INTERVIEW: Philip Roth and his Newark roots will be explored at NJPAC festival
Image courtesy of NJPAC / Provided by AMT PR with permission.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is ready to remember one of the city’s most important literary voices. Next weekend, March 17-19, NJPAC presents Philip Roth Unbound: Illuminating a Literary Legacy, a multi-event festival that honors and challenges the work of the famed novelist, who would have turned 90 this year. Roth, of course, is responsible for a number of major American books, including The Plot Against America, American Pastoral, Sabbath’s Theater and Operation Shylock, among many others.
The festival features a number of engaging events. Friday’s highlights include a free audio tour of Roth’s personal library at the Newark Public Library, a panel discussion on the works that influenced Roth as a young reader, dramatic readings of Roth’s “I Always Wanted You to Admire My Fasting; or, Looking at Kafka” and “The Ruthless Intimacy of Fiction,” and a reading event centered on Newark-based storytellers of today, including the winners of a citywide writing contest called “Your Newark Story.”
Saturday sees the kickoff of a Roth-centered bus tour of Newark; a writers’ panel about the “cathartic power of discomfort” in Roth’s works; Morgan Spector’s dramatic telling of Roth’s “Defender of the Faith,” a panel about the ethics of representation, identity, and artistic freedom; and even a standup comedy night at Hobby’s Delicatessen with Eddie Brill and other performers.
Rounding out the programming on Sunday is a theatrical showcase from the upcoming adaptation of Roth’s Sabbath’s Theater (co-written by John Turturro and Ariel Levy, and starring Turturro and Jason Kravits); a staged reading of The Plot Against America starring S. Epatha Merkerson, Marjan Neshat, Deirdre O’Connell, Mary-Louise Parker and John Douglas Thompson; and a panel discussion called “History, Democracy and the Relentless Unforeseen.”
Some of the writers featured in the programming include Claudia Roth Pierpont, Sean Wilentz, Steven Zipperstein, Chisa Hutchinson, Richard Wesley, Ayad Akhtar, Susan Choi, Ottessa Moshfegh, Gary Shteyngart, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Lauren Michele Jackson and Joshua Cohen.
At the center of the festival is John Schreiber, president and CEO of NJPAC. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Schreiber about all things Roth. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did this Philip Roth Unbound festival begin as an idea?
I have been a festival producer for a very long time and believe that the format allows for aficionados and novices alike to gather around a theme, a genre, an art form or a figure. I started out working for George Wein at Festival Productions producing events like Newport Jazz Festival and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. I co-created The New Yorker Festival, which took the festival idea into the literary realm. At NJPAC and in Newark, Philip Roth always seemed like the perfect subject for a literary festival that would use Roth’s vast body of work to explore larger themes about art, literature and life today.
Why do you think it’s important to celebrate, challenge and explore the work of Philip Roth?
Roth, who was born in Newark, is widely regarded as one of the finest and most significant — and most controversial — American novelists. But of course, cultural attitudes evolve in complex and nuanced ways. So the idea behind the festival was never simply to celebrate Roth but to use his work as a springboard to examine broader questions it raises, and — we hope — to encourage a larger and necessary conversation about our 20th century icons, considered through a 21st century lens. As an anchor cultural institution in Newark, it made sense to use what would have been Roth’s 90th birthday as an occasion for both celebration and honest inquiry.
Are you personally a fan of Philip Roth’s work? Do you have a favorite book?
I am a personal fan of Roth’s. I haven’t read everything. I have probably read half of his works. Of those, my favorites are [The] Plot Against America, Patrimony and Nemesis.
How is NJPAC dedicated to the diverse literary history of Newark, New Jersey?
We define ourselves as an anchor cultural institution, which means that we are rooted in the diverse community of Newark and New Jersey, and are always finding ways to celebrate the rich artistic history of the city. Newark has an incredibly lively creative community that NJPAC bolsters through mainstage programming, our far-reaching work in arts education and community engagement, and through partnerships like the one we have with Newark Public Library. We have many events that feature speakers, but wanted to find the opportunity to create multiple events around one idea — or person — to attract new and existing audiences to Newark. This collaboration with Newark Public Library — which is an institution that represents the heart and soul of the Newark community — around Roth is just that. Not only are we encouraging Roth fans to discover more about Newark’s artistic history, present and future, but we’re encouraging our community to learn more about Roth.
What’s it like to have the Newark Public Library as a partner?
The library, especially Trustee Rosemary Steinbaum, has been an indispensable partner in this festival. We couldn’t have been able to accomplish a festival of this magnitude without the partnership of the library. The Roth Reading Room, his personal archive and the deep knowledge they have about Roth makes them both a practical and inspirational partner.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Philip Roth Unbound: Illuminating a Literary Legacy has a series of events scheduled in Newark, New Jersey, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center March 17-19. Click here for more information and tickets.
