Futures Initiative

Public Group active 1 week, 1 day ago

Rally for Free Expression at NYPL, Jan 15 2-4pm

Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #52389

    Hello everyone, and happy new year. An upcoming rally at NYPL’s Schwarzman Building may be of interest. The following is from their website, https://pen.org/writersresistnyc:

    <strong>WRITERS RESIST: #LOUDERTOGETHER</strong>

    <strong>Sunday, January 15, 2017, 2:00pm

    <a href=\"https://pen.org/events/new-york-public-library\">The New York Public Library 476 Fifth Avenue (42nd St and Fifth Ave), New York, 10018</a></strong>

    <img class=\"media-image large-size\" src=\"https://pen.org/sites/default/files/PEN-Louder-Facebook_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"851\" height=\"315\" />
    <a href=\"https://writersresistnyc.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Stand with PEN America to defend free expression, reject hate crimes and uphold truth in the face of lies and misinformation!</strong></a>

    PEN America hosts the flagship New York City event of a national rallying effort under the banner of <strong>WRITERS RESIST</strong>. This literary protest will bring together hundreds of writers and their fellow New Yorkers on the steps of the New York Public Library in a collective stand to defend free expression, reject hatred, and uphold truth in the face of lies and misinformation.

    Coinciding with the birthday of Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., this family-friendly event will feature readings and performances by some of the biggest names in arts and literature. Award-winning authors <strong>Andrew Solomon, Masha Gessen, Laurie Anderson, Rosanne Cash, Jeff Eugenides, Amy Goodman, Jacqueline Woodson, Monica Youn, A.M. Homes, Moustapha Bayoumi, Alexander Chee, Michael Cunningham,</strong> and others will read from a curated set of diverse writings and seminal texts that embody the ideals of democracy and free expression including excerpts from the Constitution, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sermons, George Orwell’s <em>1984</em>, the Federalist Papers, and other prose and poetry selections. <strong>Broadway Kids Against Bullying</strong> will perform the new single \'I Have a Voice.\'

    As the rally comes to a close, participants and audience members will deliver PEN America\'s pledge to defend the First Amendment—signed by more than 150,000 individuals, including all past U.S. Poets Laureate—to the transition team of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who will take office just five days later on January 20.

    <a href=\"https://writersresistnyc.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Family-friendly, Free, and Open to all.</strong></a>

    Featuring (In Formation): <strong>Meena Alexander,</strong> <strong>Laurie Anderson, Moustafa Bayoumi, Erin Belieu, Amy Brill, Rosanne Cash, Alexander Chee, T Cooper, Michael Cunningham, Eisa Davis, Alex Dimitrov, Rita Dove, Charlotte Druckman, Melanie Dunea, Storm Ervin, Jeffrey Eugenides, Angela Flournoy, Masha Gessen, Allison Glock, Amy Goodman, Jeff Gordinier, David Haskell, A.M. Homes, Siri Hustvedt, Mary Karr, Michael Klein, Colum McCann, Jill McDonough, Rick Moody, Honor Moore, Kathleen Ossip, Robert Pinsky, Francine Prose, Kevin Prufer, Sofia Quintero, Jason Reynolds, Jess Row, Bob Shacochis, Brenda Shaughnessey, Deborah Solomon, Andrew Solomon, Art Spiegelman, Terese Svoboda, Craig Teicher, Jonathan Wells, Meg Wolitzer, Zachary Wood, Jacqueline Woodson, </strong>and <strong>Monica Youn</strong>. More writers will announced as confirmed.

    Our PARTNERS (SO FAR) include<strong>: Arts & Democracy, Asian American Arts Alliance, Authors Guild, Bowery Poetry, Bronx Writers Center, Cave Canem, Center for Fiction, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, Courage Campaign, Daily Kos, Dennin Arts Management, Dramatists Guild of America</strong>, <strong>Free Press,</strong> <strong>New York Writers Coalition, Revolution Books, Theater Communications Group, The Nation, </strong><strong>The Other Stories Podcast </strong>and <strong>Tin House.</strong>

    <em><strong>Sign the free expression pledge!</strong></em>

    After the readings and performances, a group of PEN America leaders and any who wish to join will walk the blocks to Trump Tower together to present PEN America’s free expression pledge on the First Amendment signed by over 110,000 individuals to a member of the President-elect’s team. We are confident the reading at the library and the subsequent march, as two distinct but powerful events to uphold free expression and human rights for all, will be powerful.

    <img class=\"media-image medium-size\" src=\"https://pen.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/tape_0.png?itok=RYLonHqJ\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"160\" />

    <em><strong>Join a national campaign!</strong></em>

    PEN America is thrilled to be working with a group of organizers, including poet, feminist activist, and VIDA co-founder, Erin Belieu, who launched WRITERS RESIST to inspire a unified vision for the future of Democracy. WRITERS RESIST events are planned in NYC, Houston, Austin, New Orleans, Seattle, Spokane, Los Angeles, London, Zurich, Boston, Omaha, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Madison, Milwaukee, Bloomington, Baltimore, Oakland, Tallahassee, Newport, Santa Fe, Salt Lake, and Portland (Oregon AND Maine) and many other cities.

    https://pen.org/writersresistnyc

    This topic was also posted in: Post-Election Working Group.
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.