On Wednesday August 18, at 7 p.m., the Santa Monica Public Library welcomes Sarah Schulman, discussing her new book Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT-UP New York, 1987-1993 with USC professor Chris Freeman.
Based on over 200 interviews, Let the Record Show is a monumental history of the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP). In just six years, ACT UP, New York, a broad and unlikely coalition of activists from all races, genders, sexualities, and backgrounds, took on the AIDS crisis with an indefatigable, ingenious, and multifaceted attack on the corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals who stood in the way of AIDS treatment for all. They stormed the FDA and NIH in Washington, DC, and started needle exchange programs in New York; they took over Grand Central Terminal and fought to change the legal definition of AIDS to include women; they transformed the American insurance industry, weaponized art and advertising to push their agenda, and battled—and beat—The New York Times, the Catholic Church, and the pharmaceutical industry. Their activism, in its complex and intersectional power, transformed the lives of people with AIDS and the society that had abandoned them.
Described as “one of the most revered queer writers and intellectuals of her generation,” Sarah Schulman is a prolific author of fiction, nonfiction, theater, and screenplays, as well as an activist and academic.
Santa Monica Public Library patrons may remember Chris Freeman from his onstage conversation with Tab Hunter. He has also published on Santa Monica icon Christopher Isherwood, among other topics.
Register in advance for this online program at https://bit.ly/3haIpnL This program is free and open to all.
In-person service is available at the Main Library, and contactless Curbside Pickup service is available at the Montana Avenue and Pico Branches. For a full list of programs and library resources, as well as library locations and hours, please visit our website at smpl.org. Questions? Call us at (310) 458-8600 or email reference@santamonica.gov.
Submitted by Jeff Schwartz, Reference Librarian
