8th Annual
First Person Arts Festival
of Memoir and Documentary Art
Tuesday, November 3 – Sunday, November 8, 2009
PRESS KIT
Event Descriptions & Participant Bios
(listed by event date)
www.firstpersonarts.org
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3 - 9, 2009
1. 2009 First Person Festival Fact Sheet
2. Monday, October 26: Preview Dinner with Ruth Reichl
3. Wednesday, November 4: Opening Reception
4. Wednesday, November 4: America Eats
5. Wednesday, November 4: Songs for Any Depression
6. Thursday, November 5: Salon du Festival
7. Thursday, November 5: The Yes Men Fix the World Screening
8. Friday, November 6: Shelter Opening Reception
9. Friday, November 6: Going to Extremes
10. Friday, November 6: Karaoke Obsessed
11. Saturday, November 7: Storytelling Workshops
12. Saturday, November 7: Life/Story with Mark Bowden
13. Saturday November 7: Edible World
14. Saturday, November 7: Inside the Writer’s Notebook
15. Saturday, November 7: Animal Magnetism
16. Saturday, November 7: Documentary “Lite”
17. Saturday, November 7: The Guinea Pig Diaries
18. Saturday, November 7: Grand Slam
19. Sunday, November 8: The Girl From Foreign Screening
20. Sunday, November 8: William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Screening
21. Sunday, November 8: Sweet Tea
22. Sunday, November 8: Still Bill Screening
2009 FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
FACT SHEET
PRESS CONTACTS:
Carrie Gorn Office: (215) 480-7423, cgornpr@comcast.net
Noreen Shanfelter Office: (215) 729-7151, noreen.shanfelter@gmail.com
About the Festival: The eighth annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art hosts an
array of outstanding local and nationally known memoir and documentary artists. This year's
multidisciplinary Festival features memoir readings and author discussions, documentary film
screenings, performance art, experiential tours, visual arts exhibitions, music, competitions, artist
receptions and more.
Dates: November 3 – November 8, 2009
Location: Most Festival events will be held at:
The Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St, Philadelphia
(with the exception of Festival preview events and tours)
Box Office: Online Box Office: www.firstpersonarts.org
Box Office Phone: (267) 402-2055
Many events are FREE and most ticket prices range from $10 to $15, with special events priced
individually. Ticket packages and all-Festival passes are also available.
Official Website: www.firstpersonarts.org
Public Transportation: The Painted Bride is accessible by Septa:
 Market-Frankford El: 2nd and Market Street Station (walk north on 2nd to Vine Street)
 Buses: 17, 33, 44, 58 (Market Street)
 Buses: 57, 5 (3rd or 4th Streets)
About First Person Arts: Founded in 2000, First Person Arts transforms the drama of real life into
memoir and documentary art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experience. First
Person Arts believes that everyone has a story to tell, and that sharing our stories connects us with each
other and the world.
Presenting Sponsors: Red Tettemer, Harmelin Media, and Philadelphia City Paper
Supporting Sponsors: Philadelphia Brewing Company, and Janney Montgomery Scott, Drexel University,
Tub Gin, Embassy Suites, WXPN
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: FIRST TASTE, Festival Preview Dinner
WHO: Ruth Reichl and other festival artists
TYPE OF EVENT: Food, Literary
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Monday, October 26
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Admission: $100 (First Person Members),
$125 (General Public)
Includes: Four-Course Dinner,
Wine & Gratuity.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
WHERE:
Supper Restaurant
926 South Street
Gourmet Magazine editor-in-chief and
acclaimed author of four food memoirs
Ruth Reichl is the guest of honor at a
four-course dinner at the highly-praised
Supper restaurant. Reichl will tell tales
from her fascinating coast-to-coast life
as restaurant critic for The New York
Times and the Los Angeles Times. Guests
will be seated alongside featured First
Person Festival artists and dine on fresh
and local food from chef Mitch
Prensky’s original take on recipes from
the new cookbook Gourmet Now.
Ruth Reichl
Photo by Brigitte Lacombe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ruth Reichl joined Gourmet Magazine in 1999, following a six-year tenure as
restaurant critic at The New York Times. Reichl also held the position of critic and food editor for the Los
Angeles Times. From 1974-1977, she was chef and co-owner of The Swallow Restaurant where she was part
of the Berkeley, CA food revolution. Reichl is the acclaimed author of four food memoirs, Tender at the Bone,
Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires, and Not Becoming My Mother, and editor of The Modern
Library Food Series. Reichl has been the recipient of four James Beard Awards as well as numerous awards
from the Association of American Food Journalists, and the Elizabeth Cutter Morrow Award. She currently
resides in New York City with her husband, Michael Singer, a television news producer, and their son.
WEB: www.ruthreichl.com
ABOUT THE CHEF: Mitch Prensky is the proprietor and chef for Supper, a seasonal Modern American
restaurant with casual and formal dining. After graduating from the French Culinary Institute, Prensky went
on to work for Manhattan based restaurants, L’Ecole, Le Chantilly, Mesa Grill, March and Daniel. He is a
member of the Chef’s Collaborative for Sustainable Agriculture and Philadelphia Fair Food Project. His wife
and partner, Jennifer Prensky, is a veteran of Philadelphia restaurant, Striped Bass.
