Literary Salon

3rd Thursday of the Month, 10am-12pm 

Facilitated by Andrea Markowitz, join other enthusiasts as we open discussion on a new topic each month! Choose any book, or other medium (film, music, stage play, podcast, art, etc.) that you feel really represents or relates to that month’s topic. We’ll discuss how the theme plays a significant role in the work you’ve selected, as well as anything else you’d like to share about it with the group. See below for topics and descriptions of the upcoming discussions! 

A voracious reader and writer of fiction and nonfiction, Andrea earned degrees in English, music and psychology, and explored a variety of careers in education and writing. After “retiring” she discovered her true calling is to write plays and musicals. Her dedication to writing for the stage was acknowledged recently with an ariZoni Award for best new script for “Fair Game,” a musical satire based on a true story about fake news! 

Andrea Markowitz 
Playwright, Lyricist, Composer
www.feedingthefuries.com

Winner, Zoni Award for Original Script, 2021-2022
Nominated, Zoni Award for Original Score, 2021-2022

Playwright in Residence, Desert Foothills Theater
www.DFTheater.org

Read her plays on the New Play Exchange
https://newplayexchange.org/

Oct – Rebellion

Whether or not to resist authority, control or social norms is one of the most difficult and significant decisions we make as human beings. Should we help to topple a world leader? Blow the whistle on an employer’s unethical behavior? Are rebels heroes, hinderers or both? Choose a book, film, play or protest song about a rebel, or an aspect of rebellion that fascinates you. Genres may include (auto)biography or memoir, history, science fiction (e.g., “Dune,” “Star Wars,” “The Hunger Games”) and allegory (e.g., “Animal Farm,” by George Orwell). We’ll discuss our literary choices and consider what makes rebellion such a fascinating and multi-faceted topic.

Nov – Arizona Heroes and Villains

Although Arizona wasn’t admitted to the US until 1912, the territory it has encompassed since prehistoric times has its fair share of heroes and villains from numerous cultural backgrounds. Heroes include the prehistoric Hohokam who engineered the hundreds of miles of canals in today’s Phoenix area; Navajo “Code Talkers” who developed a code that baffled Allies’ enemies during World War II; Enrique Garfias, a Hispanic Phoenix lawman during the late 1800s, whose adventures mirrored those of Tombstone’s Wyatt Earp. Tombstone businesswoman Sing Choy (“China Mary”) was known for both villainous and heroic deeds, as were Wyatt Earp and many other Arizona notables. The line isn’t always clear-cut between “hero” and “villain” and sympathies may differ, depending on “whose side we’re on.” Choose a book, film, play or music about an Arizona hero or villain who intrigues you. We’ll discuss why we consider the person heroic or villainous, or a mixture of both.

Dec – Music in Literature and Film

Music’s power to stir emotions makes it an essential ingredient of many stories, in fiction and nonfiction books, film and performing arts. Some novelists use music as metaphor, such as Tony Morrison’s book “Jazz.” The ballet film “The Red Shoes” is based on a folktale by Hans Christian Anderson. “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” is an opera about jazz musician Charlie Parker. Musical plays and films about musicians include “The Sound of Music” and “Amadeus.” Nonfiction books include (auto)biographies and memoirs (“I Am Brian Wilson,” by Brian Wilson, and “Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time,” by Rob Sheffield); neuroscience and music (“This Is Your Brain On Music,” by Daniel J. Levitin); and music as history (“Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta,” by Robert Palmer. Choose a book, film, stage play, ballet or opera in which music plays an essential role. We’ll discuss how it emotionally and intellectually affects the story, the characters, the brain and/or us.

No registration | Questions, please call 480-488-2286