The Society for the Encouragement of the Arts Artists on Artists Series

Helen Epstein: Why do we read memoir?

Event: The Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (seARTS) of Gloucester continues its Artists on Artists series on April 25, 2006 at 7 PM with a talk by renowned writer Helen Epstein

When: Tuesday, April 25, 2006, 7 to 8:30 PM

Where: Friend’s Room, Sawyer Free Library

Admission: Free to all.

Helen Epstein writes literary nonfiction. Her books are rigorously documented, but in their blend of biography, autobiography and history, the private domain and the public record, they often read like novels. In 1979, her first book Children of the Holocaust quickly became a classic that was subsequently translated into French, German, Italian, Czech, Swedish and Japanese. Epstein worked as a freelancer for the New York Times in the 1970s, writing about music, art and theater. Her biography of Joseph Papp is the only full-length biography of the not-for-profit theater icon. Born in Prague and raised speaking Czech in the Czech emigre community of post-war New York City, Epstein was fascinated by that culture. She wrote about it in her memoir Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for her Mother’s History, a major contribution to both Jewish family history and the social history of Central European women.

In addition to writing, Helen Epstein taught journalism for twelve years at New York University and serves as a mentor to dozens of former students. She left NYU in 1986 to write full-time but continues to teach at MFA writing programs and at her own Family History Writing Workshops. She also guest lectures frequently on the subjects of memoir, family history, European Jews and transcending trauma.

This event generously sponsored by the Cape Ann Savings Bank, Gloucester, MA