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Mar 16
Love1

Events Impacted by COVID-19

By News

The staff and board of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures deeply appreciates your patience and understanding during this time as we work with both our authors and our audience members. Please email us at info@pittsburghlectures.or if you have any questions.

Ten Evenings

All Ten Evenings lecture tickets for the September 2020 through April 2021 lecture season will include a virtual option. If we cannot be together in person for a scheduled lecture, we will work with the author to create a virtual event viewable from home. If the lecture proceeds as scheduled, we will make livestreaming an option for those who prefer to view from home.

Video links will be emailed to all ticket holders on the day of the scheduled lecture.

Subscriptions for the full season are available and single tickets go on sale July 6, 2020 at 10 a.m.

Rescheduled Lectures:

Stephen Heyman’s free Made Local lecture had been rescheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2020 as a virtual event.

Robin DiAngelo’s lecture scheduled for April 14th has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2020 as a virtual event. All previous tickets will be honored for the new date. Ticket holders will be emailed a link to view the lecture on Thursday, September 10, 2020. You may share this link, which will be available to view for one week, with your seatmates.

Jodi Kantor’s lecture scheduled for April 27th has been rescheduled for Monday, November 30, 2020. All previous tickets will be honored for the new date. If we cannot gather in person according to the CDC’s guidelines Jodi Kantor will record a virtual event video for everyone to watch at home. If we are able to gather in person we will also livestream the lecture for all ticket holders who do not wish to come to the lecture hall.

Mo Rocca’s event scheduled for March 30th has been rescheduled for Monday, November 2, 2020 as a virtual event. All previous tickets will be honored for the new date. Ticket holders will be emailed a link to view the lecture on Monday, November 2, 2020. You may share this link, which will be available to view for one week, with your seatmates. Each ticket includes a copy of Mobituaries which will be shipped to your home by Mystery Lovers Bookshop, with a bookplate signed by Mo Rocca. If you need to change the address for the shipment of your book(s) please email us at info@pittsburghlectures.org.

If you’d like to request a refund in advance of these rescheduled dates please email us at info@pittsburghlectures.org.

Previously Scheduled Events

Michael Ondaatje and David Sibley’s lectures were presented virtually. Thank you to all who joined us!

Our Made Local and Poets Aloud events with Autumn House and Toi Derricotte will be rescheduled at a later date.

Anne Enright’s lecture on Monday, March 16th was cancelled – All ticket holders for this event have been emailed directly and refunded.

With our gratitude,
Stephanie's signature

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Flom
Executive Director
Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures

Apr 02
Love4

2019/20 Ten Evenings Season

By News

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Announces 2019/20 Ten Evenings Season

The 2019/20 season boasts a roster of literary super stars—all claiming bragging rights to prestigious awards and critical acclaim. With the exception of Doris Kearns Goodwin who appeared in 1993, each is appearing on Ten Evenings, the mainstage series of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, for the first time.

Sigrid Nunez / Monday, September 23, 2019

Sigrid Nunez has published seven novels, including The Last of Her Kind, A Feather on the Breath of God, and most recently, The Friend. Nunez won the 2018 National Book Award for The Friend, a story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the transcendent bond between a woman and her dog.

Ibram X. Kendi / Monday, October 14, 2019

National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi follows Stamped from the Beginning with How to Be an Antiracist, a bracingly original approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality. Kendi explores what an antiracist society might look like and the role individuals can play in building it.

Doris Kearns Goodwin / Monday, October 28, 2019

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. In Leadership in Turbulent Times, she draws upon the extraordinary leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Madeline Miller / Monday, November 11, 2019

Dramaturge and Classics scholar Madeline Miller appeared on nearly every Best Book of 2018 list with her bestselling novel Circe, a feminist retelling of The Odyssey from the perspective of Greek mythology’s island-dwelling sorceress. Circe follows her prize-winning debut The Song of Achilles.

Reza Aslan / Monday, November 25, 2019

Reza Aslan is writer, commentator, professor, producer, and religious scholar. In God: A Human History, Aslan thoughtfully explores the history of religion as an attempt to understand the divine by giving God human traits and emotions. He is a recipient of the prestigious James Joyce Award.

