Join us for a night of inspiration as Namw ali Serpell visits the Bexley Public Library to celebrate the release of h er new book\, \;On Morrison\, with a reading and conversation with Dionne Custer Edwards\, Head of Learning &\; Public Practice at t he Wexner Center for the Arts. On Morrison has been named One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year by the New York Times\, The Today S how\, Kirkus Review\, and Lit Hub and has been called "As gripping as it i s intellectually brilliant...a classic."&mdash\;Cathy Park Hong. \;&nb sp\;The conversation will be followed by a book signing.
\nA bout the Author:
\nNamwali Serpell was bor
n in Lusaka and lives in New York. Her debut novel\, The Old Drift\, won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award\, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Scie
nce Fiction\, and the Los Angeles Times&rsquo\;s Art Seidenbaum Award for
First Fiction. Her second novel\, The Furrows\, was a finalist fo
r a National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and was selected as one
of The New York Times Ten Best Books of the Year. Her book of essays\,
About the Moder ator:
\nDionne Custer Edwards \;is the Head of Learning &\; Public Practice at the Wexner Center for the Arts and is an award-winning educator and artist who has been a vital part of education initiatives at the Wex since 2005. Her work encompasses creating \, leading\, and supporting groundbreaking programs for learners of all ag es\, as well as a commitment to expansion\, access\, and inclusion in arts and education. Her work encompasses creating or supporting innovative pro grams for K&ndash\;12 students and educators\, university students and fac ulty\, and arts learning programs throughout the community for all-ages. C uster Edwards is also affiliated faculty in Ohio State&rsquo\;s Department of Arts Administration\, Education and Policy. Her own critical and liter ary writing\, including poetry and nonfiction\, has been published nationa lly and internationally.
\nAbout the Book:
\nToni Morrison\, Nobel Laureate and one of our most beloved writers\, has i nspired generations of readers. But her artistic genius is often overshado wed by her monumental public persona\, perhaps because\, as Namwali Serpel l puts it\, &ldquo\;she is our only truly canonical black female writer&md ash\;and her work is highly complex.&rdquo\; In \;On Morri son\, \;Serpell brings her unique experience as both an award-winning writer and a professor who teaches a course on Morrison to i lluminate her masterful experiments with literary form.
\nThis is Mo rrison as you&rsquo\;ve never encountered her before\, a journey through h er oeuvre&mdash\;her fiction and criticism\, as well as her lesser-known d ramatic works and poetry&mdash\;with contextual guidance and original clos e readings. At once accessible and uncompromisingly rigorous\, \;O n Morrison \;is a primer not only on how to read one of the most significant American authors of all time but also on how to read great wor ks of literature in general. This dialogue on the page between two black w omen artist-readers is stylish\, edifying\, and thrilling in its scope and intelligence.
\n\nThank you to Gramercy Books for provid ing copies of On Morrison for sale at this event.
\nIf you would like to receive an email reminder about this event\, please regi ster. Join us in person\, or live stream this program on \;BPL's YouTube channel.
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L ibrary Parking &\; Entrance Information:
\nWhile the lib rary's main entrance is under construction\, we remain open. Clear signage will guide visitors to a temporary\, fully accessible entrance via a ramp in the southeast alley\, leading to the dock entrance.
\nThe librar y \;parking \;lot also remains open\, with temporary entry and exi t available via \;Euclaire Avenue only. \;Parking \;may be lim ited\, so we encourage you to arrive early and use street \;parking&nb sp\;on Euclaire\, Mound\, and other nearby streets.
\nFor more infor mation about the Outdoor Reading Room project\, visit \;www.BexleyLibrary .org/ORR.
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