Download - Arts & Letters Live 2013 Brochure
22nd season | january–june 2013
A celebration of the literary and performing arts
featuring acclaimed authors, actors, illustrators,
musicians, and more
for your informationPurchase Tickets, Subscriptions, and Books
• Online:DMA.org/ticketsunlessotherwisenoted• Byphone:214-922-1818• Bymail:Foraprintableorderform,visitDMA.org/ALL.• Whenorderingyourtickets,supporttheMuseumStoreand
pre-orderyourbooksonlineorbyphoneforpickupatWillCall.
Subscriber Benefits (people buying four or more events)
• Advancebookingprivilegesfortheupcomingseason
Annual Series Supporter Benefits (see page 23 for details)
• DiscountintheMuseumStore• Reservedseating• Invitationstoprivatereceptionsanddinnerswithauthors
All programs and participants are subject to change.
make a night of it!• ShowyourArts&LettersLiveticketandreceivea10%discountat
Cafe des Artistes,aLombardiFamilyConceptsrestaurantinOneArts
Plaza.Valid only on the date of the event and does not cover alcohol, tax, or gratuity.
• Enjoyaglassofwineorcasualdinnerofsandwiches,salads,and
soupsintheDMACafepriortoArts&LettersLiveevents.Proceeds
benefitDMAprograms.
• Takeadvantageofspecialpackagesthatincludeeventticketsand
anovernightstayatThe Adolphus.Formoreinformation,visit
hoteladolphus.comorcall800-221-9083.
For information on venues, parking, where to eat, services for the hearing impaired, and the Museum Store, visit DMA.org.
Staff:Director of Programming and Arts & Letters Live:Carolyn Bess; Program Manager, Arts & Let-
ters Live, and Producer, Texas Bound:Katie Hutton; Audience Relations Coordinator:Hayley Dyer;
Administrative Coordinator:Carolyn Hartley; McDermott Intern:Emily Brown
1
redan inside look at the art and life of mark rothko
thursday, january 17, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
“There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend. . . .
One day the black will swallow the red.” Iconic artist
Mark Rothko utters those words of foreshadowing
to his assistant Ken in John Logan’s play Red, which
won six Tony Awards in 2010. In the play, set in New
York in 1958, Rothko undertakes a new commission
for the Four Seasons restaurant, and his newly hired
assistant challenges the master’s theories.
Dallas Theater Center is mounting a production of
Red from February 7 to March 24, turning the ninth
floor of the Wyly Theatre into Rothko’s Bowery studio
for a thrilling bio-drama as vivid as any primary color.
DTC is collaborating with the Dallas Museum of Art by
fostering dialogue about Rothko’s process, paintings,
and persona among staff of both organizations and
audiences as well.
At this event, audiences will get a glimpse into
Rothko’s art and life as well as a sneak peek into the
production of Red, featuring actor Kieran Connolly
as Rothko and Jordan Brodess as Ken. Maxwell L.
Anderson, The Eugene McDermott Director of the
Dallas Museum of Art, will moderate an onstage
conversation with:
Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, Director of Conservation
at the Whitney Museum and the founding director
of the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art
at Harvard University Museums. She directed the
restoration of the Rothko Chapel in Houston and has
written on the techniques of Rothko, Cy Twombly,
Jackson Pollock, and Barnett Newman.
Joel Ferrell, Associate Artistic Director at the Dallas
Theater Center and director of Red.
Ticket Price
$5
Reserve your seats online at
DMA.org/tickets.
Mark Rothko, Orange, Red and Red, 1962, oil
on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr.
and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows
Foundation, Incorporated, 1968.9, © 2012 Kate
Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko/Artists
Rights Society (ARS), New York
artful musings
2
michael ennisfriday, january 18, 7:00 p.m. horchow auditorium
Michael Ennis is the author of the New York Times best-
selling historical thriller The Malice of Fortune. The book
is inspired by the real-life assassination of Juan Borgia,
an illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, and a series
of serial-killer murders. The story follows Niccolò
Machiavelli, future author of The Prince, and Leonardo
da Vinci as they come together to solve a string of
murders, while complex and deadly Borgia politics
play out in the background.
In this meticulously researched book written over a
period of twelve years, Ennis superimposes his story
seamlessly onto the actual historical timeline. Author
Glenn Cooper praised the book, saying, “Michael Ennis
brings a scholar’s mind and a writer’s heart to this
beautifully crafted work of Renaissance intrigue that
has a rare quality of feeling ancient and modern at
the same time. A powerful, thinking man’s thriller.”
The Malice of Fortune was named to Publishers Weekly’s
list of “Best Books of Fall 2012.”
After initially being rejected by multiple publishers,
Ennis and his agent printed their own galleys and sent
them to independent booksellers across the country.
The praise they received from these booksellers was
astonishing and, armed with their passionate support,
Ennis’s agent again submitted the book. This time,
the book was snapped up by Doubleday and eleven
foreign publishers.
