2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the American publication of Vladimir Nabokov's infamous LOLITA, a book that somehow managed to survive ahead of its time and overcome cultural backlash and governmental censorship to become one of the 20th century's canonical texts. Because we at the Writers House have always been fans of literature's rebels, we knew that this momentous occasion would not pass without joyous incident. We produced, fertilized, and incubated our scheme for celebration.
Beginning at noon and continuing, relentless, until we are done, a series of volunteers will read LOLITA out loud in its entirety to an enraptured audience in our Arts Caf! Whether you join us as a reader or a listener, for one hot minute or the whole day, you'll be treated to a delicious spread of treats plucked fresh from LOLITA's pages, given the opportunity to purchase a limited-edition commemorative T-shirt designed by the Hub.
WE NEED ALL THE READERS WE CAN GET! If you are interested in a ten-minute time slot (and the complimentary CD featuring the chart-topping pop hits of LOLITA's day that you'll receive for your participation) email Erin Gautsche at gautsche@writing.upenn....
More about LOLITA:
"When Vladimir Nabokov's LOLITA was first published in 1955 in Paris, it was soon banned for its controversial content. Yet as an underground readership grew, the novel gained international attention, and, as a result, the bans were lifted. Immediate responses to the work were understandably mixed. Many critics condemned it as pornographic trash, citing its 'obscene' descriptions of a pedophile's sexual activities. Others applauded the work's originality and sparkling wit. The novel has now, however, gained almost universal approval as a brilliant tour de force. Readers find middle-aged narrator and protagonist Humbert Humbert to be both perpetrator and victim of his disastrous obsession with the young Lolita. In his record of his relationship with her, Humbert becomes a complex mixture of mad lecher who 'breaks' the life of a young girl and wild romantic who suffers in his pursuit of his unattainable ideal. Donald E. Morton, in his book Vladimir Nabokov, argues that 'what makes Lolita something more than either a case study of sexual perversion or pornographic titillation is the truly shocking fact that Humbert Humbert is a genius who, through the power of his artistry, actually persuades the reader that his memoir is a love story.Nabokov's technical brilliance and beautiful, evocative language help bring this tragic character to life.'"