TICKET INFO: $100 (First Person members) $125 (general public). Advance purchase required. Tickets for this
event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling 800-838-3006.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: =(267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
Error!
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8. 2009
WHAT: EDIBLE WORLD: Foobooz Burger Cruise
WHO: Arthur Etchells
TYPE OF EVENT: Walking Tour, Dinner
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Tuesday, November 3
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Admission: In advance: $45, $50 after
10/25 (First Person Members), $50 , $55
after 10/25 (genera public)
Includes: burger and beer sampling
Philadelphia is known for its gastropub phenomenon, bars serving top
notch food and excellent beers in a casual atmosphere. Every gastropub
worth its salt needs a good burger. Join us as we tour Center City
sampling the best burgers and beers from bars and restaurants that have
also gotten on board with the burger explosion - along with stories of the
people behind it all - with Foobooz editor Arthur Etchells.
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
WHERE:
Start location: One South Broad Street
Lobby
ABOUT THE TOUR GUIDE: A lifelong Philadelphian, Arthur Etchells grew up a picky eater but has since
grown to love all sorts of food and drink. Three years ago he founded Foobooz.com as a web site devoted
to eating and drinking in Philadelphia. Today the site is the largest independent food blog covering the city.
WEB: www.foobooz.com
TICKET INFO: $45, $50 after 10/25 (First Person Members) $50, $55 after 10/25 (general public). Advance
purchase required. Tickets for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling
(267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: SPEAKEASY, Opening Night Reception
TYPE OF EVENT: Food, Reception
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Wednesday, November 4
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Admission: $20 (general public),
Free For First Person Members
Includes: Open Bar, Snacks, appearances
by Festival Artists
In the spirit of the 1930’s, First Person Arts recreates the eclectic
atmosphere of the prohibition speakeasy. From Wednesday through
Saturday, from 5-9pm, the Festival Speakeasy will host an open bar and
serve snacks. Guests can meet and mingle and share a drink with First
Person Arts staff and Festival artists. This special opening-night party
features Tub Gin drinks and a delicious spread from Tria Café.
Sponsored by Tub Gin and Tria Café.
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
TICKET INFO: $20 General Public, Free for First Person Arts Members. For information on joining First Person
Arts visit www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: AMERICA EATS
WHO: Pat Willard
TYPE OF EVENT: Food, Literary
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
WHERE:
Renowned food writer, Pat Willard,
retraced the steps of WPA writers
Eduora Welty and Ralph Ellison to
discover how Depression-era food
traditions like feasts, fish fries, and
box supper socials brought people
together and are being carried
forward today. Willard will serve up
stories as they are meant to be
heard -- over a full plate at a familystyle buffet from Jack's Firehouse.
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
Space for this event is limited, so
purchase tickets early.
Wednesday, November 4
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Admission: In advance: $20, $25 after
10/25 (First Person Arts members), $25,
$30 after 10/25 (general public)
Includes: presentation, buffet, book
signing
Pat Willard
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pat Willard is the author of Pie Every Day, A Soothing Broth, and Secrets of Saffron
(2002 Best Literary Cookbook Nominee, International Association of Culinary Professionals). Willard
contributed to Oxford Encyclopedia of American Cooking, (Oxford University Press, 2004), writing entries on
pies, patent medicines, and communal dining. Her work has been anthologized in Best Food Writing of 2001
(Marlowe &Co.), and Best American Recipes, 2002 (The Houghton Mifflin), and has appeared in Topic
Magazine, Garden Design, American Heritage, New York Newsday, Brooklyn Bridge Magazine, Los Angeles
Times, Ladies Home Journal, Bon Appetit, Food History News. She has received residencies at the MacDowell
Colony and Cummington Center for the Arts, and grants from the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts. She has
an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction at Goucher College and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband Chris
Finan, the president of American Booksellers Association Foundation for Free Expression, and their two sons.
ABOUT THE RESTAURANT: Jack's Firehouse, located at 22nd Street & Fairmount Avenue, is a Philadelphia
institution. Set in a 19th Century Firehouse in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia, its commitment
to using the finest and freshest homemade and locally grown products provides a true Philadelphia dining
experience.
TICKET INFO: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First Person Arts members), $25, $30 after 10/25 (general public).
Tickets for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
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THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: SONGS FOR ANY DEPPRESSION
WHO: Sara Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion, Kim & Reggie Harris, Morris Dickstein, and Julia Foulkes.
Hosted by Gene Shay
TYPE OF EVENT: Musical performance
WHEN:
Wednesday, November 4
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Admission: In advance: $20 , $25
after 10/25 (First Person Arts
members), $25, $30 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Performance, Book & CD
Signing, Q&A
DESCRIPTION:
The songs of Woody Guthrie became the soundtrack for one of the most
tumultuous periods in American history -- times that were never more
relevant than they are right now. Guthrie's granddaughter Sara Lee Guthrie
and her husband Johnny Irion, along with the storytelling folk duo Kim and
Reggie Harris, present a concert of songs that inspired and empowered
common folk through the hardest of times. A conversation with historian Julia
Foulkes and author/scholar Morris Dickstein (Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural
History of the Great Depression), and a multimedia presentation with photos
and readings from first-person narratives, brings to life the rich documentary
culture that came of age during the 1930's.
Hosted by Gene Shay.