Michael Ennis taught art history at the University of
Texas, developed museum programs as a Rockefeller
Foundation Fellow at the Dallas Museum of Art, and
worked as an independent curator and consultant. His
nonfiction writing on subjects ranging from politics to
art and architecture has won several national awards
and has been featured in Esquire, Texas Monthly, Art
News, and Architectural Digest. He lives in Dallas.
stew
art
co
hen
Fresh Ink events are FREE.
Order tickets in advance to
guarantee your seat.
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
fresh ink
3
making pictures and other storiesfriday, february 8, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Photographer and filmmaker Nic Nicosia has been
making directorial photographs for over thirty years.
He uses his camera to mimic reality, creating serial
scenes that are deliberately artificial yet curiously
enigmatic. Through the use of elaborate sets, cos-
tumes, and backdrops, he creates a sort of playful
tromp l’oeil that makes the viewer do a double take
and wonder, “How did he do that?”
His new publication, Nic Nicosia, is the definitive cata-
logue on his entire body of work. It showcases images
from all of his major series, and includes essays by
Sue Graze, the Director Emeritus of Arthouse at
the Jones Center, who will moderate this event, and
Michelle White, Curator of the Menil Collection, who
will discuss Nicosia’s work in a broader context.
At this event, Nicosia will share insight into his work-
ing habits and creative process while discussing se-
lected images from Nic Nicosia. Philipp Meyer, author
of American Rust (on Newsweek’s “Best. Books. Ever.”
list), will then reveal the inspiration behind his new
short story that powerfully resonates with the sense
of wonder and menace in Nicosia’s art. The story de-
buts in the Nic Nicosia catalogue. This impressive duo
of Nicosia and Meyer reminds us of the importance of
imagination in the worlds of art and literature, and
how one can influence and stimulate the other.
Nicosia’s work has been exhibited at multiple bienni-
als, and his photographs are owned by many premier
museums, including the Dallas Museum of Art. He
received the coveted Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010.
Meyer is on Granta’s list of “Best Young American Nov-
elists” and has been named one of the best 20 writers
under 40 by the New Yorker.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Ticket and book combo $75
(Buy the book and attend the
event for free!)
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
artful musings
4
texas bound imonday, february 11, 7:00 p.m. Earlier time! horchow auditorium
Reis McCormick reads her essay The Shape of Things
to Come
Matt Bomer reads Ron Carlson’s Milk
Allison Pistorius reads Siobhan Fallon’s Gold Star
Stephen Tobolowsky reads his essay F.A.Q., answers
questions, and signs books
About the actors:
Reis McCormick joins Texas Bound this season as a writer
and performer. Recent television and film credits include
AMC’s Emmy-winning hit Breaking Bad, and two feature films.
McCormick teaches Creative Process to actors and filmmakers
at K.D. College Conservatory in Dallas, and she recently finished
writing her first documentary narrative, “Cowboys of Color.”
Allison Pistorius has recently been seen in Twelfth Night
(Olivia) at Shakespeare Dallas and Much Ado About Nothing
(Beatrice), as part of the Complete Works reading series,
presented by the AT&T Performing Arts Center and produced
by Shakespeare Dallas. Other highlights include Helena
(A Midsummer Night’s Dream), RosaLaBella/Blanca (The House
of the Spirits), Rosalind (As You Like It), and Belle/Norah (Ah,
Wilderness!). She holds an MFA from the National Theatre
Conservatory.
Stephen Tobolowsky is a Dallas native and one of the leading
character actors in film today. USA Today listed him as the
ninth most frequently seen actor in movies: he has appeared
in over one hundred movies and two hundred television shows.
Tobolowsky is best known for his work in Glee, Groundhog Day,
Memento, Seinfeld, and Heroes. He wrote and performed the
comic documentary film Stephen Tobolowsky’s Birthday Party and
wrote True Stories with David Byrne and Beth Henley. His first
book, The Dangerous Animals Club, was released in September.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Don’t miss other Texas Bound programs
on April 1 and May 6.
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
jim
brit
t
texas bound
5
jon scieszkasaturday, february 23, 7:00 p.m. horchow auditorium
There was never a dull moment in the Scieszka house-
hold. One of six brothers growing up in Michigan, Jon
Scieszka says he had to fight in order to survive the
dinner table ruckus. “I would make everyone laugh
and then make a grab for another piece of chicken,”
he says. But the laughter didn’t stop there. His books
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky
Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales are his inside-
out versions of the popular fairy tales.
Scieszka is also the founder of Guys Read, a web-based
literacy program to encourage a passion for reading
among boys, with the philosophy that boys love to
read most when they are reading things they love.
His Internet savvy is also displayed in his Spaceheadz
series, which combines reading with media technol-
ogy. The series follows Michael K., whose best friends
in the fifth grade are aliens who are on a mission to
convince 3.14 million (and 1!) kids to be Spaceheads.
