Queens College Evening Readings Series Presents Brad Gooch And Cherita Armstrong

The Queens College Evening Readings series is back for the spring season with highly anticipated readings by acclaimed writer Brad Gooch and performer Cherita Armstrong.

Kupferberg Center, in collaboration with Literature to Life, will present a theatre adaptation of Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl on Tuesday, April 30. In this 60-minute, one-person adaptation of the book, actress Cherita Armstrong portrays Jacobs and narrates her story.

Harriet Jacobs spent seven years hiding in an attic crawl space that at its tallest reached only three feet. There were no windows, no heat, no cool breezes, only the distant sounds of her children's voices to keep her company. Jacobs was born a slave in North Carolina in 1813. Her tiny hideaway, in which she lived while in her 20s, was part of her plan for freedom.

In Cherita Armstrong's words, "It's a story of survival and perseverance." She says, "I think she's a hero. She's a flawed person. She's not without fear, she's not without discouragement, she's not without doubt. But anyone that overcomes something or fights for a better life for themselves, or better circumstances, within that fear or doubt or discouragement, there's perseverance."

The audience will have an opportunity to discuss the story and ask questions after the performance, guided by one of Literature to Life's teaching artists. This Evening Readings event will be presented in memory of Marjorie Hecht Watson (Queens College Class of 1964) for her lifelong passion for literature and social justice.

On May 14, Brad Gooch will discuss his newest book, Rumi's Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love. A biography of Rumi, the thirteenth century Persian poet revered by contemporary readers, this path-breaking work brings to life the man behind the love writings and places him in the fascinating historical period in which he lived.

About Rumi's Secret, the Washington Post says, "A dazzling feat of scholarship, the book restores Rumi to the glories and hardships of his momentous age."

Gooch's work has been featured in numerous magazines including: The New Republic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Travel and Leisure, Partisan Review, The Paris Review, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Art Forum, Harper's Bazaar, The Nation, and The Daily Beast.

The conversation and Q&A will be moderated by Queens College Professor, Roger Sedarat.

Evening Readings takes place in Choral Room 264 at 7 p.m. in the Aaron Copland School of Music and is open to the college community and the general public. Queens College staff and students get two free tickets with CUNY ID. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call our box office at 718-793-8080.

Kupferberg Center's 2018-2019 season is funded by New York Community Bank. Kupferberg Center for the Arts also receives leadership support from The Max and Selma Kupferberg Foundation and ublic support provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. We would like to thank Matthew Watson for sponsoring our efforts to create a thriving literary scene in the heart of Queens.

About Kupferberg Center for the Arts:

Sponsored by New York Community Bank, the Kupferberg Presents 2018-2019 season features a vibrant lineup of world-class cultural events, concerts, and family programs at Colden Auditorium, LeFrak Concert Hall, Goldstein Theatre, and select off-campus locations for the 2.2 million residents of New York City's most diverse borough. Since 1961, Kupferberg Center for the Arts has provided accessible and affordable world-class cultural entertainment to the NYC region. From classical and pop performances, to concerts and school residences, to a wide range of family events, over 350,000 individuals attend events at Kupferberg Center for the Arts each year. For tickets and information, visit www.kupferbergcenter.org or call the box office at (718) 793-8080. The box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and up to one hour prior to all performances.

About Literature to Life:

Literature to Life is a theatre-based literacy program that presents professionally staged verbatim adaptations of significant American literary works in educational and community settings across the country. The company has been touring these masterful performances nationally to underserved communities since 2004 and is proud to have provided outreach to upwards of 35 states. Literature to Life has developed such titles as If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Black Boy by Richard Wright and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls to name a few. Spawned out of the renowned American Place Theatre in 1993 under the artistic leadership of Wynn Handman and Elise Thoron the program employs a company of some of the most gifted actors and educators in New York City. Alongside the performances, our Teaching Artists are trained in practical and pedagogical approaches to learning through the arts. They are experts in the literature and will facilitate your community's or classroom's dialogue about the provocative themes from the literature that resonate most for them. Whether in the classroom or on stage our goal is to help your audience make immediate and relevant personal connections to these timeless stories.

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