News from the Division of Languages and Literature

The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College presents a full spring season of performing arts events, including jazz and orchestral concerts, and innovative dance and theater productions, from January 31 through May 16. Highlights include the Billie Holiday Centenary Tribute, Joseph Haydn’s The Creation, American Symphony Orchestra concerts, Cynthia Hopkins’ A Living Documentary, Neil Gaiman in Conversation with Laurie Anderson, and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance.

Meet John Ashbery, award-winning author of more than 30 books and Charles P. Stevenson, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Languages and Literature at Bard.

"Bradford Morrow is, quite skillfully, paying homage to one of Agatha Christie’s most famous whodunits. Yet even then, he offers a few twists of his own ...."

Writer in Residence Teju Cole and Bard Fiction Prize winner Laura van den Berg discuss reading for diversity, popular books, and what they're reading right now.

Daniel Mendelsohn on "plot versus plottiness"—by way of Aristotle, Jerry Seinfeld, Downton Abbey, and Scandal—in his inaugural Harper's column.

Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal both praised Norman Manea's Captives, his 1970 debut novel, now translated from Romanian to English for the first time.

Professor Farah plays matchmaker with his unfulfilled characters in his short story "The Start of the Affair."

Languages and Literature professor Ann Lauterbach and professor emeritus John Ashbery describe the pull of their favorite historical photographs.

Author Teju Cole discusses the CIA torture report, his affection for the Times arts section, and why he wants to write for the Onion.

"I am a bit shocked to realize 2014 was the year I loved everything I read," begins Porochista Khakpour as she names the best books she read this year.

How are Bard students and faculty talking about the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases? Bard writer in residence Francine Prose offers a glimpse into her classroom discussion.

Bard College presents a special exhibition of photographs and poetry on display from December 8 
through January 9, on view in the Charles P. Stevenson, Jr. Library in the atrium and the Sussman Room, 2nd floor. The exhibition features two works, “Winter Music,” a collaboration between artist/photographer Susan Quasha and renowned poet Robert Kelly, and “Madonna Comix,” a series of 26 prints by Dianne Kornberg based on 11 poems by Celia Bland. There will be an opening reception and poetry reading on Tuesday, December 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Library atrium.

Guilty pleasures, long books, and genre fiction ... Writer in Residence Teju Cole and Bard Fiction Prize winner Laura van den Berg comment on this second installment of "How Writers Read."

Mariel Fiori talks about the character of the Hudson Valley's Hispanic population, and why she founded Bard's La Voz magazine to help serve its needs.

Iranian American author Porochista Khakpour talks about a lifetime of writing and why she loves teaching younger students.

Joseph O’Neill's The Dog, Francine Prose's Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, and James Romm's Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero all made the list.

Francine Prose talks about her new novel, inspired by the real life of cross-dressing French athlete Violette Morris, who became a spy for the Gestapo during World War II.

Forty-five writers contribute microfiction for this collection. Each piece is two sentences long and follows one rule: Include "thanks" in an interesting way.

Husband and wife artists Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer appeared at local favorite Oblong Books on November 29 to promote Small Business Saturday.