Booklist says of his third and latest Spaceheadz book,
“With plenty of twists, lots of well-timed comic noises,
and even a hilarious section narrated by Major Fluffy,
this is sure to delight fans, while recruiting new ones.
Another laugh factory between covers.”
In 2008 Scieszka was named the first-ever National
Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the
Library of Congress. As ambassador, Scieszka toured
the country to raise awareness about the importance
of children’s literature in fostering a lifelong joy of
reading and learning. Some perks of the job: being
ambassador got him out of parking tickets, and he
was given a pretty fancy medallion.
BooksmART events are FREE.
Order tickets in advance to
guarantee your seat.
Reserve online at
DMA.org/tickets.
mar
ty u
man
s
booksmART
artful musings
6
art spiegelmanwednesday, february 27, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Art Spiegelman has almost single-handedly brought
comic books out of the toy closet and onto the
literature shelves. In 1992 he won the Pulitzer Prize for
his masterful Holocaust narrative MAUS—a comic-
book chronicle of his parents’ experience during the
Holocaust. The book was hailed by Jules Feiffer as “a
remarkable work, awesome in its conception and
execution . . . at one and the same time a novel, a
documentary, a memoir and a comic book. Brilliant.
Just brilliant.”
MAUS II continued the incredible story of his parents’
survival of the Nazi regime and their lives later in
America. His comics are best known for their shifting
graphic styles, formal complexity, and controversial
content.
In 2004 he completed a two-year cycle of broadsheet-
sized color comics pages, In the Shadow of No Towers.
Published in book form by Pantheon, it appeared on
many national bestseller lists and was selected by the
New York Times Book Review as one of the 100 Notable
Books of 2004.
He also worked as a staff artist and writer for the New
Yorker from 1993 to 2003, and in 2005 he was named
one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
A major exhibition of his work was arranged by the
Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art as part of
the 15 Masters of 20th Century Comics exhibition.
At this event, his topic will be What the %@&*! Hap-
pened to Comics? Spiegelman will take us on a chrono-
logical tour of the history and evolution of comics, all
the while explaining the value of this medium and
why it should not be ignored.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
Become an Annual Series
Supporter at the $500 level or
above and enjoy an intimate
pre-event reception with Art
Spiegelman.
nad
jia
spie
gelm
an
7
peter reynoldsfriday, march 15, 7:00 p.m. horchow auditorium
Beloved children’s author Peter Reynolds’ goal is to
turn cannots into can-dos. The New York Times bestsell-
ing author and illustrator is a stalwart supporter of
creativity, encouraging even the most unimaginative
readers to take a chance and believe in their unique
abilities. “Nothing irks me more than seeing a person’s
creativity get shut down,” Reynolds says. “Through
my books, I want to help give kids—and grown-up
kids—the vocabulary to protect their exploration in
art, writing, and thinking.”
Author and illustrator of over thirty-five books for
children, Reynolds continues to inspire readers with
award-winning books such as Plant a Kiss and Someday,
both of which deal with the power of love. His popular,
bestselling “Creatrilogy,” which includes The Dot, Ish,
and Sky Color, offers insight into self-expression, the
importance of trying, and thinking outside the box.
In his latest book, The Museum, Reynolds teams up
with author Susan Verde to celebrate the inspiration
that comes from visiting a museum. Their young fe-
male protagonist tours galleries, connecting different
styles of art to unique emotions and ideas. Arriving at
an empty canvas, she is motivated to create her own
individual work of art. The Museum will show children
of all ages that museums can be fun and stimulating.
“I am hoping that children and . . . grown-up children will be
moved as they read my work. . . . I want them to put their
dreams into action.” —Peter Reynolds
booksmART
Tickets to BooksmART events are FREE.
Order tickets in advance to
guarantee your seat.
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
8
selected shorts: april foolerymonday, april 1, 7:00 p.m. Earlier time! horchow auditorium
Linda Lavin reads David Schickler’s Wes Amerigo¹s
Giant Fear
Denis O’Hare reads Dave Eggers’ Your Mother and I
Christina Pickles reads Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the
Slaughter
Join us this April Fool’s Day for an evening of wacky
tales.
About the actors:
Linda Lavin is a Tony and Emmy Award–winning actor, singer,
producer, and director. She recently performed on Broadway
in The Lyons, for which she received her sixth Tony Award
nomination. She is perhaps best known for her title role in the
hit TV series Alice (1976–85), for which she won two Golden
Globe awards and received an Emmy nomination. Other credits
include The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The O. C.
Lavin lives in New York and teaches master classes in the
performing arts at NYU.
