PREVIEW: Lili Taylor to Discuss Birding Memoir at Crandell Theatre
07/14 @ Crandell Theatre, Chatham
Actor Lili Taylor will visit the Crandell Theatre in Chatham at 7:00 p.m. on July 14 as part of the theater's "Crandell Live!" Author Series. The event celebrates the release of her memoir on paperback, Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing. The book was named one of the year's best by The New Yorker and Library Journal and was a finalist for the Gotham Book Prize.
Taylor, a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, rose to fame in the late ‘80s with roles in Mystic Pizza and Say Anything before becoming a staple of ‘90s independent cinema with starring roles in Dogfight and I Shot Andy Warhol. She received four Independent Spirit Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Female for her performance in 1993’s Household Saints and has served on the National Audubon Society's board of directors since 2016.
Turning to Birds came to be following Taylor's personal discovery of birding during a break from acting. Through a collection of essays, she reflects on experiences of spotting blue jays perched on Manhattan fire escapes and seeing hatchlings in her own backyard, using those moments to encourage readers to slow down, pay closer attention and become more engaged with the natural world rather than be encumbered by the constant — at times — overwhelming parts of life.
Beyond just writing, Taylor has become an advocate for birds, planting native species in her own personal garden and supporting conservation efforts and science initiatives for avians, such as the Birdsong Project.
The event will have a discussion between Taylor and Crandell Executive Director Mirissa Neff. The evening will kick off with a screening of local artist Sally Eckhoff's short film, Conference of the Birds.
Attendees can purchase copies of Turning to Birds through the Chatham Bookstore when buying tickets, and Taylor will sign books in the theater lobby after the conclusion of the discussion.
Tickets are $35 for adults with a book, $32 for members with a book, $15 for adults without a book and $12 for members without a book.
For more information, visit https://chathambookstore.indielite.org/