When Salman Rushdie takes the stage at The Historic Theater this Wednesday October 10 at 7:30, I’ll be sitting at the edge of my seat waiting to get a glimpse into the mind of this extraordinary man. One of the most celebrated writers of our time, Rushdie catapulted to worldwide fame in 1989 when the Ayatollah Khomeini declared his novel The Satanic Verses” offensive to Islam and issued a “fatwa” that sentenced him to death. For the next 10 years, Rushdie lived in hiding under the pseudonym Joseph Anton. And even now, although the Iranian government renounced the fatwah in 1998, Rushdie continues to receive death threats.Read More
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Chuck Palahniuk has been amazing readers with his writing for almost two decades, starting with his 1996 debut, Fight Club, right up to his 2010 release, Tell-All. Palahniuk’s books are gritty and gripping, and his new one, Damned, is no exception. The novel follows Madison, a young dead girl assigned to an afterlife in Hell, as she journeys to confront Satan about her situation. Chuck will be appearing at the Music Hall on Thursday, November 3, as part of the Writers on a New England Stage series. He recently took the time to answer a few questions about Damned, the afterlife, and the future of print books.Read More
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by Chris Bohjalian
Not long ago, I was in my basement, which is the scariest place on earth. We’re talking “Silence of the Lambs” scary, “Night of the Living Dead” scary, “lion and tigers and bears, oh my” scary. It’s not merely that a sizable chunk of the floor is dirt, which means that with all the rain we’ve had this summer it’s like quicksand down there. It’s not the fact that there is a Gordian knot of tubes and pipes along the ceiling (which is little more than a crawlspace in some sections), some of which carry water and some of which carry LP gas to heat the house.
It’s the door.Read More
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We caught up with Ben Mezrich, author of The Accidental Billionaires (the basis of the movie The Social Network) in Las Vegas, where he was guest at “the ultimate bachelor party” for one of his friends…and one of the featured characters in his 2003 book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (made into the movie 21). He’s soon to be on the road for his new book Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History. coming to The Music Hall for Writers on a New England Stage on Thursday, July 21. Here’s his report from the fast lane…Read More
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Citizens Bank is the first corporation on board for early, major sponsorship of programming in The Music Hall Loft: The Center for Performing Arts, Literature and Education
The Music Hall, soon to expand from its Victorian landmark theater into a downtown Loft space, recently announced Citizens Bank has signed on as the presenting sponsor for one of the Loft’s new signature series, Writers in the Loft. The bank’s $10,000 sponsorship is the first major funding for a program in the new Loft space, which will open this spring with performances beginning in April, 2011.
“Citizens Bank’s early commitment is thrilling. They have stepped forward at a very exciting time for The Music Hall and for Portsmouth,” said Patricia Lynch, Executive Director of The Music Hall. “As one of the Loft’s first sponsors, the Bank has signaled powerfully their support of the arts and demonstrated its support of the community.”
Kathleen Reardon, SVP and Director of Public Affairs & Community Investment at Citizens Bank, got an early look at the Loft space and was impressed with the plan for programming. “The energy around the Loft space and its schedule is compelling. The Music Hall has debuted many successful programs during the past few years, and we feel confident that the soon-to-be-launched Writers in the Loft series will follow suit,” said Reardon. “This literary program and the Loft space overall will impact the community in very positive ways, giving readers access to authors and the literary arts which they can get nowhere else,” she added.Read More
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