Brooklyn bookstore powerHouse Arena and Penguin Classics have teamed up for a new series of salon-style literary events. Called simply powerHouse Arena + Penguin Classics present, the series will include panels composed of writers, critics, artists, and industry insiders, and each event will tie in with a new Penguin Classics book release and be held at powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn. The series will culminate in 2014 with a gallery exhibition at the bookstore that showcases the design and aesthetic of Penguin Classics covers in recent years, reflecting their 65-year history of book design.
"It seemed to me there was a gap in literary event programming city-wide—where were the launches and vibrant parties celebrating the classics?" said powerHouse Arena's Julie Buntin. "This series is a chance for us to dig our heels into a conversation about how classics influence contemporary literature, in a public, celebratory, and accessible way."
The kickoff event, to be held April 10, will feature Chad Harbach, bestselling author of The Art of Fielding, in conversation with sports aficionado Will Leitch (Deadspin, New York Magazine) about baseball hall-of-famer Christy Mathewson's Pitching in a Pinch. Harbach wrote the introduction to the Penguin Classics edition of Mathewson's book, which was published earlier this month.
Later events include Lewis Hyde, author of The Gift, discussing Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (May 15), as well as Ruth Franklin of The New Republic and Laura Miller of Salon in conversation for Shirley Jackson's Hangsaman (June 27).
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