READ, REFLECT & RESPOND: A Special Book Club with Jessica Lynne

READ, REFLECT & RESPOND: A Special Book Club with Jessica Lynne, Sp/Su 2025 Literary Resident Artist

Sunday July 13th, 2025

2:00pm to 4:30pm

In-Person and Virtual

LIMITED CAPACITY | REGISTRATION REQUIRED

WHAT WE WILL READ

We will discuss Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline (297 pages). Johnson is a foundational Black trans activist who was at the forefront of the 20th century queer liberation movement. With this book, Tourmaline, artist, filmmaker, and activist, gives us the definitive record of Johnson’s life.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS GROUP

This gathering will be informal yet intimate in nature and participant-driven. Some initial structure and questions will be offered as a gentle guide and warm up to our conversations.

WHAT TO READ/LISTEN TO IN ADVANCE

Reading Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson in full or partially is recommended but not required to attend. Listening to Tourmaline’s recent interview on Code Switch is also recommended.

WHERE TO PURCHASE THE BOOK

You can purchase the book locally at White Whale Bookstore and City of Asylum Bookstore or your local bookstore.
You can also check out the book or audiobook from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh or your local library. The ebook and audiobook are available for purchase wherever you download digital books.

LOCATION

The Book Club will meet in-person at the ALMA | LEWIS Gallery on Lynn Way. Virtual attendance is also possible via a Zoom link that will be sent to attendees post-registration.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Limited seats available.
• Registration is required.
• Masks are strongly encouraged.
• Light refreshments will be provided.

QUESTIONS?

For questions about the book club, please contact tiffany@almalewis.org.

ABOUT JESSICA LYNNE

Jessica Lynne is a writer and art critic. She is a founding editor of ARTS.BLACK, an online journal of art criticism from Black perspectives. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Artforum, The Believer, Frieze, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, and Oxford American, where she is a contributing editor. She is the recipient of a 2020 Research and Development award from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, a 2020 Arts Writer Grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the inaugural Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant awarded in 2022 by the American Australian Association. Her writing has been supported by Art Omi, Tin House, and The Carolyn Moore Writers House.

Jessica holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught writing and lectured at institutions such as Colorado College, Northwestern University, The New School, and Yale School of Art. She is currently an associate editor at Momus and host of the limited series podcast, Harlem is Everywhere.