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
Sara Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion
Kim and Reggie Harris
ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Sara Lee Guthrie is the daughter of Arlo Guthrie and the granddaughter of Woody
Guthrie. She has performed extensively with her husband, Johnny Irion, making appearances at the Newport
Folk Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and in theaters, living rooms, and schools nationwide. Recently,
they accompanied Arlo Guthrie at Carnegie Hall, alongside Pete Seeger and the Dillards.
WEB: saraleeandjohnny.com
Kim and Reggie Harris are Philadelphia-born singers, songwriters, storytellers, educators, historical interpreters
and cultural advocates. Kim and Reggie began honing their unique voices and talents forming a “Bach to Rock”
approach that has become prevalent in their music. They have toured extensively over the past 25 years,
playing the likes of The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institute, The International Children’s Festival in
Canada, and have opened for Peter Seeger, Richie Havens, and the Indigo Girls. They are presenters at the John
F. Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts workshop program which provides educator training and arts events
encouraging the use of arts in the classroom.
WEB: kimandreggieharris.com
Julia Foulkes is the Chair of the Social Sciences department at The New School in New York City. She has served
as an advisor for the PBS documentary "Free to Dance" (2001) and has been a recipient of a Rockefeller
Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College Chicago and was
Scholar-in-Residence at the Rockefeller Archive Center and a Fulbright Senior Scholar affiliated with University
of Potsdam.
Morris Dickstein teaches literature and film at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York. He is a Distinguished
Professor of English at Queens College and at the Graduate Center, where he is also a senior fellow of the
Center for the Humanities. He is the author of numerous books on the history of American culture including his
most recent work, Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Depression, which will be published in
September of 2009. He is a contributing editor of Partisan Review and has published essays and reviews in
many prestigious magazines.
Gene Shay produces XPN's weekly folk show and is the founder and original emcee of the Philadelphia Folk
Festival. Gene has been deemed "The dean of American folk DJs" by The Philadelphia Daily News and "the
grandfather of Philadelphia Folk Music" by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
TICKET INFO: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First Person Members) $25, $30 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: SALON DU FESTIVAL,
WHO: Jennifer Baker, Stephen Salisbury, Ryan Brandenberg, Nimisha Ladva, Laura Jean Zito
TYPE OF EVENT: Performance, Literary
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Thursday, November 5
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Admission: In advance: $12, $15 after
10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15,
$20 after 10/25 (general public)
First Person Arts presents an evening of performances by four
outstanding memoir and documentary artists, including Philadelphia’s
own artist Jennifer Baker and her husband, Stephen Salisbury, who will
present their look at Northern Liberties. Ryan Brandenberg documented
the lives of those in New Orleans’ historic Ninth Ward the only way he
knows how, with a camera. Author Nimisha Ladva presents some of her
newest stories, while Laura Jean Zito shares her photos depicting her
status as a woman in a Muslim world.
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
In the early 1990s, Jennifer Baker began making monoprints of Northern Liberties, creating a visual record of
a neighborhood that was literally going up in flames. She presents that work – with accompanying essays by
her husband, journalist and author Stephan Salisbury – along with new paintings that depict the
neighborhood as it is today.
In the four years since Hurricane Katrina’s devastating floodwaters receded, increasing numbers of residents
have returned to New Orleans’ most vulnerable and damaged neighborhood, the Ninth Ward. Moved by
their resolve and eager to understand their motivations, photojournalist Ryan Brandenberg began
documenting the stories of a determined few who, initially displaced to locations around the country,
refused to be cast out.
Nimisha Ladva was a 2004 finalist in the First Person Arts Story Competition, which led to readings at Drexel
University and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That story, “Good Girls Don’t Stare” was published by the
British literary journal Stand, and her essay, “We Are Not Same Egg Twins” will be published by The
Connecticut Review in 2010. She shares some of her new work.
Laura Jean Zito is a Philadelphia based photographer on a mission, to preserve all that she can, through her
photographs and her gallery in Dahab, of the Sinai Bedouin's cultural heritage, intact since Biblical times until
its recent disintegration under the heavy impact of tourism. Winner of the Woodmere Museum's Prize for
Photography in this year's Annual Open Juried Exhibition, as well as that in their Annual Members' Exhibition
two years ago, she has also won the Purchase Prize in "Art of the State 2002" at the State Museum of
Pennsylvania and the Grand Prize in the Nikon Photo Contest International.
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person members), $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: HOW TO FIX THE WORLD, Film Screening
WHO: The Yes Men: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno
TYPE OF EVENT: Film screening, Q&A
WHEN:
Thursday, November 5
8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Admission: In advance: $12, $15 after
10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15,
$20 after 10/25 (general public)
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
DESCRIPTION:
Lie with a straight face. That's how you get
away with posing as a top executive,
manipulating the media, and fabricating
announcements to force
corporations to correct misdeeds, say The
Yes Men. Andy Bichlbaum and Mike
Bonanno (aka the Yes Men) are as
irreverent about the stunts they pull as they
are earnest about righting cultural wrongs.
Brainstorm with them about how to effect
change right here and now after watching
how they do it in The Yes Men Fix the World.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS: Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno are filmmakers and political activists who
impersonate corporate figures as a means of skewering greed and corruption. Their criticism of capitalism,
free trade, and the destruction of our planet is comedic entertainment that calls for serious action.
