Please find below a roundup of this week’s free, public virtual events, as well as recent articles, media, and essays from PRH Speakers Bureau speakers.
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Virtual Events with Our Speakers
Tuesday, February 9
- Benjamin Dreyer speaks at Parnassus Books (7:00PM EST)
- Dr. Ibram X. Kendi will be in-conversation with Robert Jones, Jr. at New York Public Library (7:00PM EST)
- Suleika Jaouad celebrates her book launch with Elizabeth Gilbert at Book Passage (8:30PM EST)
Wednesday, February 10
- Ariel Lawhon speaks at Northshire Bookstore (6:00PM EST)
Thursday, February 11
- Robert Jones, Jr. appears at Politics & Prose for a conversation about THE PROPHETS (6:00PM EST)
- Suleika Jaouad joins Tara Westover at Strand Bookstore to discuss THE TWO KINGDOMS (7:00PM EST)
Friday, February 12
- Brit Bennett speaks at the Chippewa Valley Book Festival (8:00PM EST)
- Suleika Jaouad talks about her memior with Nora McInerny at Changing Hands Bookstore (9:00PM EST)
Saturday, February 13
- Suleika Jaouad speaks with Jon Batiste and Esther Perel at Loyalty Books (5:00PM EST)
Check out #BooksConnectUsLive for more live virtual events.
News and Media from PRHSB Speakers
Black Lives Matter Movement
Below are some recent dialogues from our speakers on systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Honoring Black America’s Diverse History | The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi stresses the importance of antiracism, discusses compiling a history of Black America in FOUR HUNDRED SOULS, and shares his hopes for the Biden administration’s approach to race.
- ‘We Know Our Stories Matter.’ Brit Bennett, Jasmine Guillory and Jacqueline Woodson Discuss the Importance of Fiction | Time: Brit Bennett and Jacqueline Woodson discuss the shift of power toward Black women writers.
- Carlotta Walls LaNier of ‘Little Rock Nine’ discusses battle for school equity | 9 News: Carlotta Walls LaNier talks about being one of nine courageous students integrated into an all-white Arkansas high school in 1957.
- Ibram Kendi and Keisha Blain on 400 Years of Black History | PBS: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi speaks on what he hopes to achieve with this project.
- The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance | Time: Ta-Nehisi Coates’s BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME is one of the defining works of the Black Renaissance.
COVID-19
These articles from our speakers highlight practical advice and news about the current pandemic.
- Dying of Covid in a ‘Separate and Unequal’ L.A. Hospital | The New York Times: Inside an overwhelmed facility in the worst-hit part of California, Dr. Sheri Fink speaks with two immigrant families about the death of the patriarchs from the pandemic.
- Virus Variant First Found in Britain Now Spreading Rapidly in U.S. | The New York Times: Carl Zimmer reports the B.1.1.7 variant will dominate Covid-19 cases by March.
- Where Can I Travel Internationally and Do I Need the Covid-19 Vaccine? | The Wall Street Journal: Dr. Matt McCarthy answers questions about traveling after vaccination.
- ‘If you open up with a very limited [vaccine] supply, you just create chaos’ | WGN Radio: Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal explains why COVID vaccine distribution has been chaotic and hard to get for the people who need it.
- Can a common antidepressant help in the fight against COVID-19? | Los Angeles Times: Steve Lopez interviews the two psychiatrists on their encouraging findings.
Politics
Our speakers provide clarity and shrewd analysis of today’s issues to help make sense of our current and future political landscape.
- State senator, health care provider say teamwork is needed to support private duty nurses | 47 ABC: Sarah McBride advocates for the need to raise pay for health care workers and increase access to insurance and Medicaid.
- Why Is This Happening? Processing the attack on the Capitol with Ta-Nehisi Coates | NBC News: Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses what we witnessed as a nation on January 6.
- Tech experts on how to fix the internet | CBS News: Roger McNamee speaks on how viral conspiracies on the web have real world consequences and what policymakers can do to fix these issues.
- Parkland father’s message to Kevin McCarthy | CNN: Alisyn Camerota speaks with Parkland father Fred Guttenberg on why Marjorie Taylor Greene should be stripped of her duties on the Education Committee in Congress.
- Biden says Trump should not receive intelligence briefings | The Washington Post: Shane Harris reports the president said his predecessor’s ‘erratic behavior’ means he should have no further access to sensitive intelligence.
Books Connect Us
With their imaginative, impactful pieces of literature, our speakers provide incredibly valuable perspectives to be read by all.
- Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on the Importance of Instilling Anti-Racist Values in Children | The View: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi discusses FOUR HUNDRED SOULS.
- A Novel That Captures the Allure of the Scam | The Atlantic: Chang-rae Lee’s MY YEAR ABROAD is a sprawling study of consumption and how far people are willing to go to satisfy their hunger.
- The Prophets, a Novel of Queer Love During Slavery, Burdened by History | New Yorker: Robert Jones, Jr.’s debut novel beckons forth ancestors of various kinds to lend the weight of their influence.
- The Books Danielle Evans Read While Writing The Office of Historical Corrections | New York Magazine: Danielle Evans shares what books she read while writing her own.
- At 22, Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer. Now she’s delivering a hopeful message when we need it the most. | The Washington Post: Suleika Jaouad’s BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS is a book about human connection.