Legendary Cartoonist Lynda Barry in Conversation at Purchase College

Purchase College-SUNY will present Lynda Barry in conversation with Professor Robin Lynch – The Unthinkable Mind: Why Art Persists, on Thurs., Oct. 28, 2021, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. The program, which is free and open to the public, will be dual delivery via Zoom webinar and in-person. The in-person event will take place at the Purchase College Humanities Theatre, Humanities Building, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. Registration is required for both the webinar and in-person formats. Ms. Barry has been named this year’s Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature and will be participating in other upcoming events at Purchase College.

Lynda Barry is a leading cartoonist, writer, illustrator, playwright, and editor. Her comic strip, Ernie Pook’s Comeek, is a beloved classic, having been syndicated in alternative weeklies for more than two decades. She has authored 21 books, worked as a commentator for NPR, and had a regular monthly feature in Esquire, Mother Jones Magazine, Mademoiselle, and Salon.

Ms. Barry’s most recent book, Making Comics, was awarded the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book + Best Publication Design. Her many awards and fellowships include the American Library Association’s Alex Award, the 2017 Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cartoonists Society, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

“Lynda Barry’s vibrant and original integration of media embodies the Purchase College ideal, bringing together the arts and liberal arts to inspire creativity and understanding,” said Aviva Taubenfeld, associate professor of Literature and director of the School of Humanities at Purchase. “As we return to campus after the traumas of the past year and a half, we are honored to have Barry help us draw and write our way back to joy.” ​

Anthony Domestico, an associate professor of Literature at Purchase and chair of the Literature Department, added, “The Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature is a unique position, allowing for a year-long relationship to develop between an artist and the Purchase community. We’re all looking forward to writing and drawing and thinking and imagining with Lynda Barry for the next two semesters.”

To register for the in-person event, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6-psMiYx7BVN12f_Fw1fo4_QU4RD7y0FC9ktOZy-3dCOmsA/viewform. Please note: Seats are limited and will be confirmed via email; all campus visitors and event attendees must show proof of vaccination or submit a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours.

Advance registration is also required for the webinar. To register, please visit: https://purchase.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZMC4UtvSQLygWBBmN1Kr_g

As a small public college, Purchase is proud to introduce students to the level of expertise provided by the Durst Distinguished Lectures. Current and past Durst Lecturers have won an impressive array of the highest level of literary honors, including National Book Awards, MacArthur Foundation Grants, Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships and Man Booker Prizes for Fiction.

The Durst Distinguished Lecture Series and the Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature are funded by the Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature Endowment. The mission of the Durst programs is to infuse the experience and intellect of leading writers into the Purchase community, while providing diverse opportunities for these writers to interact with students and influence campus life.

This season of Durst Distinguished Lectures will conclude with author Kaitlyn Greenidge on Nov. 9 in a virtual program. Other acclaimed guests will be featured in the spring as part of the series, which is a highlight of the Westchester cultural calendar.

For more information, please visit: https://www.purchase.edu/academics/school-of-humanities/lectures/durst-distinguished-lectures/; call 914.251.6550, or email humanities@purchase.edu.

About Performing Arts Center

Experience. Something. Real. The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, a four-theater complex located on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, is the major professional, non-profit arts presenter in the region. The Center presents a broad range of professional performances that engage, challenge, and educate as well as entertain, offering world-class music, dance, theatre, comedy, film, and family programming to audiences from throughout the region. Music presenting ranges from classical to pop and features the leading artists of our time as well as emerging stars; as the major regional presenter of dance, programs have included only area appearances of several important traditional, contemporary, and folkloric companies; theatre presentations reflect a deep commitment to presenting innovative ensembles. The Center’s on-going initiatives also encompass artist partnerships, residency activities, and commissions; creating opportunities for students to participate in the artistic process; increasing educational opportunities in the arts for k -12 students and multi-generational learners; and revitalizing efforts in the community to make the arts more accessible to broad and diverse audiences. Box Office Hours: Tuesday – Friday, Noon – 6 p.m., Weekends and evenings before performances.