THE HERMITAGE GIVES BACK

The Hermitage Artist Retreat will be offering free beach readings on Sunday, March 14 as part of the program – The Hermitage Gives Back.  This program asks artists in residence at the Hermitage to provide free programming for the public.  In fact, all Hermitage Artist Retreat programs are free and open to the public.

Artists-in-residence Stephen Kuusisto and Alexander Chee will each read pieces of original writing, as well as speak about their work, on the Manasota Key beach directly in front of the Hermitage campus.  The audience is encouraged to bring their own beach chairs and refreshments to the event.

“We are very excited to have these two well-known writers staying with us,” remarked Bruce Rodgers, executive director of the Hermitage. “Stephen and Alexander both have produced remarkable work that make insightful comments on today’s world. We are very thankful to have them share their talent, as well as their thoughts and ideas with the public. The Beach Reading series is one of our give-back programs, which provide a rare opportunity for the community to interact with our accomplished artists. We hope that anyone interested in meeting and hearing these writers will join us at the event.”

Stephen Kuusisto has been noted by the New York Times as being “a powerful writer with a musical ear for language and a gift for emotional candor.” He works as a professor of creative non-fiction at the University of Iowa, and he is a public humanities scholar at the University’s Carver Institute for Macular Degeneration. He is also an author, speaker, poet, blogger, and disability advocate. He and his guide-dog, Nira, have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dateline NBC, and the BBC. Kuusisto has been blind since birth, and in much of his work, he uses his disability to his advantage as he writes and reflects upon the human experience of being blind. Through his career as a writer and as a regular contributor to NPR’s, “All Things Considered”, Kuusisto has had the opportunity to speak widely about diversity, disability, education and public policy.

Alexander Chee was named “one of the 100 most influential people of the year” by Out magazine in 2003 after the release of his first book, Edinburgh. He has taught fiction writing at New School University, NY and Wesleyan University, CT and he is currently the visiting writer at Amherst College, MA. Chee’s novels, short fiction, literary non-fiction and poetry are influenced by his Asian-American ethnic background. He has received several honors and awards including the 2003 Whiting Writers Award, a 2004 NEA Fellowship in fiction, and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.

“What a perfect way to end a beautiful Florida day,” continued Rodgers, “Listening to these renowned writers, enjoying a beach picnic, followed by one of our famous Gulf-front sunsets. I can’t imagine a better way to spend one’s time.”

Please RSVP to  admin@hermitage-fl.org.  

Pictured: Sunset at Manasota Key in front of the Hermitage campus.