WEB: www.theyesmenfixtheworld.com
PRESS:
“It shines with raw wit and originality.” — Newsweek
“One of the funniest movies I've ever seen, and two of the ballsiest guys I've ever met. Thank God for the Yes
Men.” — Morgan Spurlock, director of Supersize Me
“Comedic vigilante justice… Media-savvy pie-to-the-face.” — USA Today
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person Arts members) $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public), Tickets
for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: SHELTER, Opening Night Reception
WHO: Rebuilding Together Philadelphia families and artist Damon Reeves
TYPE OF EVENT: Exhibition, Reception, Performance
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Friday, November 6
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Admission: FREE
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
Shelter is a multi-media exhibit
conceived and curated by Marianne
Bernstein. After Rebuilding Together
Philadelphia restored the homes of 10
families, 14 artists documented the
stories of the lives within those walls.
Meet the artists and the families and
learn what shelter means to each of
them.
Artist Damon Reaves will perform a new
work that combines audio and physical
action. The performance and his
Damon Reaves
drawings reflect conversations about
race and identity, interpreting shelter as “feeling at home in one's skin"
with both its protection and restrictions.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Damon Reaves is a Philadelphia based artist whose work has been seen throughout
Ohio, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. He received his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008.
Other Shelter artists include: Phillip Adams, Marianne Bernstein, Judy Gelles, John Broderick Heron, Danielle
Lessovitz, Nicholas Santore, Matthew Savitsky, Zoe Strauss, Katie Tachman and Eva Wylie.
WEB: www.damonreaves.com
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rebuilding Together Philadelphia is a local, independent affiliate of
Rebuilding Together, Inc., a national movement of volunteers acting as community builders in order to
prevent homelessness. RTI partners with communities to rehabilitate the homes of the elderly, disabled, and
low-income homeowners so they may continue to live in warmth, safety, and independence. Rebuilding
Together Philadelphia started in 1988 when Robert Bellinger and several fellow graduate students at The
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania took up the gauntlet and proved that business students
cared enough about the West Philadelphia community to make a difference. Since its inception, RTP has
expanded to include North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, the Frankford Section of Philadelphia,
Coatesville, Chester, Norristown, Glenside, and Roslyn.
WEB: www.rebuildingphilly.org
TICKET INFO: FREE. Information for this event can be found online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling
(267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: GOING TO EXTREMES
WHO: Todd Carmichael
TYPE OF EVENT: Presentation
WHEN:
Friday, November 6
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Admission: In advance: $12, $15 after
10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15,
$20 after 10/25 (general public)
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
DESCRIPTION:
In October 2009, Todd Carmichael is
attempting the first man-haul traverse of
Death Valley National Park. It is a 250 mile
walk through the second driest place on
earth, without the aid of machine or
animal, with no re-supplies, or
supplemental water. Just another quest in
the life of this 45-year old entrepreneur.
He returns to Philadelphia to report on his
exciting adventures.
Todd Carmichael
ABOUT THE PANELIST: Todd Carmichael is a 45-year-old entrepreneur (founder of La Colombe Coffee) and
high-risk adventurer who is also a passionate crusader for social and ecological causes. He has a decade-long
history of undertaking self-supported treks into challenging environments. To be true to his unwavering ethic
of low-carbon, self-sufficient travel, Carmichael takes only what he can carry on his back, or, in the case of
Antarctica, pull on a sled.
WEB: www.subzerosolo.com
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public) Tickets
for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (800) 838-3006 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: KARAOKE OBSESSED
WHO: Brian Raftery, Sara Sherr
TYPE OF EVENT: Presentation, Book signing, Karaoke
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Friday, November 6
9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Admission: In advance: $12, $15 after
10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15,
$20 after 10/25 (general public)
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
When Brian Raftery first stepped up to
the microphone, he had no idea it
would be a life-altering event. A selfproclaimed terrible singer, he kept on
singing and soon was traveling from
nearby U.S. cities to as far away as
Japan, pursuing an infatuation that grew
into a full-blown obsession.
Brian will share a few highlights from
that journey, then turn over the
program to Sara Sherr who will host an
evening of karaoke, First Person style—
with stories!
Brian Raftery
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Raftery is a contributing editor for Wired magazine. He has written about
popular culture for such publications as Spin, GQ, Esquire, and New York, interviewing everyone from
actor/musician Jack Black to Radiohead and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Most recently he explored the world of
karaoke in his book, Don’t Stop Believin’: How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life -- part
cultural history, part memoir. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Jenny.
WEB: www.brianraftery.com/blog
ABOUT THE HOST: Sara Sherr is a native Philadelphian and a diva of the Philly music scene. She runs
Karaoke that Doesn't Suck at the Khyber on Mondays, books shows for Tritone, writes music criticism for The
Daily News and other local papers, and performs with Bob and Barbara's Dumpsta Playas.
PRESS:
“I’m afraid to sing in public, and I’ve never understood why anyone would want to pursue that experience in
public. After reading this book, I’m no longer confused. I’m jealous.”
- Chuck Klosterman, author of Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs
“Brian Raftery’s book is a joy to read. Like a great night of karaoke, it’s fast-moving, vastly entertaining, and
occasionally really touching. Better yet, you don’t need to drink three whiskey sours to enjoy it.”
