Purchase College Hosts Poet Brenda Shaughnessy

Purchase College-SUNY will present A Reading and Conversation with Brenda Shaughnessy on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. The program, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Purchase College in the Recital Hall of the Music Building (735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY). The acclaimed poet will launch the new season of Durst Distinguished Lectures.

Brenda Shaughnessy is the author of five highly regarded poetry collections, including The Octopus Museum, So Much Synth, and Our Andromeda, which was a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Award, the International Griffin Prize, and the PEN Open Book Award. Her writing has appeared in Best American Poetry, The New Yorker, Poetry Magazine, Paris Review, O Magazine, and other prestigious publications.

“Brenda Shaughnessy is a fearless writer with dazzling imaginative gifts. Her newest collection, The Octopus Museum, which confirms her stature as one of our preeminent poets, takes on the subject of climate change and the growing inhumanity of these difficult times, by focusing not on the darkness, rather on the light—how we save what has meaning from the ruins, how we protect those we love,” said Monica Ferrell, associate professor of creative writing at Purchase College. “Shot through with wonder for the world, this is a poetry that knits us together, consoles and enchants us, and does so with bravery and tremendous heart.”

Anthony Domestico, associate professor of literature at Purchase College, commented, “Through their superb craft and generous spirit, Brenda Shaughnessy’s poems urge us to care for language and for the world we find ourselves within. We’re honored to have her visit Purchase.”

The Durst Distinguished Lecture Series and the Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature are funded by the Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature Endowment. The mission of the Durst programs is to infuse the experience and intellect of leading writers into the Purchase community, while providing diverse opportunities for these writers to interact with students and influence campus life.

As a small public college, Purchase is proud to introduce students to the level of expertise provided by the Durst Distinguished Lectures. The roster of current and past Durst Lecturers have won an impressive array of the highest level of literary honors, including National Book Awards, MacArthur Foundation Grants, Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships, and Man Booker Prizes for Fiction.

The renowned novelist Edwidge Danticat, who has been named the 2019-2020 Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, will be featured in programs on October 3 and November 14-15. Music critic and journalist Kelefa Sanneh (October 9) and short story writer David Means (October 21) will also be presenting Durst Distinguished Lecture programs, ensuring an exciting literary season for the Westchester community.
For more information, please visit: https://www.purchase.edu/academics/school-of-humanities/lectures/durst-distinguished-lectures/ or call 914.251.6550.

About Performing Arts Center

Experience. Something. Real. The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, a four-theater complex located on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, is the major professional, non-profit arts presenter in the region. The Center presents a broad range of professional performances that engage, challenge, and educate as well as entertain, offering world-class music, dance, theatre, comedy, film, and family programming to audiences from throughout the region. Music presenting ranges from classical to pop and features the leading artists of our time as well as emerging stars; as the major regional presenter of dance, programs have included only area appearances of several important traditional, contemporary, and folkloric companies; theatre presentations reflect a deep commitment to presenting innovative ensembles. The Center’s on-going initiatives also encompass artist partnerships, residency activities, and commissions; creating opportunities for students to participate in the artistic process; increasing educational opportunities in the arts for k -12 students and multi-generational learners; and revitalizing efforts in the community to make the arts more accessible to broad and diverse audiences. Box Office Hours: Tuesday – Friday, Noon – 6 p.m., Weekends and evenings before performances.