Philip Roth Event At Newark Library Will Feature ‘Genius’ Writer

NEWARK, NJ — The Newark Public Library will hold its ninth annual Philip Roth Lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

This year’s event will feature poet, author and translator, John Keene, the recipient of a “Genius Grant” from the MacArthur Foundation. See Related: Newark Keeps Cranking Out Geniuses; Writer Nabs MacArthur Grant

According to a news release, Keene’s lecture will focus on two well-known literary figures in Newark: Amiri Baraka (Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s father), who “published explosive works about the experiences and suppressed anger of Black Americans in a white-dominated society,” and Philip Roth, a provocative writer who “unflinchingly examined what it meant to be an American, a Jew, a writer, a man.”

The event will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Newark Public Library, 5 Washington Street. Admission is free but reservations are required; register online here.

The Philip Roth Lecture Series was established in honor of Philip Roth, who bequeathed funds to support this and other programs at Newark Public Library. The lecture series has included such luminaries as Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and Robert Caro.

Upon his death, Roth donated his entire personal library to Newark Public Library, where his writings and artifacts are now housed in the Philip Roth Room, open to the public.

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