Richard Powers / Monday, December 9, 2019

National Book Award winner Richard Powers’ sweeping, impassioned novel of activism, The Overstory, unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fable that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Carmen Maria Machado / Monday, January 20, 2020

Carmen Maria Machado’s genre-bending short-story collection Her Body and Other Parties was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, and many other honors. Her revolutionary memoir In the Dream House reveals the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships.

Tommy Orange / Monday, February 10, 2020

There, There is the debut novel by Tommy Orange that caught the critics by storm, winning multiple prizes and topping year-end best book lists. Poignant, funny, contemporary, and entirely unforgettable, this instant classic is a stunning portrayal of urban Native American life.

Esi Edugyan / Monday, March 9, 2020

Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black is a dazzling adventure story about a boy who rises from the ashes of slavery to become a man of the world. Named a 10 Best Book of 2018 by the New York Times, this “lush, exhilarating travelogue reminiscent of Jules Verne” asks, what is true freedom?

Michael Ondaatje / Monday, April 6, 2020

Man Booker Prize-winning author of The English Patient and recipient of the Golden Booker, Michael Ondaatje delivers Warlight, a vivid novel of violence and love, intrigue, and desire. Set in London after World War II, the story is told through the lives of an unexpected group of characters.

The 2019/20 Ten Evenings series is presented by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, in association with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. This is the 29th season of Pittsburgh’s literary lecture series. All programs are presented on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm in Oakland’s historic Carnegie Music Hall.

Subscriptions for the 2019/20 Ten Evenings season will be available on May 1 and single tickets go on sale July 8. More information is available by visiting www.pittsburghlectures.org or calling Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, 412.622.8866.

Sep 24
Love2

Director’s Letter – 2018/19 Season of Ten Evenings

By Events

Dear Friends,

When our survey asked for three adjectives that best describe the Ten Evenings lectures, the top responses were informative, interesting, and entertaining, followed by inspiring, enlightening, stimulating, educational, thought-provoking, engaging, and enjoyable. Other responses included insightful, surprising, motivating, eye-opening, timely, challenging, funny, and fun.

It is my privilege to present you with this year’s slate of critically acclaimed authors. Their poignant, relevant, deeply researched, and beautifully crafted works are bringing each one of them to the fore of the national and international cultural and literary arena.

We launch the season with literary icon Joyce Carol Oates, who returns to our stage for the first time since 1992. One of the world’s most eminent authors, she addresses themes in her work that include racism, classism, and sexual–political power dynamics.

Mexican–U.S. immigration is addressed in both fiction and nonfiction by Luis Alberto Urrea (The House of Broken Angels and The Devil’s Highway) and Valeria Luiselli (Tell Me How It Ends and her forthcoming Lost Children Archive).

Jill Lepore provides an investigation of our divided nation (These Truths), while the timely topic of Russia and Putin are discussed by journalist Masha Gessen (The Future is History). Katherine Boo humanizes inequality in Mumbai, India (Behind the Beautiful Forevers) while her current focus is poverty in Washington, D.C. Tayari Jones takes on questions of race, class, and incarceration in a fictional love story (An American Marriage) while Ottessa Moshfegh reveals a young woman’s shocking approach to mental health (My Year of Rest and Relaxation).

The war in Yemen, immigration, coffee, and entrepreneurism comprise the tale told by Dave Eggers who will appear with the subject of his book (The Monk of Mokha), Mokhtar Alkhanshali. And we’ll end our season with Min Jin Lee and her page-turning family saga (Pachinko), which portrays the lasting impact of Japanese colonialism and the long, vexed history of discrimination against Koreans in Japan.

There is certainly much to learn, contemplate, discuss, and be inspired by. Thank you for joining the Ten Evenings community of readers, writers, listeners, and thinkers as we engage with these important writers of our time.

