, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey, shares Copeland’s initial foray into the world of ballet as a child; she would grow up to become the first African American female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre. On September 30 at 7:00, she will launch the book in a livestreamed conversation with Vanity Fair editor in chief Radhika Jones in a talk hosted by the 92nd St. online. You can listen to a clip of Copeland reading from the book here.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: LIVE PERFORMANCES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Who: Tony Roberts, Jodie Markell, Stephen Schnetzer, Rex Reed
What: Live monthly readings online and in person
Where: Theatre 80, 80 St. Marks Place
When: September 29, free in person, Zoom $25, 646-366-9340, 2:00
Why: Food for Thought continues its twentieth anniversary season with a program that provides yet more food for thought. On September 29 at 2:00, the company, founded in 2000 to present one-act plays in intimate settings, with little or no sets or costumes, just actors reading well-known or less-familiar works, is performing a trio of tales, both online and in person at Theatre 80 at 80 St. Marks Place. Yes, a limited number of first-come, first-served free seats are available at the historic Village theater, following New York City guidelines with temperature checks, masks, and social distancing, and all attendees must have recently tested negative for Covid-19; you can also livestream the show over Zoom for $25. The matinee includes Tony nominee Tony Roberts reading excerpts from his 2015 autobiography, Do You Know Me?, and Jodie Markell, Stephen Schnetzer, and Rex Reed (yes, that Rex Reed) starring in Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner Peter Stone’s Commercial Break (previously performed by Lauren Bacall and Robert Preston and initially written for Audrey Hepburn in Charade) and FFT creator Susan Charlotte’s Come On, directed by Antony Marsellis. A live Q&A will follow. The season began with Arthur Miller’s I Can’t Remember Anything, Robert Anderson’s I’m Herbert, and Daniel Rose’s Eichmann in Israel on July 13 (with Bob Dishy, Judy Graubart, Marilyn Sokol, and Schnetzer) and Christopher Durang’s Mrs. Sorken and Tennessee Williams’s I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow on August 17 (with Nathan Darrow, Delphi Harrington, Kristine Nielsen, and Schnetzer); next up for Food for Thought’s “Live Performances in a Safe Environment” series are Dorothy Parker’s Here We Are and excerpts from the work of Lynn Nottage on October 19, A. R. Gurney’s The Love Course on November 16, and Mel Brooks’s Of Fathers and Sons and Durang’s Wanda’s Visit on December 14.

COLLECTIVE TRAUMA SUMMIT 2020: THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE HEALING

Who: Hosts Thomas Hübl, Dr. Laura Calderón de la Barca, Kosha Joubert, Robin Alfred, and Anna Molitor, and more than forty guests
What: Live guided experiences, performances, artist dialogues
Where: Collective Trauma Summit
When: September 22 – October 1, free with registration
Why: It’s been a rough 2020, and it seems to only be getting worse. We could all use a bit of healing, and that’s just what the Collective Trauma Summit seeks to do. The virtual conference runs September 22 through October 1 with ten live events in addition to numerous prerecorded talks and performances, featuring music, poetry, panel discussions, guided experiences, and more with Sharon Salzberg, Priya Parker, Jacqueline Novogratz, Daniel J. Siegel, Melanie Goodchild, Joy Harjo, David Whyte, Marie Howe, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Li-Young Lee, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jami Sieber, Krishna Das, Dr. Srini Pillay, Margaret Wheatley, Yehudit Sasportas, Xiuhtezcatl, and many others. Among the topics are “The Link between Personal Trauma and Collective Trauma,” “How Neuroscience Can Inform Approaches to Trauma Healing,” “How to Become Aware of Unresolved States and Heal Them,” “The Future of Collective Healing Processes and Methods,” “How Communities Can Transform Themselves,” “Practices for Engaging the Wisdom of the Body,” “Working with Inherited Family and Ancestral Trauma,” “Transforming Cycles of Violence and Cultural Trauma,” and “Using Trauma as a Call to Service and Self-Transcendence.” The hosts are Thomas Hübl, Dr. Laura Calderón de la Barca, Kosha Joubert, Robin Alfred, and Anna Molitor. “Trauma is not just a personal experience. It is always embedded in a much wider chain of events and history. Examining our collective trauma is the way to tap into the evolutionary intelligence of humanity,” explains Hübl, the founder of the Academy of Inner Science and author of the forthcoming book Healing Collective Trauma. Admission is free; below are the live events.

