Hemingway and the Lost Generation
The Castle & Cathedral District and Metropolitan Community College are excited to present the 14th annual Art & Literary Festival! The festival runs October 8-22nd.
This year we’re honoring Hemingway & the Lost Generation, presenting dramatic excerpts from works by Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Virginia Woolf, and Gertrude Stein.
It was Gertrude Stein that labeled the writers creating work following the devastation of World War I the "Lost Generation." It’s been a hundred years since these works were first published, but their themes, their stories, and their dialogue feel as current as ever.
First the first time ever, the Art & Literary Festival is being presented district-wide across the newly-formed Castle & Cathedral District! You're invited to celebrate the legacies of this band of literary giants across our historic Joslyn Castle neighborhood.
The festival includes a robust itinerary of poetry workshops, lectures, readings, and of course, a full theatrical presentation throughout the Joslyn Castle. Many of these opportunities are presented FREE to the community.
The Art and Literary Festival is presented with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council, Humanities Nebraska, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
October 12-22 - "Hemingway and the Lost Generation" Theatrical Production
Join us for a live theatrical production featuring short stories, excerpts, and poems from this iconic generation's most beloved voices. Your evening includes performances throughout the historic Joslyn Castle, providing a fittingly dramatic background to iconic pieces including excerpts from "The Sun Also Rises," “Bernice Bobs Her Hair," and "A Room of One's Own" among others.At the conclusion of each performance, you're invited to stick around for a talk back with the cast and production team about the literary themes presented during the performances.
Doors open at 7:00pm and a cash bar is available. Performances begin at 7:30pm. Space is limited and reservations are required. Masks are strongly encouraged, and will be offered upon entry.
Prior to the performances on October 15th, 19th, and the 22nd, please join us for a series of FREE lectures from local scholars. Lectures run from 6pm-7pm. More information below.
Metropolitan Community College students and faculty are invited to attend performances of "Hemingway and the Lost Generation" at no cost.
October 8 - Write With the State Poet! Poetry Workshop
FREE! Hosted at Cali Commons, located at 518 N 40th Street, from 1:00pm-2:30pm.
Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason will lead you in exercises to write a poem, even if you've never written one before. We'll talk about what makes poetry meaningful in today's world, get some words down and have fun doing it.
At the end of our workshop, attendees are welcome to share their work with the group.
This is a workshop best suited for ages 12+. Registration is required and space is limited!
October 13, 5pm-7pm - Opening Reception and Art Walk
Join us for the opening reception of the Art & Literary Festival with a Parisian café in the Carriage House! In the theme of festival, we’ll be hosting a Hemingway lookalike contest and snacking on pastries. Document your look in the tintype booth!
Adam Dienst-Scott, photography faculty at Metropolitan Community College and Co-director of Link Gallery + Workshop, and Anne Dienst-Scott, Co-director of Link Gallery + Workshop, will be shooting tintype portraits during the reception.
In addition, we are thrilled to welcome several local creatives to share their wares and their processes with our visitors. The Boss of the Sauce Marlon Wofford of Dripps BBQ is back to feed your cravings.
October 14 - FREE Poetry Reading with the Nebraska State Poet and Friends
Be our guest as we welcome Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason and his fellow poets Devel Crisp and Michelle Troxclair for a FREE poetry reading in the historic Joslyn Castle Music Room.
This is an opportunity to experience some of the best poetry our state has to offer in a stunning historic setting.
Admission is FREE and registration is not required. Doors will open at 5:45pm and the reading begins at 6pm and concludes at 7pm. Those attending the evening's ticketed theatrical performance are welcome to stay through the 7:30pm show time.
Ocotober 15 - FREE Lecture "Hemingway and Cather in Conversation"
Join us for a FREE lecture prior to the evening's performance of "Hemingway and the Lost Generation" at the Joslyn Castle. We'll explore the contentious relationship between Nebraska's own Willa Cather and Earnest Hemingway. Our talk will be led by Tracy Tucker of the Willa Cather Center.
Admission is FREE and registration is not required. Doors will open at 5:45pm and the reading begins at 6pm and concludes at 7pm. Those attending the evening's ticketed theatrical performance are welcome to stay through the 7:30pm show time.
"How to Tell a War Story: Hemingway and Cather in Conversation"
Though Willa Cather and Ernest Hemingway share many early influences—a Great Plains upbringing, early journalistic experience, and widespread critical and public acclaim for their work—they didn't know each other and often did not share artistic sensibilities. One of their most notorious "disagreements," if it can be deemed one when the two parties don't speak to each other, is over Cather's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, One of Ours. Hemingway didn't like Cather's depictions of war, suggesting her inspiration came from movies. That may be a somewhat reductive opinion, and we'll explore both Cather's real influences and examples from Hemingway's most famous war stories, as we discuss the ways Hemingway was both right and wrong in his assessment of Cather's novel One of Ours.
October 19 and 22 - FREE Lecture: The 1920s, How It Ruined Poetry For The Rest Of Us
Join us for a FREE lecture prior to the performance of "Hemingway and the Lost Generation" on October 19th and 22nd at the Joslyn Castle. Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason will lead a lecture about the shift in public perception of the craft of poety.
"The 1920s, How It Ruined Poetry For The Rest Of Us"
Many of us don't like poetry these days. But over 100 years ago, it was seen as a form of entertainment, read for pleasure, memorized for fun. But critics took over and narrowed what people saw as poetry, leading to a downward spiral in the broader public's interest in poetry.
Admission is FREE and registration is not required. Doors will open at 5:45pm and the reading begins at 6pm and concludes at 7pm. Those attending the evening's ticketed theatrical performance are welcome to stay through the 7:30pm show time.
October 20 - FREE Neighborhood Walking Tour
Join the Joslyn Castle Neighborhood Association for a historic walking tour of the Joslyn Castle neighborhood, highlighting architectural gems along 40th Street.
Our neighborhood provides a stunning historic backdrop to the Literary Festival.
Meet at the front porch of the Joslyn Castle at 5pm. Tour will take approximately 1 hour and is free to the public.
October 21 - Cafe Perdu: A Midnight in Paris Soiree
Hemingway once said, "Drinking is a way of ending the day." With his words guiding us, we invite you a special speakeasy post-show that we're calling Cafe Perdu (The Lost Cafe).
Join us for an extra special engagement in the depths of the Joslyn Castle. A limited number of guests will be invited into George Joslyn's legendary mancave after the evening's performance of "Hemingway and the Lost Generation!"
We'll transport you to 1920's Paris, where you'll get to rub elbows with our cast as we fete a successful Art & Literary Festival. Imbibe on a literary themed cocktail, kick up your heels to live Jazz, and nosh on light bites.
Your admission includes a drink ticket and light fare.
This exclusive party is offered to attendees of the evening's theatrical performance for a discounted rate, when purchased as a package.
21+ only.