Denis O’Hare, perhaps best known as Russell in the HBO hit
series True Blood, has also appeared in Law & Order, Brothers and
Sisters, The Good Wife, Charlie Wilson’s War, Changeling, Milk, and
Omer Fast’s video 5000 Feet Is the Best, a work recently acquired
by the Dallas Museum of Art. O’Hare won a Tony for Best Actor
in the play Take Me Out in 2003 and has also been nominated
for an Emmy. He lives in New York.
Christina Pickles is an Emmy-nominated British actor who is
perhaps best known for her roles as Nurse Helen Rosenthal on
St. Elsewhere and Judy Geller on Friends. Her films include Legends
of the Fall and Romeo and Juliet.
Selected Shorts on KERA 90.1
On Saturdays at 7:00 p.m., tune in to the award-
winning public radio series featuring classic and
bold new stories read by acclaimed actors.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Don’t miss other Texas Bound programs
on February 11 and May 6.
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
texas bound
9
visual versein celebration of national poetry month
wednesday, april 3, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Paul Muldoon was born in Northern Ireland and
studied at Queen’s University in Belfast under poet
Seamus Heaney, who has since deemed him “one of
the best.” Recurring themes of political and social
relevance inform his poems, as do family anecdotes.
His book Moy Sand and Gravel won the 2003 Pulitzer
Prize and the International Griffin Poetry Prize. He is
best known for his dry wit as well as his “visual clarity
and verbal panache.” The New York Observer said, “Paul
Muldoon is one of the great readers alive today. His
voice alters with every change in tone and he’ll often
pace around a room, his whole body responding to his
intricate rhythms.”
Muldoon has written libretti, rock lyrics for his own
band, and many books for children. His forthcoming
poetry collection, The Word on the Street (February 2013),
is a book of rock lyrics, some performed by Wayside
Shrines, the music collective of which he is a member.
Their themes range from lost love and lost wars to
icons as varied as Oedipus and Charlton Heston.
Muldoon serves as poetry editor of the New Yorker
and as a professor at Princeton University.
Nikky Finney was born in South Carolina and came
of age during the civil rights and Black Arts move-
ments. At Talladega College, Finney began to under-
stand the powerful synergy between art and history.
She has authored four books of poetry: Head Off & Split
(2011, winner of the National Book Award), The World Is
Round (2003), Rice (1995), and On Wings Made of Gauze
(1985). After her National Book Award acceptance
speech, host John Lithgow remarked, “That was the
best acceptance speech for anything I’ve ever heard in
my life.” Finney is the Guy Davenport Endowed Profes-
sor of English at the University of Kentucky.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
At this event, both poets will
premiere new poems inspired by
works of art in the DMA’s collection.
mic
hae
l po
tiker
artful musings
10
cheryl strayedtuesday, april 9, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Cheryl Strayed catapulted into the literary spotlight
with the publication of her critically acclaimed mem-
oir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Wild
became a #1 New York Times bestseller, inspired Oprah
Winfrey to revive her Book Club, and was optioned
by Reese Witherspoon’s production company. The
book was also named as a Barnes and Noble “Discover
Great New Writers” selection, and Amazon named it a
“Best of March” pick.
After the sudden death of her mother, a divorce, and
a string of reckless decisions, Cheryl Strayed set out
alone for a harrowing journey to hike 1,100 miles
across the Pacific Crest Trail. She had no experience as
a long-distance hiker—indeed, she’d never even gone
backpacking before her first night on the trail—but
this was her attempt to piece back together a life that
had come undone. Told with great suspense, sparkling
with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the
terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging
ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened,
strengthened, and ultimately healed her.
Strayed is also the voice behind The Rumpus.net’s
beloved advice column, “Dear Sugar,” and has been
hailed by the New Republic as the “ultimate advice col-
umnist for the Internet age.” She has gained a tremen-
dously loyal following for the wit, candor, and wisdom
that she dispenses in each column. A collection of her
columns has been compiled in the book Tiny Beautiful
Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar.
Raised in Minnesota, Strayed now lives in Portland,
Oregon, with her husband, filmmaker Brian Lindstrom,
and their two children.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
jon
i kab
ana
wit and wisdom
distinguished writers
11
elizabeth stroutmonday, april 15, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
A Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction and a New York Times
bestselling mainstay, Elizabeth Strout is the author of
Olive Kitteridge, a story collection that showcases her
distinctively New England voice and powerful narra-
tive ability to transform the ordinary into the extraor-
dinary. Composed of thirteen stories linked through
the title character, Olive Kitteridge is a perceptive and
wise portrait that speaks to the power of human
connection. It was named to more than a dozen “Best
Books of the Year” lists, and USA Today raved, “Fiction
lovers, remember this name: Olive Kitteridge. You’ll
never forget her.”
Strout’s other books include Abide with Me, a national
bestseller and Book Sense pick, and Amy and Isabelle,
which won the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum
Award for First Fiction and the Chicago Tribune Heart-
land Prize. She has also been a finalist for the PEN/
Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize.
