Purchase College Presents Poet Jericho Brown
Purchase College-SUNY will present the award-winning poet Jericho Brown on Monday, February 17, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. The program, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Purchase College in the Humanities Theatre, Humanities Building (735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY). The event is part of the Durst Distinguished Lecture Series, a treasured cultural offering that brings leading literary figures to the Westchester community.
Jericho Brown is the author of three poetry collections: The Tradition, named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and long listed for the 2019 National Book Award; The New Testament, winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and named one of the best books of the year by the Academy of American Poets; and Please, winner of the 2009 American Book Award. His poems have been published in the New Yorker, the New Republic, and The Best American Poetry.
“Jericho Brown’s poems are formally intricate and intensely alive,” said Anthony Domestico, associate professor of literature at Purchase College. “They move between the public and the private, exhibiting great tenderness and bold political witness.”
According to Monica Ferrell, associate professor of creative writing at Purchase College, “With his third and most ambitious book, Jericho Brown has cemented his status as one of the most important voices of his generation. The Tradition explores connections between the personal and the political, between language and poetic form and the hierarchies and histories from which they sprang.
“Take for example the book’s title poem, a sonnet, which interweaves the scientific names of cultivated flowers with the names of young Black men who lost their lives to police violence, and links the tilled earth with its beauty and bounty to the American legacy of slavery. The result is a tour-de-force that will both dazzle you and break your heart,” she added.
Additional highlights of this season’s Durst program include the renowned author Edwidge Danticat, who has been named the 2019-2020 Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, returning to campus on March 17. Two other acclaimed authors will also be featured: Francisco Goldman on March 3 and Christopher Feliciano Arnold on April 20.
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. Durst Lecturers have won the highest level of literary honors, including National Book Awards, MacArthur Foundation Grants, Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships, and Man Booker Prizes for Fiction.
For more information, please visit: https://www.purchase.edu/academics/school-of-humanities/lectures/durst-distinguished-lectures/ or call 914.251.6550.
About The Purchase PAC
Experience. Something. Real. The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College (The Purchase PAC) is a four-theatre complex on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, located 30 miles north of New York City in Westchester County, NY. The Purchase PAC is the hub of a creative community that brings together internationally acclaimed artists and rising stars, academic leaders and students of all ages, and community groups and individuals who recognize the power of the performing arts to spark creativity and connection. Professional Presenting Season The Purchase PAC presents a broad range of world-class performances by professional artists, offering music, dance, theatre, family programming, comedy, and film. Music events range from classical to jazz to pop and feature 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, with a special focus on theatre for young audiences. The Purchase PAC’s ongoing initiatives also encompass artist partnerships, residency activities, and commissions. We support revitalizing efforts in the community to make the arts more accessible to broad and diverse audiences. Education & Engagement Through our Education and Engagement programs, The Purchase PAC creates opportunities for local K -12 students and multi-generational learners to participate in the artistic process. Purchase College The Purchase PAC is an integral part of the Purchase College community, hosting performances for the Conservatories of Music, Dance, and Theatre Arts. Purchase College students can take advantage of master classes, on-site training, internships, job opportunities, and ticket discounts. Facility Rentals An active facility rental business focuses on providing space and support to high-quality musical recordings, technical rehearsals, and community events.