Raise a glass to William Kennedy, beloved Writers Institute founder and Albany’s greatest storyteller, at a special marathon reading of Legs (1975), the novel that launched his “Albany Cycle.” |
Join us anytime between noon and 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Albany Distilling Co. Bar and Bottle Shop to hear the 1975 novel Legs read aloud by fans, friends, and fellow writers. Or sign up to read a short excerpt yourself and be part of this unique tribute to Kennedy’s storytelling legacy.
Want to join the reading? Readers are asked to sign up and select a time slot by Friday, Oct. 31.
Just want to listen? No registration is needed to attend. The event is free and open to the public. Drop in anytime from noon to 8 p.m.
Support a good cause: Donations will be collected at the door to benefit the food pantry and free meal outreach at Sacred Heart Church in Albany, Kennedy’s childhood parish.
The event is the third in our series of public readings of Kennedy's novels. We read Ironweed in 2023 and Billy Phelan's Greatest Game last year. |
Michael Luo
4:30 p.m. Thursday, October 23
Conversation / Q&A
University at Albany
Multi-Purpose Room - Campus Center West
1400 Washington Avenue Albany NY 12222
Free and open to the public.
Books will be sold and a signing will follow after the conversation. |
Michael Luo, Executive Editor at The New Yorker, is the author of a landmark work of American history, Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America (2025).
NY State Author Min Jin Lee said, “This is the moving story of a people’s persistence and resistance — how individuals, families, and changing communities looked hard at rejection, endured violence, consumed daily bitterness, and yet sought the higher purposes of humanity and better lives…. Luo’s book serves as a witness of how powerful the love and aspirations of immigrants make real the most beautiful promises of a new homeland.” Watch a video of Min Jin Lee's interview Michael Luo.
Cosponsored by the UAlbany Departments of East Asian Studies and History of the College of Arts and Sciences. |
"You've got to read Dubliners..."
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Oscar-winning Irish actor Cillian Murphy’s recent appearance on Jack Edwards’ Inklings Book Club podcast revealed his deep and personal connection to books.
"Books are supposed to be lived in. They’re lived artifacts," Murphy said, “I don’t like pristine, I want to crack open the spine of the book." He's a reader who dog-ears the pages, annotates margins, and inscribes each book with the date and place he purchased the book, a ritual passed down from his father.
When the host asked, "Do you have an essential classic," Murphy replied: “You've got to read Dubliners. It’s not difficult, but it’s revolutionary for what he did at that time. Absolutely changed everything.”
Fascinating interview. On Apple or Spotify. |
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