At this event, she will discuss her new novel, The
Burgess Boys (March 26, 2013), her first book since Olive
Kitteridge. Jim Burgess is a sleek, successful corporate
lawyer, and Bob Burgess is a divorced Legal Aid attor-
ney. These brothers’ lives are irrevocably altered when
their sister calls with news of a thoughtless prank
committed by her teenage son, which is fast-evolving
into a scandal. Responding to her plea for help, the
brothers arrive in their hometown of Shirley Falls,
Maine, where long-buried tensions begin to surface
and layers of family history are peeled away to reveal
heartbreaking secrets that will forever change them.
Tender, tough-minded, and deeply illuminating, The
Burgess Boys explores the ties that bind us to family
and home.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
Ticket holders receive a 10%
discount on their purchase
of The Burgess Boys in the
Museum Store.
leo
nar
do
cen
dam
o
12
george saundersfriday, april 19, 7:00 p.m. horchow auditorium
One of the most blazingly original writers of his gen-
eration, George Saunders is an undisputed master of
the short story. He was awarded a MacArthur Foun-
dation “Genius” Grant in 2006 for “bring[ing] to con-
temporary American fiction a sense of humor, pathos,
and literary style all his own.” Nylon magazine praised
Saunders, saying, “[T]o discover George Saunders is
to stumble into a world you never knew existed, like
Alice’s Wonderland. [Saunders’] arresting originality,
deadpan delivery, and satiric vision of contemporary
America secure his place as the bold successor to
Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut.”
Saunders’ eclectic past—his jobs range from roofer in
Chicago, to guitarist in a country-western band, to
knuckle-puller in a West Texas slaughterhouse—has
fostered a wild and wry creative streak that can be
seen throughout his work. He is the author of several
short story collections, including CivilWarLand in Bad
Decline, Pastoralia, and In Persuasion Nation, as well as a
collection of essays, The Braindead Megaphone.
In 2001 Saunders was selected by Entertainment
Weekly as one of the 100 top most creative people in
entertainment, and by the New Yorker in 2002 as one
of the best writers under 40. In 2009 he received an
Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts
and Letters.
His forthcoming collection of short stories, Tenth of
December (January 2013), is filled with Saunders’ manic
energy and generosity of spirit. The stories are vividly
and lovingly infused with his signature blend of exu-
berant prose, deep humanity, and stylistic innovation.
“Humor is what happens when we’re told the truth quicker
and more directly than we’re used to.”
—George Saunders
fresh ink
Fresh Ink events are FREE.
Order tickets in advance to
guarantee your seat.
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
bas
so c
ann
arsa
13
ray bradbury and fahrenheit 451friday, april 19, 9:00 p.m. center for creative connections theater
In partnership with The Big Read Dallas through the
Friends of the Dallas Public Library and D Magazine
The Big Read Dallas is the ultimate book club, uniting
the city of Dallas by reading Ray Bradbury’s sixty-year-
old Fahrenheit 451 during the month of April.
Ray Bradbury, the poetic and visionary author of
such timeless classics as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian
Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes, is one
of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
From Mikhail Gorbachev to Alfred Hitchcock to David
Bowie, Bradbury’s sway on contemporary culture is
towering.
Accomplished journalist Sam Weller met Bradbury
while writing a cover story for the Chicago Tribune
magazine and spent hundreds of hours interviewing
him, his editors, family members, and friends. During
the past twelve years, Bradbury gave Weller unprec-
edented access to private archives and never-before-
published letters, documents, and photographs. His
2005 biography, The Bradbury Chronicles, tells the story
of this literary genius and his remarkable creative jour-
ney. Library Journal praised Weller’s 2010 book Listen to
the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews, saying, “Weller
is the quintessential interviewer who asks probing
questions, then gets out of the way so that readers
will have the feeling that Bradbury is talking to them.”
Weller has written for the Paris Review and NPR’s All
Things Considered, and is a professor at Columbia Col-
lege in Chicago.
Chime in to this focused discussion of Fahrenheit 451
and its themes of courage, preserving knowledge, and
the importance of the written word.
fresh ink
Fresh Ink events are FREE.
Order tickets in advance to
guarantee your seat.
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
14
Ticket prices are based on seat loca-
tion and range from $25 to $65.
Purchase tickets by calling
214-880-0202 or ordering online
at attpac.org.
ann
e fi
shb
ein
david sedaristuesday, april 23, 7:30 p.m.
winspear opera house 2403 flora street
In partnership with KERA and the
AT&T Performing Arts Center
Bestselling author and satirist David Sedaris will
return to Dallas to read new and unpublished
material for a fifth consecutive year. Hailed as the
“rock star of writers” and for his sardonic wit and
incisive social critiques, Sedaris has become one of
America’s preeminent humor writers.
