* Scarsdale Salon -- four writers read from their work
Reading at this meeting of the Scarsdale Salon will be Marlena Madura Baraf (author of At the Narrow Waist of the World); Reyna Marder Gentin (author of Unreasonable Doubts), Bob Raymonda (reading a selection of his poems), and Maria Giura (reading from Celibate). Additionally, the work of photographer Julie Benatar will be exhibited. A FREE event with light refreshments.
Relationships
The theme for the 11th Scarsdale Salon (in partnership with the Salon de Belleville in France) is Relationships. It doesn’t matter if you live alone or with family; if you are very sociable or shy. Everyone’s life is based on relationships, with others and with ourselves. Four authors will read from their work and discuss the theme with the audience. We will also have a young photographer’s exhibit.
The Authors:
1. Marlena Maduro Baraf – Reading from her memoir “At the Narrow Waist of the World”, published in August, 2019.
Marlena immigrated to the United States from her native Panama and her writing is colored by this dual identity. Her work has been published in Ms. Magazine, Lilith, Lumina, Sweet, Huffington Post, the Westchester Review, and others. In past lives she was book editor at Harper & Row and McGraw-Hill book companies. She studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City and the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. You can find her at www.marlenamadurobaraf.com
2. Reyna Marder-Gentin, reading from the novel “Unreasonable Doubts , published in 2018.
After graduating from Yale College and Yale Law School, Reyna Marder Gentin practiced as a juvenile rights attorney with the Legal Aid Society and then as a criminal appellate attorney with a nonprofit public defender's office for nearly eighteen years. That job, and a number of the clients she represented, inspired the story of Unreasonable Doubts. Reyna keeps a hand in the law as a volunteer representing victims of domestic violence. She studies writing at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College and has published many personal essays and short stories, and you can find links to all her pieces at her website at reynamardergentin.com.
3. Maria Giura – reading from the memoir “Celibate”, published in October, 2019.
Maria Giura’s first book, What My Father Taught Me (Bordighera Press, 2018), a collection of memory poems, is a finalist for the Paterson Book Prize. Her second book, by Apprentice House Press. Her writing has appeared in several journals including Prime Number, Presence, VIA, Italian Americana, Ovunque Siamo, Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival, Godspy, Lips, and Tiferet. She has won awards from the Academy of American Poets and the Center for Women Writers and is a judge for the Lauria/Frasca Poetry Prize. Maria has taught Literature and Writing at St. John’s University, Montclair State University, and Binghamton University where she earned her PhD in English. www.mariagiura.com.
4. Bob Raymonda – reading from his poetry, which toes the line of pop culture and explorations of family history and trauma.
Bob is the Founding Editor of Breadcrumbs Magazine. In 2018 he co-founded the podcast production company Rogue Dialogue, which released its first show, the science-fiction audio drama Windfall, in February of 2019. His work has been featured in Luna Magazine, OCCULUM, Gravel, Peach Magazine, and Yes Poetry, among others. Learn more at www.bobraymonda.co.
The Photographer
Julie Benatar has been interested in photography for a few years, although she is still in High School. She lives in Princeton, NJ and has done photography courses at Parsons School of Design and at ICP – International Center of Photography, both in New York City. We will se selection of her photographs at the Salon and she will be also interviewed at the event.
