Poets & Writers Theater

“The more you know about the book, the better the book becomes,” says author Colm Tóibín about James Joyce’s iconic novel Ulysses in this Morgan Library & Museum video introducing their exhibition “One Hundred Years of James Joyce’s Ulysses,” which showcases printed books, manuscripts, letters, handwritten notes, and photographs from Joyce’s life and career.

“The minute I’m within a sentence, I’m within an orbit of urgencies and rules that to some extent leave me in a position of caginess and wiliness,” says poet and critic Wayne Koestenbaum about the presence of spontaneity in writing in this conversation about fables, expressions of queerness, and process with countertenor and actor Anthony Roth Costanzo. The Artists on Writers | Writers on Artists series is coproduced by Artforum and Bookforum, and sponsored by the Morgan Library & Museum.

“Manuscript drafts and maps in Tolkien’s own hand show how the characters and the narrative developed,” says John McQuillen, associate curator at the Morgan Library & Museum, about the “Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth” exhibit. This is the largest collection ever assembled of J. R. R. Tolkien’s original manuscripts, drawings, and illustrated maps, which inspired and were created alongside many of his most famous works.

In this video, PBS NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown tours an exhibit on Emily Dickinson at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City, where visitors can listen to readings of her poems, examine remnants of her life, and view handwritten manuscripts.

"Writing can be so lonely," says Emma Straub, who is profiled in the current issue of the magazine, "that it's nice to have another warm body nearby, snuggling up next to you." Listen to the author of Laura Lamont's Life In Pictures reflect on the bond between artists and animals in this video from the Morgan Library & Museum and read Eryn Loeb's new profile, "Emma Straub's Life in Letters (So Far)."