David Sedaris’s new book of essays, Let’s Explore
Diabetes with Owls (released the same day as this
event), takes his readers on a bizarre and stimulating
world tour. From the perils of French dentistry to the
eating habits of the Australian kookaburra, from the
squat-style toilets of Beijing to the particular wilder-
ness of a North Carolina Costco, we learn about the
absurdity and delight of a curious traveler’s experi-
ences. Whether railing against the habits of litterers in
the English countryside or marveling over a disem-
bodied human arm in a taxidermist’s shop, Sedaris
takes us on side-splitting adventures that are not to
be forgotten.
Sedaris has been making America laugh for the past
twenty years with books such as Barrel Fever and Holi-
days on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays,
including Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your
Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed
in Flames. Sedaris’s pieces appear regularly in the New
Yorker. His collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks
Chipmunk: A Wicked Bestiary (with illustrations by Ian
Falconer) was published in 2010.
“Sedaris’s droll assessment of the mundane and the eccen-
trics who inhabit the world’s crevices make him one of the
greatest humorists writing today.”—Chicago Tribune
wit and wisdom
15
madeleine k. albrightwednesday, may 1, 7:30 p.m.
city performance hall 2520 flora street
Madeleine K. Albright served as the 64th Secretary of
State of the United States and was the first female
to hold that position. Prior to her appointment, Dr.
Albright served as the United States Permanent Rep-
resentative to the United Nations. She played a lead
role in forging America’s successful response to ethnic
cleansing in Kosovo, and was a forceful advocate of
bringing war criminals to justice.
Since leaving office, Dr. Albright has authored five New
York Times bestsellers, including Madam Secretary: A
Memoir. At this event, she will discuss her latest book,
Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War:
1937–1948. Before Albright turned twelve, her life was
shaken by the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, where
she was born. Drawing on her memory, her parents’
written reflections, interviews with contemporaries,
and newly available documents, Albright recounts
a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. It
combines the intimacy of an autobiography with the
drama of an exciting and well-told story—all under-
pinned by the gravity and intelligence of a serious
work of history. Prague Winter serves as a guide to
the future through the lessons of the past, as seen
through the eyes of one of the international commu-
nity’s most respected and fascinating figures.
She currently serves as Chair of Albright Stonebridge
Group, a global strategy firm, and Chair of Albright
Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm
focused on emerging markets. In 2012 she was chosen
by President Obama to receive the nation’s highest
civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in
recognition of her contributions to international peace
and democracy.
wit and wisdom
Ticket Prices
Adults $37, Students $17*
*$2 of the ticket price supports the
preservation of City Performance Hall
Register online at
DMA.org/tickets.
tim
oth
y green
field
-san
ders
16
texas bound iimonday, may 6, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Judith Ivey reads Betty Wiesepape’s A Soft Spot
Cindy Beall reads Alix Ohlin’s Three Little Maids
John Benjamin Hickey reads Patricia Highsmith’s
A Curious Suicide
Raphael Parry reads Jack Handey’s Alexander the Great
About the actors:
Judith Ivey is a two-time Tony Award winner for her perfor-
mances in the Broadway productions of Steaming and Hurlyburly.
Her other Broadway credits include The Heiress, Piaf, Bedroom
Farce, Blithe Spirit, Precious Sons, and Park Your Car in Harvard Yard,
which earned her a third Tony nomination. She is perhaps best
remembered for her role as B. J. Poteet on Designing Women and
as the fundamentalist mother in The Devil’s Advocate. Other film
and television work includes White Collar, Will and Grace, Buddies,
Flags of Our Fathers, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and The Critic.
Cindy Beall was recently seen locally as Susan Slater in Kitchen
Dog Theater’s Becky Shaw and as Volumnia in Coriolanus for
Shakespeare Dallas. Favorite roles include Flora in Humble
Boy (WaterTower Theatre), Mrs. Wire in Vieux Carré (Theatre
Three), and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Kitchen Dog
Theater).
John Benjamin Hickey won a 2011 Tony Award for his perfor-
mance as Felix Turner in The Normal Heart. Other Broadway
credits include Mary Stuart, Cabaret, and Love! Valour! Compas-
sion!, a role he would reprise for the 1997 film version. He
currently plays Sean Tolkey in Showtime¹s The Big C, starring
opposite Laura Linney. Other film and television credits include
Pitch Perfect, The Good Wife, Flags of Our Fathers, Finding North,
and Infamous. He grew up in Plano.
Raphael Parry is the Director and host of Texas Bound. He also
serves as Executive and Artistic Director of Shakespeare Dallas
and Founder of Project X, a host company for the development
of new work by artists throughout North Texas.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Don’t miss other Texas Bound programs
on February 11 and April 1.
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
texas bound
17
temple grandinfriday, may 10, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Dr. Temple Grandin is perhaps the world’s best-known
adult with autism and has inspired millions of people
around the world as a champion for individuals with
autism and their families. Her accomplishments as a
speaker, scientist, author, and advocate earned her a
place among Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential
People in the World” in 2010.
