I have been a fan of Philip Roth’s work for decades, ever since I was old enough to understand what he was writing about. As a teenager, “Portnoy’s Complaint” was both thrilling and confusing.
But back in the aughts, when I was living and working in California, I devoted a year to reading nothing but Roth novels. I had no idea at the time that I’d soon luck into a job in Newark, Roth’s beloved hometown and the place that inspired so much of his fiction. I simply got hooked by Roth’s voice — his relentless, hilarious storytelling, and the way his writing strikes at the heart of everything we feel as human beings.
I must have read 10 Roth novels in one go. And after that immersion, by the time I got to Newark a few years later to serve as the president and CEO of NJPAC, I felt like I’d grown up in the Weequahic section, even though I was brand-new to the city.
So it was a thrill when, in 2013, the Arts Center was able to host a screening of the PBS special, “American Masters Presents Philip Roth: Unmasked,” and Roth himself attended. It was a loving homecoming: Dozens of Weequahic High graduates were on hand to celebrate their illustrious classmate, and Cory Booker gave Roth the key to the city. (“Where’s the lock?” Roth joked when it was handed to him.) I am forever grateful that I was able to meet one of my literary heroes, only a few years before his passing.
Dissolve to late 2018. Roth had died, and left his library of 7,000 volumes to the Newark Public Library. I ran into Sharon Corzine — wife of former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, NJPAC supporter and all-around good egg — who mentioned that she grew up in the city’s South Ward, actually across the street from Roth and his family.
We began to brainstorm the possibility of creating a unique celebration of Roth’s life and work at the Arts Center. Earlier in my career, I had co-created “The New Yorker Festival,” a celebration of the writers and subjects of the beloved magazine, with multiple events held over the course of a weekend. It sold out like a rock concert. I thought perhaps we could adapt that model, with a focus on Newark’s most acclaimed novelist.
I’m so pleased that this weekend, that long-simmering idea comes to fruition: NJPAC will host “PHILIP ROTH UNBOUND: Illuminating a Literary Legacy,” a three-day examination of the author’s work, his impact on generations of writers and how his prescient novels illuminate so many of the concerns we continue to grapple with today. The full festival lineup can be found here.
In preparation for this weekend, I and my colleague, Chelsea Keys, NJPAC’s senior director of Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Governance, have spent many months on a kind of listening tour, consulting with “Rothians” of all stripes — Newarkers who knew and loved Roth personally, younger authors who have been inspired by his work, as well as journalists and critics who have examined his writings for years, to create a series of events that would give the fullest and most fascinating view of Roth’s oeuvre and his lasting influence.
“Everyone recognizes Roth’s place in the canon, but what we wanted to do here was examine his legacy through a 21st century lens,” Chelsea says. “Over the course of the weekend, we want to talk about his work, his impact, how he shaped and informed our contemporary conversations about art, life and literature.”
And we were especially guided by the insights of Newark Public Library Trustee Rosemary Steinbaum, and publishing and media executive Cary Goldstein, who became our co-producers of this weekend of events — a series of conversations, panel discussions, theatrical interpretations of Roth’s work, public readings and much more.
Among the most exciting of these events, for me, are showcases that adapt Roth’s writing into unique theatrical performances, which NJPAC will present with an all-star cast of actors.
On Friday night at 7 p.m., actors Matthew Broderick and Peter Riegert will be with us for “Newark in Roth’s Life, Work and Imagination,” a pair of dramatic readings that feature two of Philip Roth’s most brilliant reflections on his hometown. One, “’I Always Wanted You to Admire My Fasting’; or, Looking at Kafka,” was written at the beginning of his career and imagines Franz Kafka as his Newark Hebrew School teacher. Another, an autobiographical piece, “The Ruthless Intimacy of Fiction,” Roth wrote at 80 years old. Tickets available here.
Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., we’ll welcome an absolutely stellar cast of actors, including Eric Bogosian, Jane Kaczmarek, S. Epatha Merkerson, Marjan Neshat, Cynthia Nixon, Peter Riegert, Tony Shalhoub and Sam Waterston, to the Victoria Theater for a staged reading of “The Plot Against America,” Philip Roth’s timely and timeless masterwork, co-presented by the 92nd Street Y. This chilling story imagines what it was like for Jews across the country when the isolationist and “America First” aviation hero Charles Lindbergh was elected president of the United States, in an alternate history of 1942. Find tickets here.
Finally, on Sunday evening at 6 p.m., we’ll present a sneak preview of select scenes from a new theatrical adaptation of Philip Roth’s National Book Award-winning novel, “Sabbath’s Theater,” commissioned by NJPAC. Emmy-winning actor John Turturro and New Yorker staff writer Ariel Levy adapted the novel for the stage, and Turturro will portray Mickey Sabbath in this performance. A post-performance chat will be moderated by Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition. And to mark what would have been Roth’s 90th birthday, we’ll begin the evening with champagne, cake and live music. Tickets available here.
Roth’s writing is funny, challenging, shocking, visionary and moving. If you’re already a fan, this weekend of events will, I hope, show you his work in a new light. And if you’re coming to his work for the first time — well, I can’t wait to introduce you to a true Newark original.