The Center for Brooklyn History, formerly the Brooklyn Historical Society (located at the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton streets) is presenting a number of free virtual discussions among panels of distinguished educators, writers, and activists on a variety of topics, including feminism and race, how signage affects our perceptions of communities and businesses, and how to teach American history. These events are listed here. Although they are free, you need to register; there are links to do so with each program’s listing.
One event that caught my eye is a discussion between Russell Shorto, a non-fiction writer, and novelist Jennifer Egan:
“Shorto’s new family memoir Smalltime tells the story of his grandfather, a small town mobster. To research it, Shorto spent years listening to aging witnesses’ first-hand accounts, combining their memories with archival material. For her novel Manhattan Beach, Egan also dug deeply into archives and eyewitness memories, yet ultimately her fictional work enjoyed a license to embellish. Together they explore questions of reliable narrators, where facts leave off and imagination begins, the urge for fiction writers to represent history accurately and non-fiction writers to maintain a lively narrative, and how a writer judges when the lines have been crossed.”
The discussion will take place starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3. More information and register here.
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