Scripps Presents

The essayist on surprising acts of resistance “In the year 1936 a writer planted roses.” So begins Rebecca Solnit’s new book, a reflection on George Orwell’s passionate gardening; the way that his involvement with plants, particularly flowers, and the natural world illuminated his other commitments as a writer and antifascist; and the intertwined politics of […]

Editor of the New York Times Book Review Pamela Paul joins PEN Out Loud to launch her essay collection, 100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet. In narratives about the pre-Internet age, the book offers “powerful insights into both the profound and the seemingly trivial things we’ve lost.” Paul will be in conversation with Lauren Oyler to discuss a fading era and provide “a […]

October 24 marks the 150th anniversary of the L.A. Chinatown Massacre. That lynching of around twenty Chinese Americans by a mob of nearly 500 people is still considered one of the worst race riots on the West Coast. For the past three years, Hao Huang, Scripps’ Bessie and Cecil Frankel Chair in Music, has explored this little-known […]

Secretary Hillary Clinton and international award-winning author Louise Penny commemorate their co-written novel, State of Terror. Following a new presidential administration, the novel is a carefully woven political thriller with “incomparable insider expertise.” The bestselling authors will be joined in conversation with National Book Award-winning writer Susan Choi to discuss the novel’s inception, themes, and […]

Scripps Presents, in partnership with the Smithsonian Associates, will host award-winning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci this October! Tucci, who grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the kitchen table, has shared the magic of those meals in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table. Now, he goes beyond the savory recipes and into the compelling stories behind them. His new […]

Tickets available here! This program is presented in partnership with PEN Out Loud, Live from NYPL, and the Strand Bookstore. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka celebrates his first novel in nearly 50 years, Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth. Set in an imaginary Nigeria, the novel is a “fictional meditation on how […]

A conversation about loss, generational differences, and concepts of home Loss, generational differences and what shapes our ideas of home: These are the subjects that drive journalist Kat Chow’s work. As a founding member of NPR’s “Code Switch,” and contributor to “Radiolab” and the New York Times Magazine, among others, her interest in these topics took a deeply personal turn […]

Minor Feelings: Cathy Park Hong in Conversation
September 23, 2021

A conversation with the National Book Critics Circle award-winning author Cathy Park Hong is an award-winning poet and essayist whose searching work ruthlessly reckons with the American racial consciousness. Weaving together personal stories, historical context, and cultural criticism, Minor Feelings, was a 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award winner. Jade Chang, author of The Wangs […]

The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All: Josh Ritter in Conversation
September 20, 2021

A reading and conversation with the beloved songwriter and novelist Josh Ritter is a singular voice. First, there’s his songwriting–lauded for its lyrical prowess, drawing comparisons to the likes of Bob Dylan, among others. Then there’s the man on stage: his ebullience and exuberance unmatched, each performance a joyful, soulful expression. That’s why Ritter’s entry […]

Look Up: An Immersive Pop-Up Art Event
September 18, 2021

An immersive pop-up art event from visual artist Elizabeth Turk and ET Projects This past year has illuminated both our profound desire to come together and challenged us to think in new, radical ways about how we gather. For sculptor and MacArthur “genius” Elizabeth Turk ’83, meeting our current moment with creativity and openness was […]

Look Up Symposium with Elizabeth Turk, Betsy Levy Paluck , & Marla Spivak
September 14, 2021

A multi-disciplinary conversation on community with three MacArthur “geniuses” Princeton psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck asks: How do our social norms and behaviors shift in real world settings? Meanwhile, for University of Minnesota’s Marla Spivak, the social behavior of bees has motivated her research for decades. These ideas influence the work of Elizabeth Turk ’83, a sculptor and visual artist, whose breathtaking, kaleidoscopic […]

PEN Out Loud: Sandra Cisneros with Jaime Manrique
September 13, 2021

PEN America Literary Award recipient Sandra Cisneros celebrates her new book Martita, I Remember You / Martita, Te Recuerdo. In a dual language edition, translated by Liliana Valenzuela, the novella tells the story of friendship between three women who over the years are dispersed over three continents. Cisneros will be in conversation with Jaime Manrique to discuss the book and its “tribute to the life-changing power of […]

Maps for the Modern World: Valerie June in Conversation
May 20, 2021

The songstress on her new book of poetry Valerie June‘s voice has variously been described as versatile, radiant, elastic, and spirited. Whatever the adjective, it’s unanimous that she’s in possession of a singular sound. Her latest album The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers was released in March to rave reviews. Now, she turns her […]

The Secret to Superhuman Strength: Alison Bechdel in Conversation
May 19, 2021

Alison Bechdel is the godmother of the graphic memoir. The Secret to Superhuman Strength is the latest from the author of Fun Home, which became a five-time Tony Award-winning musical, and Are You My Mother? Tackling topics from identity to transcendentalism to fitness of both the mental and physical varieties, Bechdel explores it all with […]

Brunch with Roxana Jullapat
May 1, 2021

From her beloved Cooks County (where her biscuits inspired fanaticism) to her current must-visit East Hollywood storefront, Friends & Family, Roxana Jullapat is one of Los Angeles’s most celebrated pastry chefs. She’s also of the most important voices on race and gender in the contemporary kitchen. Her forthcoming book, Mother Grains, focuses on sustainable baking. […]

Gavin Turek: In Concert & Conversation
April 30, 2021

It’s impossible not to become infatuated with Gavin Turek, Scripps Class of ’09. Inspiring comparisons to Tina Turner and Beyoncé, she seamlessly blends ’70s funk-inspired R&B with poignant, honest lyrics. In addition to her critically acclaimed EP “Good Look for You,” she’s worked with the likes of Lena Waithe and Childish Gambino’s Chris Hartz, who’s […]

@Noon: 21st-Century Indigenous Poets
April 20, 2021

In celebration of National Poetry Month, join Sherwin Bitsui, Santee Frazier, and this spring’s Mary Routt Chair in Creative Writing, Joan Naviyuk Kane, for a reading and discussion of their work. Bitsui is originally from White Cone, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation. He is Diné of the Todich’ii’nii (Bitter Water Clan), born for the Tl’izilani […]