Author Reading: Andrew Durbin's The Wonderful World That Almost Was

Join author Andrew Durbin for a reading and discussion of The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek (2026). Durbin’s dual biography explores the intertwined lives and art of the influential photographer Peter Hujar and sculptor Paul Thek, focusing on their complex relationship from the 1950s to the 1970s, their shared artistic circles (including Andy Warhol, Susan Sontag, David Wojnarowicz, and Fran Lebowitz), and their lasting impact on American art. The program will feature a reading by Durbin, followed by a conversation between Durbin and Dr. Christine Robinson, the Ransom Center’s Nancy Inman and Marlene Nathan Meyerson Curator of Photography. Book sales, signing, and a reception will follow the program.

Andrew Durbin is the editor in chief of frieze magazine. His book The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek was published earlier this year. He is also the author of the novels MacArthur Park, which was a finalist for the Believer Book Award, and Skyland, and served as the editor for Kevin Killian’s posthumous work Fascination. His writing has appeared in The New York Review of Books, London Review of Books, The Believer, The Paris Review online, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. He lives in London.

Reception made possible by Central Market.