- A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person Members), $15, $20 (general public). Tickets for this event
can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: WORKSHOPS: Memoir Writing, Oral Storytelling, Digital Storytelling
WHO: August Tarrier, Tina Devine, Lisa Nelson-Haynes
TYPE OF EVENT: Food, Literary
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Saturday, November 7
9:00 am – noon
Admission: In advance: $20, $25 after
10/15 (First Person Arts members), $25,
$30 after 10/25 (general public)
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
August Tarrier, Tina Devine, and Lisa Nelson Haynes lead workshops
focusing on three different ways to tell a personal story: Memoir Writing
(with August Tarrier), Oral Storytelling (with Tina Devine), and Digital
Storytelling (with Lisa Nelson Haynes). The session starts off with an
introduction to storytelling as a craft, followed by workshops with one of
the three panelists.
Participants who wish to develop their projects further are invited to
return to more extensive workshops to be held in the weeks following the
First Person Festival.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
MEMOIR WRITING: August Tarrier is a former independent book store owner, who received her M.A. in
fiction and Ph.D. in English from Temple. She is Editor-in-Chief of New City Press and a Writer in Residence at
the University of Baltimore. She has recently completed a short story collection and a memoir.
ORAL STORYTELLING: Tina Devine has been performing original material, folkloric adaptations and literary
tales to a wide variety of audiences for over 15 years. Her engaging workshops help participants develop the
art of storytelling as an instrument of shared experience, community building, and social transformation as
well as a tool of self-revelation.
DIGITAL STORYTELLING: Lisa Nelson-Haynes is Associate Director of the Painted Bride Art Center and works
with the Center for Digital Storytelling as a workshop facilitator. A graduate of Hampton University, she has
completed her graduate coursework in film at Temple University.
TICKET INFO: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First Person Arts members), $25, $30 after 10/25 (general piublic),
Tickets for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: LIFE/STORY, Talking with Mark Bowden
WHO: Mark Bowden, Tracey Tannenbaum (interviewer)
TYPE OF EVENT: Literary, Q&A
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Saturday, November 7
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Admission: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First
Person Arts members), $15, $20 after
10/25 (general public)
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
Bestselling author, filmmaker and
journalist Mark Bowden, "a master of
narrative journalism," (The New York
Times Book Review) sits down with
Tracey Tanenbaum to discuss his life’s
work as a creator of spellbinding stories
about epic events. Learn how Bowden
takes a high-profile investigation from
news story to thrilling narrative.
Mark Bowden
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down, spent more than a year on The New York Times
bestseller list and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Bowden also worked on the screenplay for the
film adaptation, directed by Ridley Scott. He has written a dozen books, including Killing Pablo (about the
hunt for drug lord Pablo Escobar) and Guests of the Ayatollah (about the Iranian hostage crisis). He is a
regular contributor to The Atlantic and Vanity Fair and a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he
was a staff writer for 24 years. He lives in Oxford, PA with his family and 100 guinea hens.
ABOUT THE HOST: Tracey Tanenbaum has worked in public radio for more than fifteen years. Her
production credits include two of Philadelphia's best radio shows, "Fresh Air" and "World Cafe". Tracey has
reported on arts and culture for WXPN and created several series including "Musicians on the Record",
"Women Making Music" and "A Musician's Life". She has taught radio programming and production in
Romania, and closer to home in Philadelphia, where she lives with her husband and daughter.
PRESS:
“...Bowden's story has a vitality and freshness usually lacking in accounts of combat. He has written an
extraordinary book. It is also a shocking one.”
-- Brian Urquhart, The New York Review of Books
"Absolutely riveting. . . . Mark Bowden has a way of making modern nonfiction read like the best of novels." --The Denver Post
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15, $20 (general public), $15/$20. Tickets
for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: INSIDE THE WRITER’S NOTEBOOK
WHO: Ben Yagoda, A.J. Jacobs, Rachel Simon, Laurie Sandell
TYPE OF EVENT: Literary, Q&A
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Saturday, November 7
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Memoirist Ben Yagoda leads a conversation about the art of memoir writing
with three of today’s leading authors: A.J. Jacobs, Rachel Simon, and Laurie
Sandell. They’ll discuss the process of writing a memoir, talk about why and
how they do what they do, and read excerpts from their latest releases.
Admission: In advance: $12, $15 after
10/25 (First Person Arts members),
$15, $20 after 10/25 (general public)
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
A.J. Jacobs
Rachel Simon
Laurie Sandell
Photo by Luigi Ciufettelli Photo by William Garrett
Ben Yagoda
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
A.J. Jacobs is the New York-Times bestselling author of The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically. His
latest release, portions of which first appeared in Esquire, is The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment,
which he will read from and discuss again at 7:00 pm.
WEB: www.ajjacobs.com
Rachel Simon is best known for her critically acclaimed, bestselling memoir Riding The Bus With My Sister,
which was adapted as a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. The book has garnered numerous awards, and is a
frequent and much beloved selection of many book clubs, school reading programs, and city-wide reads
throughout the country. Her new book is Building a Home with My Husband.
WEB: www.rachelsimon.com
Laurie Sandell is a contributing editor at Glamour, where she writes cover stories, features, and personal
essays. She has also written for Esquire, GQ, New York, and InStyle, among other publications. Her graphic
memoir The Impostor’s Daughter: A True Memoir is her first book.
