Radical Joy: A Yonkers Pride Reading at YPL

Radical Joy: A Yonkers Pride Reading at YPL

Thursday, June 20th

6:00pm to 9:00pm

YPL Riverfront, Fourth Floor

Hosted by the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, Yonkers Pride, Yonkers Public Library & the Foundation for the Yonkers Public Library

Join us to celebrate pride with acclaimed authors Edgar Gomez, Amelia Possanza and more on June 20th! This signature event at YPL Riverfront includes a tour of the gallery exhibit Radical Joy: Queer Expressions of Joy followed by a guest author reading, Q & A and reception for mingling.

• Doors at 6:00pm
• Riverfront Gallery Tour at 6:30pm
• Author Talk at 7:00pm
• Reception & Book Signing at 8:00pm

Featuring the Yonkers Pride brew by Yonkers Brewing Company and books for sale from our local indie bookstore.

Free Admission

This event is 21+

About Edgar Gomez

Edgar Gomez (all pronouns) is a Florida-born writer with roots in Nicaragua and Puerto Rico. A graduate of University of California, Riverside’s MFA program, his words have appeared in The LA Times, Poets & Writers, Lithub, New York Magazine, and beyond. His debut memoir, High-Risk Homosexual, was called a “breath of fresh air” by The New York Times; named a Best Book of 2022 by Publisher’s Weekly, Buzzfeed, and Electric Literature; and received a 2023 American Book Award, a Stonewall Israel-Fishman Nonfiction Book Honor Award, and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir. Gomez’s second book, a darkly-comic memoir about growing up poor in early 2000’s Florida titled Alligator Tears, will be out in 2025 from Crown. His work has been supported by The New York Foundation for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, and The Black Mountain Institute. He lives between New York and Puerto Rico. Find him across social media @OtroEdgarGomez.

About Amelia Possanza

Amelia Possanza is a full-time book publicist and part-time writer. If you’re looking to get in touch about a potential PR project, you may want to try the Lavender Public Relations site.

Her debut book Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives came out in 2023 from Catapult in the US and Square Peg in the UK and was named a Best Book of 2023 by NPR, Shelf Awareness, and Publishers Weekly. Her work has also appeared in The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, LitHub, Electric Literature, The Millions, and NPR’s Invisibilia. She teaches creative writing to high schoolers through Lambda Literary’s Writers in School program, coaches swimming with Team New York Aquatics, and occasionally volunteers aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. She currently lives in Flatbush with her cat.

About the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College

Since 1983, the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College has offered writers a robust and supportive community, with workshops, classes, seminars, conferences, readings and more. Our virtual and on campus classes are open to all writers, including classes for beginners, advanced prose and poetry workshops, teen programs and publishing seminars. Scholarships are available for new students. Learn more at slc.edu/WI.

About Yonkers Pride

The mission of Yonkers Pride is to produce an inclusive, secure, and fun event to promote freedom of expression, motivate activists in the on-going fight for equal rights, and to honor and celebrate the diversity of the Yonkers LGBTQ+ community, their families, and allies. Learn more at yonkerspride.org.

About Yonkers Public Library

Yonkers Public Library is the largest library in Westchester County. It consists of three locations: Riverfront Library, our main branch, in downtown Yonkers, the Grinton I. Will Library on Central Avenue, and the Crestwood Library in the Crestwood section of the city. Our mission is to change lives every day. Our expert, trusted staff help all the people of Yonkers find the information they need, the programs they enjoy, and the reading they love. For more information about Yonkers Public Library, visit www.ypl.org.