Stephanie
Stephanie Flom

Executive Director

Sep 05
Love0

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts Innovation and Management Program

By Media, News

PITTSBURGH ARTS & LECTURES SELECTED AS A GRANTEE OF BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES’

ARTS INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will participate in $43 million program

Pittsburgh, PA — September 5, 2018 — Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures announced that it is a grantee recipient of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program. The invitation-only program seeks to strengthen the organizational capacity and programming of small and mid-size cultural organizations within Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Through the $43 million multi-year initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide unrestricted general operating support as well as arts management training in areas that include fundraising, strategic planning, marketing and board development.

Stephanie Flom, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures said “we are thrilled and honored to participate in this important program to expand the impact of the work we do to make a difference in our region through the literary arts.”

AIM targets arts non-profits because of the vital role that they play in building communities, driving local economies and supporting artists. “The arts inspire people, provide jobs, and strengthen communities,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “This program is aimed at helping some of the country’s most exciting cultural organizations reach new audiences and expand their impact.”

Bloomberg Philanthropies will develop curricula and conduct seminars for the program in partnership with leading experts, including the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, led by Institute Chairman Michael M. Kaiser and President Brett Egan. AIM organizations will engage in activities that strengthen their long-term health and goals, and will receive one-on-one consultations and implementation support for organization leaders and their boards.

All organizations invited to participate in the 2018 expansion of the AIM program are nonprofits that have been in existence for at least two years. Participating organizations will be required to secure 20% of their AIM grant in matching dollars; reach 100% board participation in fundraising; and maintain up-to-date information in DataArts, an online management tool that assists arts organizations across the country in collecting, learning from, and using data effectively. The grants will be unrestricted to allow recipients to utilize the funds to address their greatest needs.

Since 2011, AIM has helped more than 500 small and mid-sized organizations in all creative disciplines, including theater, visual arts, music, film, literature and dance. Participating organizations reported significant improvements in board development, fundraising and overall income over the two-year program. Watch this video for an overview of the Arts Innovation and Management program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KJy8DgjRDg&feature=youtu.be.

About Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures            

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures was launched with a lecture by Pittsburgh native Annie Dillard on September 16, 1991 at The Fulton (now The Byham) Theater in downtown Pittsburgh.

Over the years we have connected thousands of Pittsburghers with iconic authors including Kurt Vonnegut, George Plimpton, Margaret Atwood, Edward Albee, John Updike, Alice Walker, Tom Wolfe, Jamaica Kincaid, Arthur Miller, Amy Tan, August Wilson, Susan Sontag, Spalding Gray, and E.L. Doctorow, just to name a few!

We now present five signature series and partner with area schools and non-profit organizations to maximize the impact of visiting authors to our region.

The mission of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures is to connect celebrated authors with the community, elevate civic discourse, and inspire creativity and a passion for the literary arts.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 480 cities in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $702 million. For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Media Contact

Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebecca Carriero + 1 -212-205-0182 or rebeccac@bloomberg.org

Contact: Lisa Christopher, 412.622.5578 or LChristopher@pittsburghlectures.org

Apr 10
Love5

2018/19 Season of Ten Evenings

By Media, News

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures is thrilled and honored to share our 2018/19 line-up for Ten Evenings. Executive Director Stephanie Flom will announce the line-up from the stage at the start of the evening featuring the final lecture of this season by Viet Thanh Nguyen on Monday, April 9. The 2017/18 season has seen record-setting attendance with each lecture in the 1,800-seat Carnegie Music Hall sold to capacity.

The 2018/19 season boasts a roster of literary super stars—all claiming bragging rights to prestigious awards and critical acclaim. With the exception of Joyce Carol Oates who appeared in 1992, each is appearing on Ten Evenings, the mainstage series of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, for the first time.

Says Ms. Flom on the authors being presented next season: “These celebrated authors and their significant works reflect the topics of our time—immigration, racism, gender and class inequality, globalization, and identity—while conveying the human elements of compassion and hope. We need these books.”

Joyce Carol Oates/ Monday, September 24, 2018

The iconic, extraordinary Joyce Carol Oates is the recipient of the National Book Award and five-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Beautiful Days is a collection of mesmerizing stories of passion, independence, and defiance.

