Join us on June 15 at 7:00 pm as we discuss Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez. 1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret. But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist. This story is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
Registrations open at 9:30am Tuesday, May 26.
The eBook version can be accessed through the Nassau Digital Doorway. The eAudio can be accessed here. Additionally, the eAudio is available through hoopla.
Discussion guide for Anita de Monte Laughs Last.
For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 1236.