The first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in theater will address students, faculty and Athens residents at 7:30 tonight in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium as a part of the Kennedy Lecture Series.
Suzan-Lori Parks, the creative voice behind Topdog/Underdog
for which she won her 2002 Pulitzer, is best known for literary commentary on social and political issues. Parks was commissioned by Oprah Winfrey to write the film version of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and has produced myriad other works.
She's a phenomenal playwright with so much to say on contemporary issues said Liz Pahl, coordinator for the Kennedy Lecture Series. Needless to say we're really excited to have her.
Parks will be speaking on the process of becoming a writer, her personal experiences and the power of tapping into one's own creative voice, Pahl said.
Someone yelled at me once
'You never write about yourself.' People used to get so mad at me for that. But my definition of myself is completely up for grabs. I'm everywhere
just like we all are
Parks said a decade ago in Bazaar magazine.
Parks' presentation crosses disciplinary lines, said Charles Smith, head of the Professional Playwriting Program at Ohio University.
It is a special
great opportunity for playwright and theater students as well as students from across the campus to come and hear of her vision of the world
Smith said.
Although Parks' plays work to raise historical questions, they retain a universal appeal, Smith said.
While they're black plays
they certainly look at the world from a broad point of view
he said. I think that's what makes her a unique voice in American playwright tradition.
Gretchen Stephens, director of the Office of University Events, echoed Smith's sentiments.
Her play 'Topdog/Underdog' is so powerful and tells such a strong story that speaks to the African-American constituency as well as to anyone who can appreciate quality writing
she said.
Parks' works include In the Blood
