I was pleasantly surprised today when I discovered that Mario Vargas Llosa was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature today. I started thinking about his book, “The Bad Girl” and realized that the only reason I had read it was because my sister had interviewed him and received a copy of his book.
My sister is not a literary writer for the New York Times but rather was at Queens College when he came to speak here a few years ago and interviewed him for the Knight News. I searched the site and found the article she wrote in 2007. This helped me appreciate going to a school like Queens, which allows for regular students to meet and discuss literature with future and past Nobel Prize winners.
To me, this typifies the experience of arts in our city. As Queens College students, we have the opportunity to interact with art as opposed to only observing it from afar. We get to speak to artists before hearing them perform. We get to see original Warhols and Matisse pieces, experience the work Bright Sheng firsthand, and sit among the dancers at the City Center. Even though I feel swamped with work and am still completely confused by the public transportation system in this borough, looking back at this week I’m almost overcome with appreciation.
Cool. Go Knights. Go Knightly News. the Evening Readings are an opportunity to see and hear some amazing writers. We are scheduled to see Paul Muldoon in December.