Tuesday, September 22, noon
“Awakening to the Nature of Collective Trauma,” with Thomas Hübl, Laura Calderón de la Barca, Robin Alfred, Kosha Joubert, and Anna Molitor, music by Adam Bauer, and poetry by Kim Rosen

Wednesday, September 23, noon
“Uncovering Our Cultural Trauma Conditioning,” with Thomas Hübl, host Robin Alfred, music by Adam Bauer, and poetry by Kim Rosen

Thursday, September 24, noon
“Exploring Our Roots and Ancestral History,” with Thomas Hübl, host Kosha Joubert, music by Adam Bauer, and poetry by Kim Rosen

Friday, September 25, noon
“The Art of Peacemaking: Mediating Conflicts in a Traumatized Field,” with William Ury, host Kosha Joubert, and panelists Ameya Kilara and Claire Hajaj

Saturday, September 26, 1:00
“Collective Healing and Structural Inequality: A Contemplative Walk,” with Thomas Hübl, Angel Acosta, and host Laura Calderón de la Barca

Saturday, September 27, noon
“Poetry as a Gateway to Collective Healing,” with Marie Howe, Pádraig Ó Tuama, and host Anna Molitor

Tuesday, September 29, noon
“The Pocket Project: Activating the Power of Group Coherence,” with Thomas Hübl, Yehudit Sasportas, Kosha Joubert, and Laura Calderón de la Barca

Thursday, October 1, noon
“Climate Crisis: Restoring Our Relationship to the Earth,” with Thomas Hübl, host Kosha Joubert, and music by Adam Bauer

DO THIS PLAY: EXPAND THE CANON VIRTUAL READING SERIES & LIST DROP

Expand the Canon will feature annual list of nine works by women playwrights

Who: Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre, Ma-Yi Theater Company, the Classical Theatre of Harlem, American Players Theatre
What: Inaugural curated list of classic plays written by women
Where: Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre online
When: Tuesdays & Thursdays, September 21 – October 1, suggested donation $15, 8:00
Why: On Monday, September 21, at 8:00, in “The Matchlorette: Meet Your Classical Play Match!,” Brooklyn-based Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre, in conjunction with Ma-Yi Theater Company and the Classical Theatre of Harlem, will drop its inaugural annual curated list of nine classic and classical plays by a diverse group of women. The works, selected by an international committee of eleven women from American Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Texas, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and other organizations, will kick off “Do This Play: Expand the Canon Virtual Reading Series,” with several of the plays, including two new translations, being performed online Tuesday and Thursday nights through October 1. The cast features Hedgepig ensemble members Madeline Egan Addis, Desirée Baxter, Fara Faidzan, Jamal James, Kubbi, Andrew Hutcheson, Sara Hymes, Jory Murphy, Skye Pagon, Gregory Jon Phelps, Basil Rodericks, Rachel Schmeling, and Olivia Williamson, in addition to actors from partner companies. The suggested donation for this inclusive call to action, which focuses on timely, relevant works, is $15; we will add the full schedule below following the official announcement. [Ed. note: The selected plays are House of Desires by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, A Bold Stroke for a Husband by Hannah Cowley, A Bold Stroke for a Wife by Susanna Centilivre, Her Soul by Amelia P. Roselli, Rachel by Angelina W. Grimke, Restless Night in Late Spring by Fumiko Enchi, Spunk by Zora Neale Hurston, The Drag by Mae West, and Wedding Band by Alice Childress.]

Tuesday, September 22, 8:00
Bold Stroke for a Husband, by Hannah Cowley, directed by Emily Lyon, and featuring Skye Pagon, Shannon Corenthin, David Huynh, Basil Rodericks, Sara Hymes, Rachel Schmeling, Jory Murphy, Andrew Hutcheson, Gregory Jon Phelps, Marcus D. Johnson, and Madeline Addis

Sunday, September 27, 8:00
House of Desires, by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, directed by Melisa Pereyra, produced in partnership with American Players Theatre, featuring Cher Alvarez, Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carillo, Triney Sandoval, Alejandro Cordova, Sebastian Arboleda, Basil Rodericks, Jamal James, Olivia Williamson, and Desiree Baxter

Tuesday, September 29, 8:00
Restless Night in Late Spring, by Fumiko Enchi, directed by Chari Arespacochago, produced in partnership with Ma-Yi Theater Company, featuring Sasha Diamond, Shannon Tyo, Daniel K. Isaac, and Fara Faidzan

Thursday, October 1, 8:00
Spunk, by Zora Neale Hurston, directed by Bianca LaVerne Jones, produced in partnership with the Classical Theatre of Harlem

