I tend to gravitate towards people who can utter statements with passion and honesty sans irony to the effect of “The first chapter of Wuthering Heights changed my life.” I long ago dropped the pretension that a love of books in anyway, necessarily, speaks positively of a personality. Yet, Leah Umansky, makes me rethink my opinion. Umansky, a prolific and talented poet, a loving and devoted teacher, represents someone of the rarified kind who still believes, deeply, in the power […]
“Betrayal”: Live at Franklin Park with Heidi Julavits, Touré, Fiona Maazel, Leah Umansky, and Joseph Riippi
Franklin Park, just off the prettier end of Eastern Parkway and Franklin Avenue, has quickly become perhaps the best place in Brooklyn to see live literature. Thanks to the superb efforts of host and curator Penina Roth, who verifies that success comes from being kind to anyone and everyone, the high pedigree of authors who’ve graced the Franklin Park Reading Series at 618 St. John’s Place in recent months has included Jennifer Egan, Rick Moody, Mary Gaitskill, Michael Showalter, […]