Friday, October 21, 2011

Kenneth Silverman to speak at the Contemporary Jewish Museum

Kenneth Silverman, author of Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss (which I still consider to be the best Houdini biography yet written) will give a lecture at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco on Thursday, December 8, as part of the museum's special Houdini Art and Magic programing. Here is the description from the CJM website:

Kenneth Silverman: Harry Houdini—Jewish Star of American History - Thursday, Dec 8 ∙ 6:30 – 8 PM.
Kenneth Silverman, Pulitzer-prize winning biographer and author of Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss, discusses Houdini’s leadership in creating the Rabbis’ Sons Theatrical Benevolent Association, a group that included the most famous Jewish entertainers of the day. Silverman addresses how Houdini used his fame to combat anti-Semitism and comments on the significant legacy of Jews and magic in American history. Silverman, professor emeritus of English at New York University, has also published biographies on Cotton Mather, Edgar Allen Poe, and Samuel F.B. Morse. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has received the Bancroft Prize in American History, the Pulizter Prize in for Biography, the Edgar Award of the Mystery Writers of America, and the Christopher Literary Award of the Society of American Magicians.

Looks like I'm heading north in December. This is one that can't be missed!

1 comment:

  1. I just saw this exhibit last weekend, you will really enjoy it. I'm not so hot on some of the art that accompanied the Houdiniana, but there was plenty of neat stuff to see.

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