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Acclaimed Author Ben Lerner Will Visit Purchase College

PURCHASE, N.Y. — The Purchase College School of Humanities announced plans to host author Ben Lerner in the latest installment of the school's ongoing Durst Distinguished Lecture Series on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Author Ben Lerner will speak at Purchase College on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Author Ben Lerner will speak at Purchase College on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Photo Credit: Contributed

“An Evening with Ben Lerner: A Lecture, Reading and Conversation” will take place from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Neuberger Museum Study. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lerner has published three collections of poetry and two novels to great success. “Angle of Yaw,” his second poetry collection, was a National Book Award finalist, and his first novel, “Leaving the Atocha Station,” was a winner of the Believer Book Award.

Anthony Domestico, Purchase assistant professor of literature, explains Lerner's appeal.

“Lerner is one of contemporary literature?'s most powerful and versatile voices. His novels are loosely plotted but compellingly readable, philosophically rich yet incredibly funny. Each circles around a central subject: what it is like to be a young, smart, occasionally slackerish but always ambitious writer in the early 21st century.”

The lecture series is part of an endowment from longtime benefactor Shirley Durst, which the college used to create the Durst chair in literature, which is given to professors whose work covers literature and the visual or performing arts.

After Lerner's visit, the next lecture will feature Colson Whitehead on Thursday, March 19. Previous lecturers include Alison Bechdel, Tim O’Brien, Junot Díaz, Sharon Olds, Art Spiegelman and Jhumpa Lahiri.

“These programs place the world’s most important authors front and center at Purchase, further establishing the college as a preeminent venue for writing in the region,” says Louise Yelin, Purchase College professor of literature.

For more information, go online at http://news.purchase.edu/feb-26-an-eveningkph-with-ben-lerner/ or call 914-251-6550.

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