Join the AIHS for a lecture on "Anything That Burns You: A Portrait of Lola Ridge"

The American Irish Historical Society (AIHS), in collaboration with the Cuala Foundation, is pleased to announce a special Zoom lecture on December 10, featuring renowned author Terese Svoboda.

Poet, novelist, memoirist, short story writer, librettist, translator, biographer, critic and videomaker, Terese Svoboda will present "Anything That Burns You: A Portrait of Lola Ridge, Radical Poet", based on her acclaimed biography of the groundbreaking poet and editor, Lola Ridge.

Born Emily Rose Ridge in 1873 in the Back of the Pipes area of Dolphin's Barn, Dublin, Ridge went on to become one of New York's most influential voices in the early 20th century. A poet, editor, and radical, Ridge was celebrated for her powerful works that tackled issues of social justice, gender, and politics.

Svoboda’s presentation will delve into the remarkable life of Lola Ridge, who immigrated to the United States at the age of 19 and quickly became embedded in the vibrant literary and political movements of New York City. Ridge was one of the foremost editors of avant-garde, feminist, and Marxist publications, her work celebrated for its revolutionary spirit and deep compassion for the marginalized.

Among her most notable works is the 1918 poem "The Ghetto", which vividly captures the Jewish immigrant experience on New York's Lower East Side, where Ridge lived for a time. Ridge’s poem "The Tidings" was a stirring tribute to the leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland, further solidifying her ties to the Irish independence movement. The New York Times hailed Ridge as “one of the best poets America ever produced,” yet her name has often remained in the shadows of more famous contemporaries.

The event will conclude with a lively discussion featuring Terese Svoboda, along with Susan McKeown and Elizabeth Stack, exploring Ridge's extraordinary legacy and her place in the literary and political history of both Ireland and America. The conversation promises to offer deeper insight into Ridge's impact as both a poet and a political figure who gave voice to the oppressed and the revolutionary.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about this fascinating figure and her radical contributions to literature and social change.

To attend, register here for the Zoom link.

For more information on the American Irish Historical Society and upcoming events, visit AIHSNY.org.