Her life story was the subject of the acclaimed HBO
biopic Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes, which won
seven Emmy awards and a Golden Globe. Grandin’s in-
sights into animal behavior and innovations in livestock
handling have revolutionized food-animal welfare and
led to dramatic improvements in the livestock industry.
Grandin didn’t talk until she was three and a half years
old, communicating her frustration instead by scream-
ing, peeping, and humming. In 1950 she was diagnosed
with autism and her parents were told she should be
institutionalized. Even though she was considered
“weird” in her young school years, she eventually found
a mentor who recognized her interests and abilities
and helped her thrive.
She is the author of six books, including the bestsellers
Thinking in Pictures, Animals in Translation, and Animals
Make Us Human. Her forthcoming book, The Autistic
Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum, offers a transforma-
tive new understanding of autism itself. The Autistic
Brain is a cutting-edge account of the latest science of
autism and Grandin’s groundbreaking new theory of
how the autistic brain works. Weaving her own history
and experience into the narrative, she will take us to
the frontiers of neurological research.
The DMA is a leader among museums nationally in
offering programs for families who have children
with autism.
wit and wisdom
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
joel
ben
jam
in
18
characters in colora serenade to chagall
wednesday, may 15, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Inspired by the exhibition Chagall: Beyond Color
Nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians
and members of Elledanceworks will bring Marc
Chagall’s vivid and whimsical paintings, sculptures,
and costumes to life in a one-of-a-kind, one-night-
only performance, weaving together music, dance,
poetry, and Chagall’s own words. In this multidisci-
plinary program inspired by Chagall’s travels, dreams,
and imagination, experience the master of mood and
mise-en-scène reflected in eclectic music ranging from
Fauré to Fiona Apple and Rachmaninoff to R.E.M.
A tour of the exhibition Chagall: Beyond Color prior to
the performance will generate thought-provoking
connections between the visual and performing
arts. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a showcase
of Chagall’s sets and costumes for the ballet Aleko,
commissioned for the New York Ballet Theatre in 1942.
When the ballet premiered, there was tumultuous
applause and nineteen calls. Art critics exclaimed that
it “surpassed anything Chagall has done on the easel
scale, and it is a breathtaking experience, of a kind
one hardly expects in theater.”
Elledanceworks Dance Company has enjoyed a
creative partnership with the DMA in recent years, de-
signing performances and creating new work inspired
by the exhibitions All the World’s a Stage (2009), Silence
and Time (2011), and Youth and Beauty (2012). Elledance-
works is the professional dance company-in-residence
at Collin College.
This is the eighth collaboration between Arts & Letters
Live and artistic programmer Ryan Taylor.
Image: Marc Chagall, Between Darkness and Night (Entre chien et loup), 1938–43, oil on paper mounted
on canvas, Private collection, Paris, © Archives Marc et Ida Chagall. © 2012 Artists Rights Society. (ARS),
New York/ADAGP, Paris
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
artful musings
Clockwise: Ashleigh Semkiw, soprano (Chicago Opera Theater, Castleton Festival); Jamie Van Eyck, mezzo-soprano (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Boston Lyric Opera); Seth Carico, bass-baritone (Fort Worth Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin); Amy Dillard and Emily Boyd of Elledanceworks; Joseph Li, pianist (Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera); David Portillo, tenor (Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera)
19
margaret atwoodfriday, may 31, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
In conjunction with the exhibition The Body
Beautiful in Ancient Greece
Margaret Atwood is a giant of modern literature who
refuses to rest on her laurels. She has anticipated,
satirized, and even changed the popular pre-concep-
tions of our time, and is the rare writer whose work
is adored by the public, acclaimed by the critics, and
read on university campuses.
She is an internationally celebrated novelist, poet,
literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. Her
tenth novel, The Blind Assassin, won the 2000 Booker
Prize, a prize for which she has received five nomina-
tions. Newsday called The Blind Assassin “the first great
novel of the new millennium.” Her work, crossing
many subject lines and portraying strong female char-
acters, has been published in forty languages and also
includes The Handmaid’s Tale, The Robber Bride, Alias
Grace, Oryx and Crake, Cat’s Eye, and The Year of the Flood.
Her 2008 nonfiction book, Payback: Debt and the
Shadow Side of Wealth, was made into a documentary
in 2012.
At this event, Margaret Atwood will discuss her ac-
complished body of work and her creative process.
