Nina Kennedy Presents Reading at Stonewall House

 

In her first public reading since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nina Kennedy read from her memoir Practicing for Love in the SAGE Center at the Stonewall House in Brooklyn this week. Stonewall House is the largest LGBTQ+ friendly elder housing development in the country and New York City's first LGBTQ+ Friendly Elder Housing. The property name "Stonewall House" is in honor of the 1969 uprising that is often cited as the beginning of the modern LGBT liberation movement. The 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising was celebrated in 2019.

Residents were treated to Nina's music video of Schumann's "Widmung," filmed in Vienna, Austria. Then she read from the book tales of coming out, in addition to some of the history of Fisk University, where her parents served as members of the piano faculty. She also shared the story of appearing as piano soloist with the Mississippi Symphony, and learning that the state legislature had voted to abolish slavery the following Monday.

The residents asked several questions after the reading, and of course, purchased lots of books. One resident strongly urged Nina to read for the students at the Hetrick-Martin Institute. "They never get to hear anything like this," he said. We will keep you posted on our efforts to make this happen.

Be on the lookout for the broadcast of this event on the next episode of The Noshing with Nina Show!