File, Digital Video

The Bauder Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series Presents…
Andrea Lee
April 17, 2015

Digital video transferred from a DVD+R containing edited footage of Andrea Lee's reading held at Marygrove College on April 17, 2015, as part of the college's Bauder Contemporary American Authors Lecture series.

The video begins with a short montage showing the event's programs, people arriving, and copies of Andrea Lee's books for sale. Then Dr. Darcy Brandel gives some introductory announcements from the hall's podium. She also recognizes several members of the audience. Next, Marygrove's president, Dr. David Fike, addresses the crowd. Afterward, Dr. Brandel introduces series alum Dr. Mary Helen Washington, who in turns provides an introduction for Andrea Lee.

Andrea Lee then reads "The Golden Chariot" from her book "Interesting Women," before taking questions from the audience. In her responses to these questions, Lee discusses the connection between the story and the rest of the collection it appears in, how her short story collections take shape, how she brings together autobiographic elements with invented ones, her concept for "Lost Hearts in Italy," the themes of "The Golden Chariot," "female comprehension" as depicted in "Interesting Women," her time in Russia and her "Russian Journal," finding connections through sharing experiences of isolation, sexuality in her works, her favorite writers and influences, attitudes toward prostitution in "Interesting Women," and balancing writing for herself and her audience.

After the question and answer period, the recording ends as Dr. Brandel makes some closing announcements.