WEB: www.lauriesandell.com
Ben Yagoda has been an editor/writer at New Jersey Monthly and Philadelphia Magazine, movie critic at the
Philadelphia Daily News, and has written for the American Scholar, Boulevard, the Columbia Journalism Review,
Dissent, and Esquire. He teaches journalism in the English Department at the University of Delaware and helped
inaugurate a journalism minor there. He spends most of his writing time on books, and
Occasionally contributes essays and reviews for Slate, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the New York Times
Book Review, Stop Smiling, and other publications.
PRESS:
A.J. Jacobs’s The Year of Living Biblically:
"Funny and educational for those who've been playing hooky from church. Even better you get to sleep in on
the Sabbath."
--Entertainment Weekly
Rachel Simon’s Riding the Bus with My Sister:
“Slow down to savor Simon’s keen insights, humor, and evocative storytelling.”
--Newsday
"Funny and poignant...This is one bus you won't want to miss."
--Don Meyer, Director of The Sibling Support Project
Laurie Sandell’s The Imposter’s Daughter: A True Memoir:
“The Impostor’s Daughter is funny, frank, and absolutely engaging. It’s about truth and consequences and
families and men and women and fame and, well, life itself. It’s wonderful.”
--Susan Orlean, author The Orchid Thief
“…Sandell's method of storytelling is marvelously unique and will surely spark imitators.”
--Publishers Weekly
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person Arts members), $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets
for this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: ANIMAL MAGNETISM
WHO: Rita Mae Brown
TYPE OF EVENT: Literary, Q&A
WHEN:
Saturday, November 7
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
In advance: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $15, $20 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Presentation, Q&A, book
signing
DESCRIPTION:
Rita Mae Brown makes a special
appearance to share anecdotes from her
latest memoir, Animal Magnetism: My
Life with Creatures Great and Small.
From Franklin, a parrot with a wicked
sense of humor, to her most beloved
cat, Sneaky Pie, this appearance is a
testament to the love and lessons she
has learned through her lifelong
relationship with animals.
Rita Mae Brown
Photo by Danielle A. Durkin
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
Sponsored by PAWS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rita Mae Brown is one of the founders of the modern LGBT movement and author of
the landmark novel, Rubyfruit Jungle. She has authored two animal-featured mystery series, dozens of other
novels and memoirs, has co-authored a cookbook with her feline co-author, Sneaky Pie, and is an Emmynominated screenwriter and poet. She lives in Virginia, where she keeps hounds, horses and other creatures
that are dear to her.
WEB: www.ritamaebrown.com
PRESS:
Rubyfruit Jungle:
"I found myself laughing hysterically, then sobbing uncontrollably just moments later. A powerful story ... A
truly incredible book."
-- The Boston Globe
"Molly Bolt is a genuine descendant -- genuine female descendant -- of Huckleberry Finn. And Rita Mae
Brown is, like Mark Twain, a serious writer who gets her messages across through laughter."
-- Donna E. Shalala, former Secretary of Health and Human Services
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person members) $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8. 2009
WHAT: OBSOLETE AND WHINING, Film Screening and Book Signing
WHO: Anna Jane Grossman, Cecilia Smith
TYPE OF EVENT: Film Screening, Book Signing, Q&A
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Saturday, November 7
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Admission: FREE
Includes: Film screening, book signing,
Q&A
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
The dustbin of modern history is
overflowing with "once-common things
passing us by." Anna Jane Grossman’s
quirky book, Obsolete, explores the
good old ways of payphones, rolodexes,
and cursive writing. She shares program
with Cecilia Smith, who screens her
short documentary about the
Philadelphia Complaint Choir -- the
oddball event that premiered at the
2008 Festival and lives on in cyberspace.
Anna Jane Grossman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anna Jane Grossman is a freelance writer specializing in lifestyle and arts and
entertainment features. Her work has appeared in dozens of publications, including the New York Times,
Salon.com, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Marie Claire, New York, and Fortune. In 2004, she co-founded
the website BreakupNews, a highly-praised site that spoofed traditional wedding announcements by
“announcing” the breakups of average Joes and celebrities. The site inspired the co-writing of the 2006
breakup guide book It's Not Me, It's You. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
WEB: www.annajane.net
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: Cecilia Smith is a recent graduate of the journalism program at New York
University. She lives in Connecticut and this is her first film.
PRESS:
It’s Not Me, It’s You:
"A cross between a guidebook and a bitch session, with healthy doses of sympathy and pathos throughout."
-- Woodstock Times
TICKET INFO: FREE. Information for this event can be found online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling
(267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
Error!
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: THE GUINEA PIG DIARIES
WHO: A.J. Jacobs
TYPE OF EVENT: Literary, Book Signing, Q&A
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Saturday, November 7
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
In advance: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $15, $20 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Presentation, Q&A, book
signing)
WHERE:
A.J. Jacobs, 40 year-old male journalist
and author, posed nude, outsourced his
life, mastered online dating and became
a slave to his wife -- all in the name of a
day's work. Jacobs will read from his
latest book of essays, The Guinea Pig
Diaries, delving into his hilarious
adventures as a human guinea pig. Hear
about his forays into the other personas,
and volunteer for an experiment
specially designed by Jacobs.
AJ Jacobs
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A.J. Jacobs is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Know-It-All and The
Year of Living Biblically. He is Editor-At-Large at Esquire magazine and has appeared on Oprah, The Today
Show, and Good Morning America. He grew up and lives in New York City, where he is at work on his next
book, The Healthiest Human Being in the World.
