Riva will be on the Scott Simon’s @nprscottsimon livestream Twitter show, Open Book, Tuesday February 22nd at 5:15 CST/6:15 EST. They will be talking about what it’s like to make portraits in a pandemic. You don’t need a Twitter account to watch and the discussion will be archived for later viewing.

Roundtable. November 12, Friday, 9 am ET. “A relation of cruel optimism exists when something you desire is actually an obstacle to your flourishing.” So writes feminist/queer scholar Lauren Berlant in the opening of their groundbreaking book Cruel Optimism. On the tenth anniversary of its publication, and in the wake of Berlant’s untimely passing, this panel invites scholars from India, Hong Kong, the US, and the UK to reflect on the meaning and relevance of “cruel optimism” in a transnational frame. Berlant incisively analyzes the exhaustion of life under late capitalism within liberal democracies, and the toxic effects of “good life fantasies” within the context of precarity that marks the present moment. How do Berlant’s trenchant critiques of psychic attachments in the context of the ordinariness of crisis resonate today both within and beyond the borders of the US and Europe, in light of the devastations wrought by the multiple and converging crises of climate catastrophe, global pandemics, unfettered capitalism, and the entrenchment of authoritarian regimes?

Conversation with Lawrence Weschler

Riva joins the Chicago Reader Book Club to discuss her memoir, Golem Girl

Riva Lehrer, in conversation with Joey Soloway. 6pm PST

I will have two portraits in The Long Dream, an exhibit examining the position of artists in this strange and difficult time. The Long Dream provides an overview of generations of Chicago art, and the strategies we're using as we grapple with our times.

Golem Girl: Riva Lehrer in Conversation with David Mitchell.
Friday, Oct 30, 2020 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Register online.

I will be in conversation with artist Molly Crabapple, moderated by publisher Christopher Jackson. The event begins at 8:00 pm EST/7:00 pm CST and is free with RSVP. Get tickets at Eventbrite.

My solo show of new works opens at Zolla Lieberman Gallery, at 11 a.m. CST. I plan to be at the gallery from about 1 to 4:30. Depending on the weather I hope to perform 2 informal outdoor readings from Golem Girl. Unfortunately, there will not be ASL or other captioning available, if the readings do take place.

COVID precautions will be in place: limited attendance in the gallery, hand sanitizer, and mask requirements for all attendees.

Zolla/Lieberman is an accessible first-floor space, though any bathroom needs may have to be found elsewhere. FREE no RSVP needed.

I will be in conversation with Scott Simon on Weekend Edition Saturday, on NPR Radio. Between 8-10 AM EST, 7-10 AM CST, 6-9 AM PST. Exact time unknown.

My work will be featured on the Dispatch platform in ArtForum International, courtesy Zolla/Lieberman Gallery. Subscribe for free at this link:

Novelist Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife) helps me release Golem Girl into the great wild world. Event is FREE with RSVP or purchase the book through WCF. This event includes ASL interpretation and closed captioning.