Evening with Lawrence Weschler in NY

 To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Consulate General of the RP in NY and CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies invite you for an evening with a distinguished author of political reportage and former staff writer at The New Yorker

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies invite you for an evening with a distinguished author of political reportage and former staff writer at The New Yorker, Lawrence Weschler. In a spirited and engaging conversation, he will recall his time in Poland in the 1980s, share his thoughts on the literary style of the late Ryszard Kapuscinski, and offer stories from decades of writing on individuals facing oppressive regimes. Interviewing Lawrence Weschler will be Princeton Professor and an expert on modern European intellectual history and literature, Irena Grudzinska-Gross. 

According to an anecdote, happening upon a Portuguese edition of Weschler’s 1990 book on torture in Latin America during a photo opportunity in a Rio shopping mall, Chilean General Augusto Pinochet flipped through its pages for a few moments, whereupon he pronounced, “Lies, all lies.  The author is a liar and a hypocrite.”  Weschler’s books of political reportage include The Passion of Poland (1984); A Miracle, A Universe: Settling Accounts with Torturers (1990); and Calamities of Exile: Three Nonfiction Novellas (1998). 

Please see full bios of Professor Irena Grudzinska-Gross and Lawrence Weschler. 

The event will take place in the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York (223 Madison Avenue, Jan Karski Corner), on December 10 (Wednesday), from 6-8pm with a small reception to follow. It commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Polish Democracy. The year 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the first, partially independent, parliamentary elections in Poland. This started a chain of events across the region that led to dismantling of the Iron Curtain.  

Partnering organization, CUNY Baccalaureate, provides students with innovative, flexible, and academically challenging ways to earn individualized degrees, working closely with faculty mentors. Its Academic Conference Series brings together a range of unique voices to debate and discuss the political, social, and economic challenges of the XXI century