A week of discussions, presentations, film screenings and lectures centered on the 2015 One Book/One New Paltz shared reading experience will be held at venues on the SUNY New Paltz campus and around the greater community between Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.
Hundreds of community members, including many SUNY New Paltz students, faculty and staff, joined together this fall in reading Piper Kerman’s memoir, “Orange is the New Black,” the inspiration for the massively popular Netflix show of the same name.
The book recounts the true story of Kerman’s sentencing to fifteen months in a women’s prison for crimes she had committed as a younger, more reckless person. She details her adaptation to the strict behavioral codes and unspoken rules of the American penal system, as well as the many relationships she builds with women from all walks of life, who surprise her with their generosity and their wisdom.
One Book/One New Paltz Events to be held on campus include:
- Presentation and Q&A with Actress Barbara Rosenblat, Studley Theatre, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.
A highlight for fans of the book and the show will surely be the presentation given by Barbara Rosenblat, the actress who plays the “Miss Rosa” character on the Netflix show. Rosenblat will speak about the experience of developing her character from the source material the book provides. - Student Panel, Student Union Room 62/63, Monday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.
New Paltz students led by Professor of Sociology Alexandra Cox will discuss their experience participating in an “Inside Out” course at a local juvenile facility. - Academic Panel, Student Union Room 62/63, Monday, Nov. 16 at 4:30 p.m.
An academic panel discussion will be moderated by Gerald Benjamin, director of the Benjamin Center, who founded the One Book/One New Paltz committee in 2005. Panelists will include Shelly Wright, vice president for communication and President’s chief of staff, and Lee Bernstein, interim associate provost. - Book Discussion with correctional facility professionals, Jacobson Faculty Tower Room 1010, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m.
Lauren Marcus of the Shawangunk Correctional Facility and Molly Shanley of Taconic State Prison will discuss the book from the perspective of their experiences working with prisoners.
The complete list of programming is available on the One Book/One New Paltz website.
About One Book/One New Paltz
Gerald Benjamin founded One Book/One New Paltz in 2005 as a way to bridge the “town and gown” dichotomy through the unifying influence of reading. It was a natural synergy between the two communities because of the college being a home of learning, scholarship, and reading; similarly, the New Paltz community is invested in the reading experience through public libraries, leisure reading, and fostering literacy in their children.
More information about One Book/One New Paltz is available online.
