A crowd of readers gathered to hear award-winning authors Mary Gordon, BC ’71, Julia Leigh, and Sigrid Nunez, BC ’72, read in Sulzberger Parlor Tuesday night. In the living room of the Barnard campus, listeners arrived for the second round of “Great Writers at Barnard,” a reading series that highlights female poets and writers currently teaching at Barnard.
“These aren’t just great writers, they’re titans,” said professor Peter Platt, chair of the English department at Barnard.
For students of fiction professor Julia Leigh, the night meant watching their professor in action—this time, outside of the classroom.
“I hadn’t read anything of hers before,” confessed Cecilia Vinesse, BC ’09 and a student in Leigh’s class. “I came to find out.”
Sigrid Nunez, who currently teaches fiction writing at Barnard, drew a loyal following. Instead of reading from past works, Nunez stirred things up by opening with the first chapter of her unfinished novel.
Rounding out the evening was Mary Gordon, McIntosh Professor of English at Barnard. Gordon read from her current project, “The Little Sister,” which she announced was about the Holocaust, death, and loss.
“It’s one of my lighter works,” Gordon joked.
For Gordon, all her years at Barnard were inspired by the college’s prestigious reputation for female writers.
“It [Barnard] is the best place in the world. Where else would I go?” Gordon said. “It’s great to be able to teach women who want to be in a women’s college in New York. Barnard’s mission is very close to my heart.”