WEB: www.ajjacobs.com
PRESS:
The Year of Living Biblically:
"Funny and educational for those who've been playing hooky from church. Even better you get to sleep in on
the Sabbath."
--Entertainment Weekly
"Often laugh-out-loud funny, and nearly always painfully honest."
--The Onion A.V. Club
"Both laugh out loud funny and enlightening…an entirely absorbing read."
--People magazine (Four stars out of four)
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person members) $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
Error!
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: GRAND SLAM
WHO: StorySlam Winners
TYPE OF EVENT: Performance
WHEN:
Saturday, November 7
9:00 pm - 8:00 pm
In advance: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $15, $20 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Presentation, Q&A, book
signing
DESCRIPTION:
Winners of First Person's much-adored, monthly StorySlams bring their
best stories to the stage for the championship round. Be there as these
top-notch raconteurs battle it out for the title of “Best Story Teller in
Philadelphia”. Advance purchase recommended; this event is expected
to sell out.
Advance Purchase Recommended
Sponsored by Beau Monde/L’Etage
Cabaret
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
ABOUT THE EVENT:
First Person StorySlams are a monthly, real-life-storytelling competition co-sponsored by L’Etage at 6th &
Bainbridge Streets in Philadelphia. Each month’s theme elicits stories that come from the life experiences of
Philly’s storytellers. Who are these local tale spinners? Everyone with a story and a little sense of competition
is encouraged to participate. Stories must be 5 minutes or less in duration.
Every potential storyteller’s name will be put into a bucket – ten names are drawn from the bucket, and each
contestant is given five minutes on the mic to tell a story and win the crowd. ‘Judges’ are audience members
who score the performers on a ten-point scale. Nine storytellers receive funny thanks-for-trying prizes, and
the one highest-scoring participant wins a prize and the Golden Ticket – an invitation to November’s Grand
Slam, which will pit the monthly winners against one another in the battle for the title of Philadelphia’s Best
Storyteller.
WEB: www.firstpersonarts.org
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person members) $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-204
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: THE GIRL FROM FOREIGN, Film Screening
WHO: Sadia Shepard
TYPE OF EVENT: Film screening, Q&A, lunch, concert
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Sunday, November 8
Noon – 2:00 pm
In advance: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $25, $30 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Film screening, Q&A, lunch,
concert
Sponsored by Ekta Indian Restaurant
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
Sadia Shepard, daughter of a
Christian/American father and
Muslim/Pakistani mother,
understood the complexities of a
multi-cultural household. What
made her melting pot overflow
was the discovery that her
grandmother had been born
Jewish. Compelled to reclaim her
roots, she traveled to India to
discover the history of the Jews
of India, believed to be
descendents of the lost tribes of
Israel. She brings this journey to
life in her memoir The Girl from
Foreign and her film In Search of
the Bene Israel, which she
presents at the festival.
Sadia Shepard
Lenny Seidman Tabla Choir
Photo by Roman Blazic
Featuring music by Lenny Seidman Tabla Choir and a buffet by
Ekta Indian Restaurant.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/FILMMAKER: Sadia Shepard received a BA from Wesleyan University, an MA from
Stanford University and was a Fulbright Scholar to India in 2001. Her writing has appeared in the Washington
Post, New York Times, The Forward and Indian Express. Her film In Search of the Bene Israel screened at the
2009 New York Jewish Film Festival at Lincoln Center and is currently touring Jewish film festivals around the
world. She was a producer of The September Issue, a documentary about the making of Vogue magazine,
which won the Excellence in Cinematography Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. She teaches creative
non-fiction writing at Columbia University and lectures widely about growing up in an interfaith home.
WEB: www.sadiashepard.com
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS: The Lenny Seidman Tabla Choir formed in 1996 as part of Spoken Hand
Percussion Orchestra which began in the same year. The tabla choir explores the melodic, harmonic,
dynamic, textural and compositional potential of several tabla players. Seidman has received two
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowships and an Independence Foundation Fellowship for creative work.
He was commissioned by Phrenic New Ballet to compose a new piece for choreographer Christine Cox's
"Tabula Rasa" and by Kim Arrow for his "Quasimodo in the Outback". He has been a guest artist and tabla
instructor at Swarthmore College since 1998, where he created several compositions for tabla/gamelan and
tabla/taiko ensembles and co-directed their performances. Sediman is the World Music and Jazz curator at
Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia.
PRESS:
“The Girl From Foreign is a meditation on how our individual memories inevitably slip away, either into
oblivion or into that dull collective consciousness we call history…. What a rich tapestry of theology, art,
emotions and forgotten lore she's uncovered!”
-- Washington Post
“In this elegantly crafted memoir, the author sets out to fulfill her grandmother’s dying wish that she learn
about her heritage….[Shepard’s] writing is vivid and her meditations on heritage and grief are moving.”
-- The New Yorker
"A deeply moving journey across boundaries that most others find uncrossable, and into depths of human
meaning that are rarely plumbed. An important and timely book."
