Library Welcomes Authors Michelle Ephraim and Alizah Holstein for a Reading Event
News Article: Renowned Authors Michelle Ephraim and Alizah Holstein Discuss Memoirs at Rehm Library
In a captivating discussion event held at Rehm Library, associated with College of the Holy Cross, on March 20th, 2025, two successful authors, Michelle Ephraim and Alizah Holstein, shared insights into their memoirs.
Michelle Ephraim, a Shakespeare scholar and professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, recently won the 2023 Juniper Prize for Creative Nonfiction for her memoir, Green World: A Tragicomic Memoir of Love & Shakespeare. The book explores themes of belonging and self-doubt through the lens of academia and personal relationships, blending Shakespearean motifs with a tragicomic tone. Structured in five acts, similar to a Shakespeare play, the memoir delves into the tension between self-doubt and the search for belonging, often reflected through Shakespearean drama analogies.
Ephraim's memoir resonated with Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice, due to her Jewish identity. She shared her experiences and the parallels she found between her life and the play's themes.
Alizah Holstein, a new author, holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Literary Translation from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a PhD in medieval Italian history from Cornell University. Her debut memoir, My Roman History, deeply expresses her personal affinity for Rome and her love for Italy. The memoir highlights an emotional and cultural connection to the city and country, offering complementary perspectives on identity and emotional connection in memoir form.
The event, organized by the History Department and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program, focused on the shared exploration of identity, place, and love in both authors' memoirs. Ephraim's academic Shakespearean angle and personal belonging struggles contrasted with Holstein's intimate cultural memoir about Rome.
Meanwhile, on September 19, 2023, a panel discussion titled "Black Women's Struggles For Reproductive Justice: Past and Present" was also held in Rehm Library. The panel consisted of three experts in the field of reproductive justice.
On a separate note, Isabella Giaquinta and Max Hendrix were the 2023 Fenwick Scholars at College of the Holy Cross. They gave presentations in Rehm Library detailing their year-long work as members of the Fenwick Scholar Program on April 25. In "Peep My Crib: Lehy 420", it is mentioned that Viveca Stucke '26 and Paige Thomson '26 have personalized their living space in Lehy 420, with the light blue tones of Viveca's side complementing the overall design.
This event provided a platform for these authors to exhibit their hard work and wonderful memoirs, offering insights into their personal journeys and creative processes.
- The student Isabella Giaquinta and Max Hendrix,原著作者Beckham Polytechnic Institute，在4月25日在 holy cross學校的Rehm圖書館 catalyst their year-long project as Fenwick Scholars.
- In addition to the authors' event, the panel discussion "Black Women's Struggles for Reproductive Justice: Past and Present" was held in Rehm Library on September 19, 2023.
- Viveca Stucke '26和Paige Thomson '26是 holy cross學校的Lehy 420生，在领iving space的蓝色
