James Lasdun and Michelle Orange to speak at powerHouse Arena

According to Brooklyn Eagle, two celebrated writers – James Lasdun and Michelle Orange – will appear at DUMBO’s powerHouse Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 27 to celebrate and discuss their new work, which explores the sometimes alarming implications of modern media and communication on our lives.

Lasdun has recently released his latest book, an eerie memoir titled “Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked.” Lasdun, a poet and fiction and screen writer who has taught at several prestigious universities, reveals in this book how a student relentlessly ‘cyberbullied’ him and nearly destroyed his reputation.

“Give Me Everything You Have” is a chilling investigation of verbal abuse, online stalking, and internet conduct. By chronicling his own experience, Lasdun sheds light on a new type of personal threat that the internet allows for; Lasdun’s former student, an Iranian woman referred to as Nasreen, repeatedly assaulted him online for five years. She modified his Wikipedia page, authored malicious reviews of his books on Amazon and Goodreads, and emailed several of his colleagues (including his new boss) to accuse him of sexual and professional misconduct.

Michelle Orange, author of “The Sicily Papers,” published in 2006, will appear in conversation with Lasdun. Orange will be celebrating the release of her new essay collection, “This Is Running For Your Life,” in which she investigates film, social media, and the human mind. Orange explores these themes through the lens of popular culture, creating a reflection and analysis of her generation.

James Lasdun lives in upstate New York with his wife and children. He and his wife, Pia Davis, co-authored the nonfiction book “Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria.” He writes poetry, fiction, and screenplays, and has taught creative writing at the New School, NYU, Columbia and Princeton. He currently teaches at the New York State Writers Institute. His short story “An Anxious Man” won the UK National Short Story Competition, and his last novel, “Seven Lies,” was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize.

Michelle Orange is originally from London, Ontario. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she majored in English and film, and she has worked as a producer in the education and children’s divisions of TVOntario. She now lives in New York City, where she studied at New York University’s graduate film studies program. Her essays, fiction and criticism have been published in The Nation, The New York Times, the Village Voice, and McSweeney’s among other publications. She is a contributing editor at The Rumpus and a regular contributor to Capital New York.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. powerHouse is located at 37 Main St. in DUMBO.

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