--James Carroll, author of Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews—A History
TICKET INFO: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First Person members) $25, $30 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: L.W.O.P.: Life Without Parole
WHO: Kenneth Hartman
TYPE OF EVENT: Videotaped Reading, Q&A
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Sunday, November 8
2:00-3:00 pm
Admission: FREE
Includes: Videotaped reading, Q&A
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
In 1980, Kenneth E. Hartman was sentenced to life in prison for a brutal
murder he committed at age 19. His violent behavior persisted for years
behind bars until he eventually he transformed himself into to a student
of philosophy, a reader of books, a self-taught authority on prison law,
and became a husband and a father. He is now a writer and activist,
devoted to the moral and practical necessity of reforming the American
correctional system. Join us for a videotaped reading by Mr. Hartman
from his memoir, Mother
California, followed by a
Q&A from the California
State Prison in LA.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kenneth Hartman is a writer and prison reform advocate. He won the 2004 Power of Purpose Awards and
a 2005 Maggie Award. Hartman is serving a life sentence at California State Prison, Los Angeles County.
TICKET INFO: FREE. Information for this event can be found online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling
(267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE,
Philadelphia Premiere Screening
WHO: Sarah Kunstler, Emily Kunstler
TYPE OF EVENT: Film Screening, Q&A
WHEN:
Sunday, November 8
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
In advance: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $15, $20 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Film screening, Q&A
WHERE:
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
DESCRIPTION:
William Kunstler is revered by
activists for taking on the establishment (the
Chicago Seven, Attica, the stand-off at
Wounded Knee). He later invited contempt
by defending people accused of rape,
murder, organized crime, terrorism and was
accused of taking cases for the sake of
publicity, not justice. Emily Kunstler talks
with civil rights attorney David Rudovsky
about legal ethics and Kuntsler’s
complicated legacy in a screening and
discussion of their provocative film: William
Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Emily Kunstler, daughter of William Kunstler, is an activist and a documentary filmmaker, who attended
Vassar College and graduated from NYU with a BFA in Film and Video. She worked as a video producer for
Democracy Now! and was an associate producer on Alison Maclean’s Persons of Interest (Sundance, 2004).
Together with sister, Sarah, she formed Off Center Media, a documentary production company that exposes
injustice in the criminal justice system.
WEB: www.off-center.com
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person members) $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: SWEET TEA
WHO: E. Patrick Johnson
TYPE OF EVENT: Performance, Book Signing, Q&A
WHEN:
DESCRIPTION:
Sunday November 8
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
In advance: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $15, $20 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Performance, book signing,
Q&A
WHERE:
In a staged reading based on his book
Sweet Tea, performance artist and author
E. Patrick Johnson gives voice to a group
that has been politely concealed: gay,
black men born, raised, and living in the
South. The narratives he brings to life are
based on interviews with men of different
generations, showing how they navigate
"good old" southern customs to legitimate
themselves as members of southern and
black cultures.
E. Patrick Johnson
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: E. Patrick Johnson is Chair of Performance Studies and Professor of African American
Studies at Northwestern University. He developed the solo performance from the narratives he collected for
his book Sweet Tea. He and has published widely in areas of race, class and gender, and performance. His
2003 book, Appropriating Blackness: Performance and the Politics of Authenticity, won several awards.
WEB: http://www.soc.northwestern.edu/epjohnson/
TICKET INFO: $12, $15 after 10/25 (First Person members) $15, $20 after 10/25 (general public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling 800-838-3006.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043
THE 8th ANNUAL FIRST PERSON FESTIVAL
OF MEMOIR AND DOCUMENTARY ART
NOVEMBER 3-8, 2009
WHAT: STILL BILL, Philadelphia Premiere Film Screening
WHO: Damani Baker, Alex Vlack
TYPE OF EVENT: Screening, Q&A, Concert
DESCRIPTION:
WHEN:
Sunday November 8
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
In advance: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First
Person members), $25, $30 after 10/25
(general public)
Includes: Film screening, Q&A, concert
WHERE:
For 23 years, Bill Withers (“Lean On Me”,
“Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Just the Two of Us”)
shunned the spotlight and refused all
interviews -- until filmmakers Damani
Baker and Alex Vlack convinced him to tell
his story. Still Bill gives us an inside look at
Bill Wither's life and personality, tells why
he stopped performing at the peak of his
career and who he is today. An amazing
portrait of an icon who never gave up his
soul.
Bill Withers
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Damani Baker was selected by Filmmaker Magazine as one of "25 new faces in independent film." He directs
documentaries, music videos, and advertisements. His documentaries include Grenada: A Dream Deferred
and Return, an award-winning film about the genius of traditional African medicine. Baker directed music
videos for Maiysha’s single “Wanna Be”, nominated for a 2009 Grammy, and Morley’s “Women of Hope”,
inspired by pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.
Alex Vlack co-founded Late Night and Weekends with director Andrew Zuckerman, where they make
documentaries, commercials, branded content, books, media installations and narrative films. Credits include
campaigns and content for Puma, BMW and Wired; films for New York Times television and NOVA; and a
short film, High Falls, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won Best Narrative Short at the
Woodstock Film Festival.
TICKET INFO: $20, $25 after 10/25 (First Person Members) $25, $30 after 10/25 (General Public). Tickets for
this event can be purchased online at www.firstpersonarts.org or by calling (267) 402-2055.
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First Person Arts ▪ www.firstpersonarts.org
One South Broad St. 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 ▪ Tel: (267) 402-2055 ▪ Fax: (267) 402-2043