May 12, 2021 By: lberlinger
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College hosted a poetry and play reading by Barbara Blatner, professor of writing, as part of its Honors Luncheon speaker series.
Prof. Blatner read a selection of her poetry and then participated in a Zoom reading of her new play, Light. Joining her in the reading were current and former colleagues: Liesl Schwabe, professor of English; Dr. Brian Trimboli, professor of writing; and and Lin Snider, who directed dozens of productions for the Yeshiva College Dramatics Society.
Following the performance, Dr. Trimboli engaged in a wide-ranging discussion with Prof. Blatner about her creative process and the wisdom she has gained about the practice of writing over the course of her illustrious career.
The event concluded with a lively Q&A session with the audience, many of whom were eager to hear about Prof. Blatner’s diverse experience in literary genres. “It was amazing to hear Prof. Blatner read her poems and play,” Natan Samson ’21YC shared afterwards. “I really enjoyed her explanations about how her writing process works and how she gains inspiration for her work."
In appreciation of her making the time to speak with the Honors students, Dr. Eliezer Schnall, director of the Honors Program said, “As she prepares to retire from Yeshiva University at the end of the spring semester, we were honored to provide a forum to celebrate Prof. Blatner’s contributions to our community and look forward to her visiting with us again in the future.”