Scripps College has announced its lineup of writers, speakers, and performers for the fall 2019 season of its signature public events series, Scripps Presents. This season’s events will honor the 50th anniversaries of The Claremont Colleges’ Office of Black Student Affairs, Chicano Latino Student Affairs, Department of Africana Studies, and Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies. Tickets are required for all events.
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with so many wonderful partners this year both on and off campus,” says Corrina Lesser, artistic director of Scripps Presents.
“It’s an honor to host writers and artists who have played such an essential role in our culture’s conversations about race and identity and to create space for discussion, too, with some of the newer voices who have been pivotal in shaping what’s to come. We’re also very excited to be collaborating on bringing Scripps to audiences beyond Claremont through our partnership with KPCC in Pasadena.”
Literary superstars headline the season with conversations about their latest works. Pulitzer Prize–winner Colson Whitehead will discuss his new novel, The Nickel Boys, inspired by the dark and disturbing history of a Florida reform school. Iconic Chicana feminist writer Cherríe Moraga and National Book Award finalist Carmen Maria Machado will each reflect on their new memoirs, and award-winning Canadian author Miriam Toews will discuss her body of work, which focuses on Mennonite communities.
Chef Carla Hall and author Jonathan Safran Foer will come to campus during Hunger Action Month to discuss the important culinary issues of our time. Hall, who serves as the culinary ambassador for Sweet Home Café at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will speak about food justice and preventing malnutrition. Safran Foer will discuss his latest book, We Are the Weather, an exploration of how the food we eat—especially for breakfast—may play a role in climate change.
Cultural critics will offer their unique perspectives on issues from mental health to the state of journalism today. The Atlantic’s Dear Therapist columnist, Lori Gottlieb, will visit campus during Mental Illness Awareness Week for a conversation about navigating loss, grief, and tackling tough times. The New York Times’ Michael Barbaro, host of The Daily podcast, will walk audiences through the process of reporting complex stories at home and abroad.
Scripps Presents will also continue its cross-town partnership with KPCC this season. The September edition of the storytelling show, Unheard LA: Live in Claremont, will broadcast a live taping with community members from all over Southern California. Groundbreaking comedian Cristela Alonzo will discuss her new book, Music to My Ears: A Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up, at KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum in Pasadena.
Musical performances from the popular Levitt on the Lawn series will round out the season. Singer-songwriter Son Little will perform selections from his latest album, New Magic, which combines blues, soul, gospel, and rock and roll while deconstructing the canon of American R&B. Los Angeles–based band Changüí Majadero will bring its modern take on Cuban musical traditions to campus.
Founded in 2016 as Scripps College’s premiere public events program, Scripps Presents is committed to hosting thought-provoking conversations with emerging and established writers, performers, and thinkers. Additional information about Scripps Presents, including a complete calendar, is available on the program’s webpage.