The Arts - Literature

2009-2010 Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series

Now in its 15^th season and famous as the largest library-related lecture series in the country, the Gifford Lecture series takes place at the Civic Center in downtown Syracuse, providing cultural enrichment in all disciplines, with a special focus on students and faculty involved with journalism, religious studies, political science, history, literature, and creative writing. This year’s speakers:

Khaled Hosseini will be at the Civic Center on Tuesday, October 6. Born in Afghanistan and granted political asylum to the United States in 1980, he studied and practiced medicine in California, and then wrote his first novel, The Kite Runner, an international best seller published in 48 countries.
Pulitzer Prize winner and Australian Geraldine Brooks will be at the Civic Center on Tuesday, November 10. Brooks has been a reporter and feature writer, written for the Wall Street Journal covering the crisis in the Middle East, and authored People of the Book, March, and The Years of Wonder.
Pete Hamill will be at the Civic Center on Tuesday, December 8. A novelist, essayist, and journalist, Hamill was born in Brooklyn, NY and went from sheet metal work to journalism over the course of his career, writing Snow in August, Forever, North River, News is a Verb, and Why Sinatra Matters.
Richard Russo will be at the Civic Center on Tuesday, March 16. Russo is a novelist and former fiction instructor and professor of creative writing, author of Empire Falls, Straight Man, and Nobody’s Fool.
Sara Gruen will be at the Civic Center on Tuesday, April 27. Gruen is a Canadian-born dual citizen and animal lover who lives in North Carolina and has written works including Riding Lessons, Flying Changes, and Water for Elephants.
CNN legal analyst, media expert, and author Jeffrey Toobin will be at the Civic Center on Tuesday, May 18. Toobin served as associate counsel in the office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, and as assistant United States attorney in Brooklyn, N.Y., then worked as a journalist at The New Yorker, ABC News, and CNN as well as authoring Too Close for Comfort, A Vast Conspiracy, and The Nine.

For more information, see: www.giffordlectureseries.org.

Le Moyne College students can purchase discounted tickets through the student development office for this series.

Le Moyne College’s Creative Writing Program will host a series of events both on- and off-campus; transportation is provided for interested students. For the academic year 2009-2010:

Poetry Reading and Craft Talk by Phil Memmer
Craft Talk: Tuesday, September 29, 5:45 p.m., Le Moyne College Faculty Lounge
Reading: Tuesday, September 29, 6:30 p.m., Reilley Room

Poetry Reading and Craft Talk by Meg Kearney
Craft Talk: Thursday, November 5, 11:30 a.m.
Reading: Friday, November 6, 7 p.m., Syracuse Downtown Writers’ Center*

Poetry Reading and Craft Talk by Margaret Lloyd
Craft Talk: Thursday, November 19, 2:30 p.m., Reilley Room
Reading: Friday, November 20, 7 p.m., Syracuse Downtown Writers’ Center*

Fiction Reading and Craft Talk by Steve Almond
Craft Talk: Thursday, February 11
Reading: Friday, February 12, Syracuse Downtown Writers’ Center*

Fiction Reading and Craft Talk by Novelist Meena Nyak
Craft Talk: Monday, March 15, 5 p.m., Reilley Room
Reading: Monday, March 15, 6 p.m., Reilley Room

Creative Writing Program Student Readings

At the end of spring term.

* Transportation will be provided from Le Moyne to the DWC for interested students. This event is part of the DWC Exchange program funded by a Kauffman Enitiatives grant.

More information about the Creative Writing Program.

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In addition to the Creative Writing Program events, other literary events at Le Moyne include:

The Lemon Tree: Loss, Longing, Hope. Sandy Tolan will speak about his 2006 book, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East on Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. in the Panasci Chapel. Interlocking stories framed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be presented at this free, public event. The book is described here: http://www.sandytolan.com.

A Spanish music and poetry presentation held on September 15. Two musicians from Spain collaborated with poet Aurora Luque. Contact: Dr. Josefa Alvarez, Department of Foreign Languages.