Luis Alberto Urrea/ Monday, October 8, 2018

Master storyteller and Pulitzer Prize finalist Luis Alberto Urrea explores themes of love, loss, and triumph. The House of Broken Angels is a bittersweet portrait of a Mexican-American family facing the imminent death of its beloved patriarch.

Katherine Boo / Monday, October 22, 2018

Pulitzer Prize winner Katherine Boo’s breathtaking book Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity humanizes bewildering inequality through the stories of families striving toward a better life.

Masha Gessen/ Monday, November 5, 2018

Russian and American journalist Masha Gessen is the winner of the National Book Award for The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia—a powerful and urgent cautionary tale for our time.

Tayari Jones/ Monday, November 19, 2018

Critically acclaimed and award-winning novelist Tayari Jones provides a masterpiece of storytelling, asking brave questions about race and class in her instant bestseller and 2018 Oprah Book Club selection An American Marriage.

Dave Eggers/ Monday, December 10, 2018

The Monk of Mokah is the latest “gripping, triumphant adventure” (Los Angeles Times) from Dave Eggers, bestselling author of National Book Award Finalist A Hologram for the King and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Mokhtar Alkhanshali, the subject of The Monk of Mokah and the founder and CEO of Port of Mokah coffee will appear with Dave Eggers.

Jill Lepore/ Monday, January 14, 2019

Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore offers a groundbreaking investigation into the origins of our divided nation. These Truths: A History of the United States follows her riveting Secret History of Wonder Woman.

Ottessa Moshfegh/ Monday, February 18, 2019

A celebrated new literary voice, Ottessa Moshfegh’s debut novel Eileen was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and her short stories in The Paris Review awarded the Plimpton Prize. She writes with dark humor, tenderness, and compassion. She writes My Year of Rest and Relaxation with dark humor, tenderness, and compassion.

Valeria Luiselli/ Monday, March 11, 2019

Valeria Luiselli was born in Mexico City. Her critically acclaimed narrative Tell Me How It Ends has been described as a call to action and “vital for understanding the crisis that immigrants to the U.S. are facing” (Publisher’s Weekly).

Min Jin Lee/ Monday, April 1, 2019

Min Jin Lee’s National Book Award Finalist, Pachinko, is a gorgeous, page-turning saga where four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan, exiled from a home they never knew.

The 2018/19 Ten Evenings series is presented by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, made possible with the support of The Drue Heinz Trust, and presented in association with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. This is the 28th season of Pittsburgh’s literary lecture series. All programs will be presented on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm in Oakland’s historic Carnegie Music Hall.

Subscription renewals for the 2018/19 Ten Evenings are available May 1, new subscriptions on June 1, and single tickets go on sale July 5. Ticket prices remain affordable ranging from $15 to $35; student tickets are available for $10 with student identification. More information is available by visiting pittsburghlectures.org or calling Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, 412.622.8866.

Mar 27
Love0

Northgate hosts graphic novelist

By Media, News

Northgate middle schoolers joined students from six area schools —North Allegheny and Norwin high schools, Pittsburgh Sci-Tech, Obama Academy of International Studies, Environmental Charter School, and University of Pittsburgh’s Falk School—for a Monday morning conversation with Gene Luen Yang, an award-winning graphic novelist and the 2016 Library of Congress National Ambassador for young people’s literature.

Read more

 

Feb 05
Love0
Roxane Gay

‘Difficult Women’: Bleak, but nimble short stories by Roxane Gay

By Media, News

In author/​activist Roxane Gay’s new short story collection “Difficult Women,” she writes that “silence is the cruelest of cruelties.” With that in mind, Ms. Gay’s work in these stories aims to end that silence by giving voices to women who are experiencing various struggles of their own.

“Difficult Women” explores not only why some women may be considered difficult, but also what makes simply being a woman difficult. Full of despair and deception, yet sprinkled with hope and strength, the author has created stories that, while not light-hearted, ultimately affirm to readers that whatever their personal experiences, they are not alone.

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