Scripps Presents’ spring 2021 season will celebrate the series’ fifth anniversary with a slate of virtual, experiential events focused on the future of literature, food, politics, and music. In addition to expanding its participatory cooking events and music programming, Scripps Presents will partner with PEN America and The New Republic to host discussions featuring prize-winning authors, up-and-coming politicians, and contemporary thought leaders. Additional programming will be announced throughout the spring.
“As we navigate these unusual and incredibly challenging times, Scripps Presents is committed to maintaining a forum for community engagement,” said Corrina Lesser, artistic director of Scripps Presents. “We want to create a space where we can consider the most pressing issues of the day, and where joy and creativity can thrive.”
In January and February, Scripps Presents will launch its partnership with The New Republic for two discussions on politics, climate change, and the future of the world. Participants include ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert, in conversation with The New Republic editors and staffers.
Feminist rock icons Ani DiFranco and Liz Phair will headline this season’s series of music-focused events, joined by music journalist Margaret Wappler. Leila Cabo, vice president and Latin industry lead at Billboard, will host a listening session and conversation about the history and future of Latin music, and poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib will discuss his new book on Black performances and the politics of American empire.
In February and March, Scripps Presents will continue its partnership with PEN America and the Strand Bookstore for the PEN Out Loud author conversation series. This season’s lineup presents four conversations between authors whose latest works offer complex, layered examinations of sexuality, grief, race, feminism, and love. Participating authors include Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro, Pulitzer Prize finalist Rebecca Makkai, Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Isabel Allende, Garth Greenwell, Melissa Febos, Brandon Taylor, Brandon Hobson, and Concepción de León. Authors R.O. Kwon and Jia Tolentino will also return to the virtual Scripps Presents stage.
This season will also feature several experiential cooking events in its new “Brunch with…” series. For audience members who register for the “Brunch” package, Scripps Presents will provide ingredients to cook along at home with James Beard Award-winning chef Yotam Ottolenghi and celebrated pastry chef Roxana Jullapat.
“Our experiential programs this past fall were a welcome activity for our audiences to tap into their creativity,” Lesser said. “We wanted to build on that momentum with more tactile opportunities. For many of us, too, cooking at home has taken on a new urgency, and we wanted to provide some inspiration.”
Additional information, including event dates and ticketing options, are available on the Scripps Presents webpage.