Reading and Conversation with Paul Grondahl
Paul Grondahl, author, journalist, and NYS Writers Institute Director, will be the first speaker in the 2023 SLCA Writers Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 12, at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Averill Park. He will read excerpts from his books, discuss his literary process, journalism, biography, and share stories of his experiences with authors in connection with the Writers Institute.
Community leader and philanthropist Chet Opalka will moderate the discussion.
“I am grateful to be invited to kick off the 2023 Authors Series presented by Sand Lake Center for the Arts, which will showcase the remarkable writing talent in our region,” Paul said. “My job as director of the Writers Institute is to help nurture and grow our community of authors and to foster meaningful discussions between readers and writers. I’m happy to be in conversation at SLCA with my friend Chet Opalka, whose philanthropy for the arts underscores the value of collaboration.”
Paul Grondahl was appointed director of the NYS Writers Institute at the University at Albany in 2017. He is the third director in the Writers Institute’s 40-year history. He moved to Albany in 1982 to attend graduate school at UAlbany and joined the Albany Times Union as a reporter in 1984. Paul continues to write a weekly column for the newspaper.
His books include Mayor Corning: Albany Icon, Albany Enigma (1997); I Rose like a Rocket: The Political Education of Theodore Roosevelt (2004); and with Suzanne Lance, he co-edited Bootlegger of the Soul: The Literary Legacy of William Kennedy (2018).
