Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Scott Korb & Peter Bebergal


Above: The jacket image of Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal's The Faith Between Us: A Jew and a Catholic Search for the Meaning of God.


Former UW-Madison undergrad Scott Korb and co-author Peter Bebergal will read from and discuss their book The Faith Between Us: A Jew and a Catholic Search for the Meaning of God at The Pres House (731 State Street Mall, Madison, WI 53703) 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Also, check out their website here .


Some nice things people have said/are saying about the book:

"Old Jewish joke--woman buys her grown son two ties, he comes to visit her wearing one of them, she takes a look, frowns, says, 'What? You didn't like the other one?' That's how I feel sometimes when I'm reading one side or the other of this wise, warm, and often witty dialogue. Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal have not only illuminated issues of faith, but also literalized the process of friendship. A wonderful book." -- Ben Greenman, author of A Circle Is a Balloon and Compass Both

“When was the last time two men sat down and wrote about their friendship? This is a beautiful book—frank, open, searching. It is, to be sure, a ‘religious’ book, but its great virtue is that it erases the quotation marks around that word and makes religious insight and longing seem, like friendship, a natural part of the world.” — Jonathan Rosen, author of Joy Comes in the Morning

“Friendship between men is at the heart of this powerful and surprising story. But Peter Bebergal and Scott Korb's The Faith Between Us is also the story of their love affairs with God—entirely unsentimental and utterly passionate affairs that make compelling reading.”— Sara Miles, author Take This Bread

“This unlikeliest of books--a tag team spiritual autobiography--is a remarkable achievement. It's part Confessions of St. Augustine, part Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a true story that is both subtle and adventurous. Bebergal and Korb, a Jew and a Catholic, an ex-mystic and a reformed ascetic, transcend the clichés of spiritual memoir to create genuinely unique story of faith evolving. The Faith Between Us is a milestone in the genre of memoir and a crucial reflection on American religion, in all its eccentricity, diversity, and depth.”—Jeff Sharlet, author of Jesus Plus Nothing and co-author of Killing the Buddha

“This is the book for this moment. In an era of rigid (and false) dichotomies--when one is told to be either a blind believer or a dogmatic atheist--Bebergal and Korb offer a third way, the path of respect, of common sense, of dialogue rather than doctrine. There are fewer hot topics today than religion, and this book provides an accessible, heartfelt, compelling, and ultimately inspiring message that will speak to many of us, religionists and secularists alike. If you think deeply and openly, go get a copy right now!”
--Niles Elliot Goldstein, author of Gonzo Judaism and founding rabbi of the New Shul in Manhattan

“Here are two ordinary young men, a Catholic and a Jew, journeying toward God. Lost in a wilderness of their own making, they find their way toward life's better possibilities. Their stories are deeply personal, while describing the raw need for meaning common to us all. The book reminds us that we may continue to seek God even in the noise of our chaotic and scientific age. Scott and Peter's friendship will long remain in my mind as will the complex bravery of this book.”— Anne Roiphe, author of Up the Sandbox!, Generation without Memory, and 1185 Park Avenue

Spring Readings are FUN-damental!


Above: Ducklings and eggs and bunnies make us think of spring.

This spring, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get out there and fight your seasonal affective disorder by attending one of our many excellent readings. Be sure to check the events calendar at the bottom of this page for revisions and updates.


FEBRUARY

Tuesday, February 5th
Borders Books West (University Ave & Midvale), 7 p.m.

Jesse Lee Kercheval will read from her Prairie Schooner Award-winning collection The Alice Stories, published by the University of Nebraska Press, this Tuesday, February 5, at Border's West at 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 7th
Memorial Library, Room 126, 4:30 p.m.

Avery Anthology editor Adam Koehler and UW-Madison MFA fiction writer Emma Straub will read as part of the FELIX series of new writing this Thursday, February 7th, in Memorial Library's Room 126 at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 14th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.

The poet Li-Young Lee, whose many awards and honors have included Guggenheim, National Endoment for the Arts, Whiting and Lannan Fellowships will read from his new collection, Behind My Eyes.

Wednesday, February 20th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Reading
Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow Nick Lantz and James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow Edward Porter will read as part of the annual Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading Series.


MARCH

Thursday, March 6th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Reading
Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow Danielle Deulen and Carl Djerassi Fiction Fellow Timothy Scott will read as part of the annual Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading Series.

March 13th - March 15th
(Final Time & Location TBA)
Creative Writing's Writer-in-Residence Series

Albert Goldbarth, our spring Writer-in-Residence, will read and meet with our graduate students.

Thursday, March 13th - Wisconsin Studio, Overture Center for the Arts
201 State Street, Madison, WI, 7 p.m.

Writers Charles Baxter(The Soul Thief, Saul and Patsy, The Feast of Love) and Richard Price (Lush Life, Clockers, Ladies' Man) will read at the Overture Center for the Arts on State Street.


APRIL

Thursday, April 3rd
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.
Annual Brittingham-Pollak Poetry Prize Reading

Poet Barbara Goldberg will read from her winning volume The Royal Baker's Daughter alongside fellow prize-winning poet Philip Pardi, who will read from his winning volume, Meditations on Rising and Falling.


MAY

Thursday, May 8th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Reading
Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellow Kevin A. González and Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellow Shara Lessley will read as part of the annual Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading Series.

Calendar (Click on an event for details)