University Open Air: In Search of Lyricism
In lyric works, emotions are expressed through imagery, musicality, rhythm. Hence, reading and watching lyric works is a highly enjoyable experience. Yet, as the mermaids’ song, lyricism can draw us in to better drown us in what we’d turn away from: pain, grief, injustice, or our daily life. About her beautiful film, Happiness, Varda mentions the worm in the apple. Let’s look at a few lyrical works such as The Gift (Nabokov), The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy), Happiness (Agnès Varda) Paterson (Jim Jarmusch). We won’t shy away from the unspeakable, the overlooked, or the ordinary.
*For more information or if you have questions, please email Vanessa Baish at vbaish@bklynlibrary.org.
Nadia Bongo is a poet and French language and literature teacher. With a Ph.D. in French Language and Literature from Aix Marseille Université, she taught French Language, Literature, and Research for the French Academy for six years. In 2021, Nadia was a Brooklyn Poets fellow and Poet of the Week. Her work has appeared in the NYPL zine, Newtown Literary, Litro magazine online, African Voices, TAOS journal of poetry, Apex Magazine, and elsewhere.
University Open Air is generously supported by The Morris & Alma Schapiro Fund.
