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June 2008
June 20, 2008
American Shorts Presents Writer Mark Doty
Prize winning writer Mark Doty comes to the American Shorts Reading Series for Passages of Gay Pride on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at the New Hazlett Theater at 7:30 pm.
The program which includes readings, film and music has been created in partnership with Persad Center and is an official Pittsburgh Pride Week event.
Mark Doty is the author of twelve books of poetry and three memoirs. Dog Years, his most recent memoir details the lives of his two dogs, Arden and Beau, he owned while coping with the death of his partner Wally Roberts from AIDS. Poet and novelist Louise Erdrich praised the book as being “illuminated from within by gorgeous wonder.”
After Robert’s death in 1994, Mark Doty wrote My Alexandria, perhaps his best-known volume of poetry. He explores his grief and loss through a rich and insightful narrative. In 1996, he published the memoir Heaven’s Coast. His other works include Atlantis and School of the Arts. In 1995, he became the first American to win the T.S. Eliot Prize for poetry.
Joining Doty on stage will be WYEP’s Rosemary Welsh and Jeffrey Nytch, local composer and voice-artist. They will read selections of fiction and poetry chosen through submissions to Persad’s newsletter from the GBLTQ community. A book-signing with Mark Doty will be held during the intermission, with books provided by Borders. Vocalist Patrick Arena will be on hand to play jazz classics and standards.
After the reading, we are pleased to announce the screening of Freeheld, the 2008 Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short and winner of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance. Freeheld tells the story of Lieutenant Laurel Hester’s fight, while dying of cancer, to leave her pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree. Armistead Maupin calls Freeheld “a quietly understated film work of art that packs a punch you will feel for days”.
Tickets are $10. Tickets are available on line by clicking on the American Shorts Reading Series option on the menu on the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures homepage. Or, call 412.622.8866 to reserve tickets by phone. All tickets are general admission. Doors open at 7pm with music and lobby activity. The program begins at 7:30pm. Media sponsors for American Shorts Reading Series include Pittsburgh City Paper and 91.3 WYEP.
American Shorts Reading Series
words, film, music… under one roof