The Gathering Clout

A militant mullah’s fatwa catapulted Salman Rushdie’s name far beyond the prestigious literary world.
Now recognition of his talent has eclipsed the notoriety of that since-rescinded Islamic vendetta.
Perhaps the most famous man of letters in the world, Salman Rushdie is coming to northeastern Pennsylvania this weekend.
His visit is an achievement for Keystone College, La Plume, and the Lackawanna County Library System.
Rushdie will speak at Scranton Cultural Center at 8 p.m. Friday, July 17, during a free lecture called “Salman Rushdie: A Conversation with a Master” that is part of the library system’s lecture series.
Admission is free with a library card. Tickets are available at any Lackawanna County library, the Scranton Cultural Center box office or the Everhart Museum in Scranton. The lecture series is supported by the Lackawanna County Office of Arts and Culture.
On Saturday, July 18, Rushdie will visit Keystone College to attend “The Gathering,” hosted by Keystone, and participate in a conversation with Gregory Maguire, author of the book, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.”
Rushdie’s novel “Midnight’s Children” was voted the best novel to win the Booker Prize in the award’s 40-year history. “The Satanic Verses” resulted in a death sentence (since commuted) from Islamic militants. His contributions to English literature earned him a knighthood.
 
How It Happened
The Lackawanna County Library System has been offering its library lecture series since 2005.
Administrator Mary Garm said library series planners are always looking “to push it over the edge, to make it really successful, to have someone with a name.”
Last year, she said Gathering committee co-chairs Charlotte Ravaioli and Suzanne Fisher Staples approached her about partnering with Keystone.
Garm called Rushdie’s visit, “A great opportunity for Keystone and a great opportunity for the library system.”
Ravaioli, a Keystone College professor, said many Gathering committee members had read Rushdie’s books. “It went beyond ‘The Satanic Verses,’” she said. She especially noted his semi-autobiographical “Midnight’s Children.”
“His literary reputation is just excellent,” she said. “We thought: ‘Let’s ask him.’ It was really: ‘Let’s dream big. Let’s push it up.’”
She said Staples called his agent “and he was free and agreed to come.”
“We were nervous. The economy’s not in the best shape. But we’re thrilled with the response,” Ravaioli said.
Staples, an author in her own right, said, “I heard him on TV,”  recalling she was probably watching C-Span’s Book Channel.
“I’m a big fan of his,” she said. She was living in India when “Midnight’s Children” came out. “He’s brilliant,” she said.
After the Gathering committee agreed and she and Ravaioli approached Garm, she said, “I simply called his agent.” As it happened, Rushdie had taken some time off from speaking engagements and was looking at a return.
“I’m very excited about it,” Staples said of his visit.     

The Visit, The Gathering
“In addition to his appearance at the Scranton Cultural Center, Salman Rushdie will make our third annual presentation of ‘The Gathering’ a truly special event,” Ravaioli said. “We are hosting some of the most prominent writers in the nation and the conversation between Mr.  Rushdie and Gregory Maguire will indeed be unique.”          
The theme for this year’s Gathering from July 16-19 will be, “There and Back Again: Time, Place and Story.” The conference features lectures, readings, workshops, discussion groups, panels and social events. Other nationally known presenters include author Gail Carson Levine, documentary filmmaker Rebecca Marshall Ferris, poet and educator Ibtisam Barakat, author Nancy McKinley and children’s author Jennifer Armstrong.
Additional sponsors for The Gathering include WVIA, Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and the Willary Foundation.
For more information or to register, contact: Cindy Warburton, 945-8452 or cindy.warburton@keystone.edu; Charlotte Ravaioli, 840-7464 or charlotte.ravaioli@keystone.edu; or Suzanne Fisher Staples, 561-5962.
 
“It was really Let’s dream big.”
—Charlotte Ravaioli

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