LEANING INTO THE UNKNOWN: AN ARTIST’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Who: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Mignolo Dance, Christy E. O’Connor, Dimitri Reyes, Lisa Campbell
What: Livestream broadcast
Where: Ramapo College Berrie Center YouTube channel
When: Saturday, September 19 & 26, free (donations accepted for the Contemporary Arts Fund or the Covid-19 Student Emergency Fund through the Ramapo Foundation), 8:00
Why: The New Jersey arts community responds to the pandemic lockdown with “Leaning into the Unknown,“ two evenings of dance, spoken word, and performance art hosted by Ramapo College’s Berrie Center. On September 19 at 8:00, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company of Fort Lee will perform Ripple Effect, Desk and I, Phase II, Emissary of Light, and Tomorrow, along with poet Marina Carreira of Union and performance artist Christy E. O’Connor of Middletown. The lineup for September 26 features Mignolo Dance of Metuchen, spoken word artist Dimitri Reyes of Kearny, and the Moving Architects of Montclair. Each evening will conclude with a live Q&A with the artists, moderated by Berrie Center director Lisa Campbell. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for the Contemporary Arts Fund or the Covid-19 Student Emergency Fund through the Ramapo Foundation.

STEADY, CALM, AND BRAVE: VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH PARTY WITH KIMBERLY BROWN

Who: Kimberly Brown
What: Virtual book launch party
Where: Zoom
When: Monday, September 14, free with RSVP, 7:00
Why: In her new book, Steady, Calm, and Brave: 25 Practices of Resilience and Wisdom in a Crisis (Publishing with Heart, July 2020, $12.95), New York City meditation teacher Kimberly J. Brown offers advice on how to deal with the current pandemic and the protests raging across the country. “Our delusions about being independent from other people, or separate from those we don’t like or don’t know, are revealed as dangerous and demonstrably false in any time of crisis,” she writes in the preface. Later, in the chapter “When It’s Us Against Them,” she explains, “Divisive thinking is a root cause of racism and so many other social problems throughout the world. The idea that we can separate ourselves from others is a type of delusion that Buddhism calls a ‘wrong view.’ Right view is the scientific fact that all humans — all living beings — are profoundly connected. We live together on the same planet, breathe the same air, share the resources of our ecosystem, and all of our actions affect one another. There is no us and them — only us.”

Brown teaches guided meditation and mind-body therapy at the Rubin Museum, the Interdependence Project, the Shantideva Center (“Metta for [Self]Compassion” on Thursday nights), and other institutions as well as privately; in addition, her “Wisdom and Healing for the World” class takes place every Sunday morning at 10:00. On September 14 at 7:00, she will be hosting a virtual book launch party for Steady, Calm, and Brave, which includes such chapters as “Harm and Healing,” “Grief and Loss,” “When Your Family Is Making You Crazy,” “When You’re Mad at the World,” “When Others Behave Badly,” and “When You’re Keeping Your Distance.” The book also features extensive back matter with blessings and resources, and Brown offers numerous types of meditation practices (five-minute, virtual, safety) for experienced meditators as well as beginners. The book is as warm and lovely as she is — I’ve known her for about ten years — so you can expect a warm and lovely event, much-needed healing during these intense times of stress and pressure coming at us from all sides.

THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY 2020 BOOK AWARDS VIRTUAL LITERARY SALON AND AWARDS PRESENTATION

Who: Cara Robertson, Harold Holzer, Sarah Blake, Adrienne Brodeur, Roland Foster Miller, Matthew Rimi von Barton
What: Livestreamed book awards salon
Where: New England Society Zoom
When: Thursday, September 10, $25, 6:00
Why: The annual New England Society Book Awards, which honors titles by New England-based authors and/or books about New England history and culture, was scheduled to be held at the National Arts Club, but because of the pandemic it has been moved to Zoom, where it will take place September 10 at 6:00. The salon, featuring author acceptance speeches, a group interview emceed by NES board member Matthew Rimi von Barton, and an audience Q&A, will celebrate this year’s winners: The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson for Historical Nonfiction, Monument Man: The Life & Art of Daniel Chester French by Harold Holzer for Art & Photography, The Guest Book by Sarah Blake for Fiction, and Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me by Adrienne Brodeur for Biography/Memoir.

“New England continues to draw from a deep well of talented writers,” Book Awards chair Roland Foster Miller said in a statement. “This year’s winners examine subjects as diverse as Daniel Chester French (the Lincoln Memorial sculptor), and Lizzie Borden’s double-murder trial, where readers take a virtual seat in the jury box. In her provocative memoir, Adrienne Brodeur, the publisher and editor, chronicles her life with her mother and her mother’s lover, and Sarah Blake’s novel tracks the foibles and challenges of three generations of a New England family summering in an island cottage in Maine.” The Zoom salon is open to the public; the $25 donation supports the New England Society [Ed. note: My wife is an NES officer] and its outreach, including the Scholarship Program, which “provides financial help to New York City students attending colleges and universities in the New England states.”