Event

October 10 Creative Conversations: Activists, Artists, Authors

Creative Conversations, our newest series, features inspiring activists, artists, and authors in an intimate setting, and addresses timely, top-of-mind social and environmental issues. Different from ordinary speaker series, the programs are conversation-driven, and incorporate a variety of creative elements, such as film and artistic performance, to increase impact and engage the audience in a multi-faceted way. At the core of the program is to inspire and explore new ideas, and to promote the importance of translating ideas into action.

The inaugural program in this new series will feature Liz Murray, author of the just-released book Breaking Night, a compelling memoir of Liz's journey from living homeless to graduating from Harvard. In her first West Coast appearance, Liz will join Executive Director Lee Bycel in conversation about her remarkable story. The program will include a short film, and actively draw local artists and activists into the dialogue.

More about Liz's book: Breaking Night is the gripping memoir of a young woman who refused to settle for the circumstances she was born into. In the tradition of The Glass Castle, Murray recounts her harrowing childhood in a riveting narrative that's utterly without self-pity. Left homeless at 15 after her mother's death from AIDS, Liz summoned the will to complete high school while living on the streets. Ultimately, she was accepted to Harvard University, where she attended classes for three years before taking time off to care for her father, who eventually also died of AIDS. A movie about her life, Homeless to Harvard, was made by Lifetime in 2003. Liz graduated from Harvard in June 2009 and is now applying to graduate schools.

The evening will conclude with a book signing. Books will be available for purchase from local bookseller A Great Good Place for Books.