In conjunction with the DMA’s exhibition The Body
Beautiful in Ancient Greece, she will also speak on the in-
fluence of Greek myth on her own work. This includes
her 2006 book The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope
and Odysseus, a wry retelling of the familiar story
of Homer’s Odyssey from the perspective of his wife,
Penelope. In approaching Penelope, Atwood draws on
multiple ancient sources to weave a new interpreta-
tion of the long-suffering, dutiful wife as a shrewd and
practical woman, every bit the equal of her husband
in guile and cleverness.
distinguished writers
geo
rge w
hit
esi
de
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
Become an Annual Series
Supporter at the $1,000 level
or above and enjoy an intimate
pre-event reception with
Margaret Atwood.
revolution!joseph j. ellis and tom reiss
tuesday, june 4, 7:30 p.m. horchow auditorium
Author and historian Joseph J. Ellis is one of the na-
tion’s foremost scholars of American history. Library
Journal praised him, saying, “He writes history as it
should be: as a page turner.” In 2001 he won the Pulit-
zer Prize for his book Founding Brothers: The Revolution-
ary Generation. His book American Sphinx: The Character
of Thomas Jefferson won the 1997 National Book Award.
At this-event he will discuss his newest book, Revo-
lutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence,
which focuses on the summer of 1776, the most
dramatic few months in our country’s founding. The
thirteen colonies came together and agreed to secede
from the British Empire. At the same time, the Brit-
ish dispatched the largest armada ever to cross the
Atlantic. Revolutionary Summer enlivens these historical
events with a compelling freshness.
Tom Reiss is an acclaimed journalist and author of
the celebrated international bestseller The Orientalist,
a biography of Lev Nussimbaum, a Jew who pretend-
ed to be a Muslim while living in Germany during the
years leading up to the Holocaust. The Dallas Morning
News hailed it as a “spellbinding history . . . part detec-
tive yarn, part author biography, part travel saga . . .
The Orientalist is completely fascinating.”
He will discuss his latest book, The Black Count: Glory,
Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, a
stunning feat of historical sleuthing that brings to life
the forgotten hero who inspired such classics as The
Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. General
Alex Dumas, father of novelist Alexandre Dumas, was
born to a Haitian slave and sold into bondage. He
made his way to Paris, where he was educated by
French aristocracy. After enlisting as a private, he rose
through the ranks to command armies at the height
of the French Revolution.
Ticket Prices
Adults $35, Students $15
Purchase tickets online at
DMA.org/tickets.
distinguished writers
aven
turin
a kin
gerik
jac
ob
s
20
become a supporter!Werelyoncontributionsfromenthusiastslikeyou.Anydonation,nomatter
thesize,goesalongwayinhelpingusbringoutstandingauthorsandartists
toourcommunity.Become a Supporter now by calling 214-922-1280!
Benefitsarecumulative.
$100–$249
• SpecialinvitationstoBookTalk,
amembers-onlyliterarygroup
• High-qualitytravelexperiences
withtheDMA
$250–$499
• Advanceorderingandticket
exchangeprivileges
• 20%offArts&LettersLive–related
purchasesintheMuseumStore
$500–$999
• Two“FastTrack”passesforbook-
signinglines
• Aninvitationfortwotoa
receptionwithauthorArt
SpiegelmanonFebruary27
$1,000–$2,499
• Namerecognitioninevent
programs
• Reservedseatingfortwopeople
• Aninvitationfortwotoapre-
eventreceptionwithauthor
Margaret AtwoodonMay31
$2,500–$4,999
• BenefitsinconjunctionwithDMA
Contributorlevelpartnership
• Twoadditional“FastTrack”passes
forbook-signinglines
• Aprivatepre-eventbooksigning
withDavidSedarisonApril23
$5,000 and above
• BenefitsinconjunctionwithDMA
Associatelevelpartnership
• Dinnerfortwowithanauthorof
yourchoice(subjecttoauthor’s
availability)
AdditionalsupportprovidedbytheKayCattarullaEndowmentfortheLiteraryandPerformingArts
attheDallasMuseumofArt,TheEugeneMcDermottFoundation,AnnualSeriesSupporters,andFriends
oftheDallasPublicLibrary.
AirtransportationprovidedinpartbyAmericanAirlines.Hotelaccommodationsprovidedinpartby
TheAdolphus.In-kindpartnersincludeEinsteinPrintingandLombardiFamilyConceptsrestaurants.
Promotionalsupportprovidedbyand
TheDallasMuseumofArtissupportedinpartbythegenerosityofMuseummembersanddonors,
thecitizensofDallasthroughtheCityofDallasOfficeofCulturalAffairs,andtheTexasCommission
ontheArts.
arts & letters live
1717 north harwood stdallas tx 75201
Nonprofit
U.S.Postage
PAID
PermitNo.1920
Dallas,TX
For more information, visit DMA.org/ALL.
Art cAn be found on stAge, on cAnvAs. And on our plAtes.Enjoy our gourmet menu and drinks before the show, after the show or anytime you crave some culture.
1722 Routh Street Suite 132, Dallas TX 75201 214.217.6888by Lombardi
LFC1280_CafeDesArtistes-v2.indd 1 11/20/12 10:06 AM