Art and Jewish Art

This Motzoai Shabbos there's an interesting program taking place at The Jewish Alliance. If you're looking for a way to spend the evening, read on. From the advertisement:

What Does it Mean to Be a Jewish Artist? When Does Art Become Jewish Art?

Poetry, Film Screening, Discussion, Q & A, Book Signing

Yehoshua (Josh) November, author of God's Optimism, and Ari Mark, film director & writer of "The Gift," are reunited 10 years after college graduation for a reading, screening and conversation about their award winning work. Catch these two artists with strong connections to our Lower East Side. Moderated by David Deutsch, Humor Editor, Heeb Magazine.

8pm Wine & Cheese Reception
Program begins at 8:30pm

Join author Yehoshua (Josh) November as he reads from his debut poetry collection God’s Optimism, which was selected as the winner of the 2010 Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award, nominated for an LA Times Book Prize, and named a finalist for the Tampa Review Prize for Poetry & the Autumn House Poetry Prize. November’s work has appeared in The Forward, Zeek, Prairie Schooner, The Sun, & more. His poetry has been anthologized, nominated for Pushcart Prize, and selected as the winner of the Bernice Slote Award.

Join film director and writer Ari Mark’s as he screens and discusses his new short film “The Gift,” which was recently acquired by the Sundance Channel and will air in 2011. His previous film, “The Metamorphosis," screened at more than 15 film festivals around the world and was winner of the Audience Film Award at Washington Jewish Film Festival, Honorary Diploma for Best Short Film at Warsaw Film Festival, was selected by PBS' Independent Lens festival, and was licensed & broadcast by Sundance for the past 3 years.

For more information and for pre-payment ($7 charge) go to:
http://www.edalliance.org/index.php?src=events&submenu=AboutUs&srctype=detail&category=Events%20%28Lower%20East%20Side%29&refno=30412

Note: For those who may think of it as not exactly being an "artsy" kind of place, please note that Josh November is also a professor of English at Touro College.