Pen Parentis Announces Star-Studded Literary Lineup For Tenth Anniversary Season Of Salons

When Pen Parentis started its reading series trying to shatter the stereotype of writer-parent in Lower Manhattan in January 2009, Lean In had yet to be penned and Sheryl Sandberg wasn't even on the board of Facebook; the Family section of the New York Times was a full-on mommyblog called "Motherlode," and parenting was being treated as a career choice.

As in: should you have a career, or should you have a child?

Now, ten years and many social media battles later, we (hopefully) know better. M. M. De Voe, founder of Pen Parentis and co-host of the salons since their inception, puts it this way: "Parenting is at last being rightfully relegated to its proper place as a major life choice or event: like falling in love or buying a home or having ailing parents, parenthood is not a career choice! Of course, starting a family definitely affects individual resources, like your time, money and energy, but working that out with your career is the same as working through any other life event." Writing, she is quick to emphasize, is a career and Pen Parentis devotes itself to keeping writers on creative track after starting a family.

To inspire writers who are parents, Pen Parentis presents small groups of successful parent-authors at the glamorous Andaz Wall Street Hotel on the second Tuesday of each month from September through May. Sharing their often humorous insights into the Sisyphean task of writing novels while bringing up baby-the monthly events feature readings and culminate in moderated discussions of how to stay creative after starting a family. These events are open to the general public for a suggested donation of $10 per event. Supporting Title Members of Pen Parentis are admitted free, and a limited number of complimentary student and senior tickets are also available. (All writers who are parents are eligible to become Title Members.) Through the generosity of Andaz Wall Street, wine and snacks are complimentary.

On September 11, 2018, the tenth anniversary season opens at the glamorous Andaz Wall Street (75 Wall). Pen Parentis presents Graphic Novels by four spectacular writers: American Book Award winner, Victor LaValle, acclaimed novelist Mira Jacob, celebrated nonfiction illustrator Josh Neufeld, and National Book Critics Circle Award winner Darin Strauss. Come mingle with the best as these four noteworthy New Yorkers gather on the second floor of 75 Wall Street (at Water) for an illustrious evening of life and literature. The event begins at 7pm and ends at 9:30. All adults are welcome.

Salons are curated by Christina Chiu of Pen Parentis who won a prestigious Wei Look Award for the diversity of the artists she assembles. She co-hosts the events with Pen Parentis Founder, M. M. De Voe. Both are talented writers with Columbia MFAs who are also parents.

The long-running reading series has recently won a Creative Engagement Grant from New York City and New York State, administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. They are also Amazon Literary Partners. Events are sponsored by the prestigious downtown hotel, Andaz Wall Street, and RSVP is recommended on the Pen Parentis website: penparentis.org/calendar

Remember: you do not have to be a parent or writer to attend and enjoy these neighborhood-friendly events, but if you are, don't bring your kids: our audiences are 21+ only.

Transportation info: Take the 2/3/4/5/J/M to Wall Street. Salons take place in a private room on the second floor of the glamorous Andaz Hotel, at 75 Wall Street.

BIOS of September's authors-all are parents:

Victor LaValle has won multiple awards in both literary fiction and genre including a recent American Book Award. Destroyer, his first comic book, brings the classic Frankenstein mythos into a thoroughly modern context. This is his third appearance at Pen Parentis.

Mira Jacob is author of The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing. Based on an illustration that went viral, she has now written and drawn the graphic novel and memoir Good Talk: Conversations I'm Still Confused About. She has read at Pen Parentis and has also appeared on a Pen Parentis panel in LA called "Privacy Matters: Sell your book, not your soul."

Cartoonist and comic journalist Josh Neufeld has created a wide selection of graphic novels, comics, and zines, including the acclaimed A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge.

National Book Critics Circle Award winner Darin Strauss has co-created the new series Olivia Twist, a futuristic teen adventure comic series. We are excited to welcome him back to Pen Parentis.