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A Memory, Monologue, Rant, and A Prayer: Writings to Stop Violence Against Women to Be Released June 2007

05/30/2007

V-DAY AND CULTURE PROJECT TO LAUNCH THE BOOK WITH TWO READINGS IN NYC WITH MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM, KATHY ENGEL, EVE ENSLER, CAROL GILLIGAN, HAZELLE GOODMAN, CAROLE MICHELE KAPLAN, MICHAEL KLEIN, JAMES LECESNE, LYNN NOTTAGE, MARK MATOUSEK, WINTER MILLER, PATRICIA BOSWORTH, ELIZABETH LESSER, SUSAN MILLER, MARISA TOMEI, OLIVIA WILDE
Readings to Take Place in Over 80 Cities

New York, NY - May 30, 2007 - Random House will release A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writing To Stop Violence Against Women and Girls, a groundbreaking collection of monologues by world-renowned authors and playwrights, edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle and commissioned by V-Day for the first V-Day: UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS festival, which took place June 2006 in New York City.

These diverse voices rise up in a collective roar to break open, expose, and examine the insidiousness of violence at all levels: brutality, neglect, a punch, even a put-down. The volume features such authors and topics as: Edward Albee on S&M; Maya Angelou on women’s work; Michael Cunningham on self-mutilation; Dave Eggers on a Sudanese abduction; Edwidge Danticat on a border crossing; Carol Gilligan on a daughter witnessing her mother being hit; Susan Miller on raising a son as a single mother; Sharon Olds on a bra; Patricia Bosworth on her own physically abusive relationship; Jane Fonda on reclaiming our Mojo; and many more.

These writings are inspired, funny, angry, heartfelt, tragic, and beautiful. But above all, together they create a true and profound portrait of how violence against women affects every one of us. The book includes information on how to organize V-Day events and readings of the book. A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT, AND A PRAYER is a call to the world to demand an end to violence against women.

In NYC, V-Day and the Culture Project will present two readings with world-renowned authors, playwrights and actors, beginning with the June 4 launch at the Culture Project’s new space, 55 Mercer Street in New York City, and followed July 5.

The Monday, June 4 event will feature readings from contributors Patricia Bosworth, Michael Cunningham, Kathy Engel, Eve Ensler, Hazelle Goodman, Carol Michele Kaplan, Michael Klein, James Lecesne, Lynn Nottage, Mark Matousek, and Olivia Wilde. On July 5, contributors Abiola Abrams, Nicole Burdette, Carol Gilligan, Elizabeth Lesser, Susan Miller and Marisa Tomei among others will read their works.

A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer
June 4th and July 5th at the Culture Project
Doors: 7:00pm
Curtain: 7:30pm
Tickets $20: http://www.cultureproject.org or call 212.925.1900.

In Santa Fe on Sunday, June 24 at the St. Francis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson will make their first Santa Fe public appearance since relocating there and will read from the book alongside Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Ali MacGraw, Jonathan Richards and others. The Mayor will declare Santa Fe a Rape and Domestic Violence Free Zone that day. Tickets are available via the Lensic Box Office at (505) 988-1234 or visit www.lensic.com.

In conjunction with the release, over 80 communities and colleges will present benefit readings of the book to raise money and awareness to end violence against women and girls. Cities signed up to date include Juneau (AK), Escondido (CA), Sedona (CA), Crested Butte (CO), Fort Collins (CO), Middletown (CT), Fairfield (CT), St. Augustine (FL), Fort Mayers (FL), Atlanta (GA), Idaho, Chicago (IL), Malta (IL), New Orleans (LA), Bel Air (MD), Westminster (MD), Arnold (MD), Boston (MA), Holyoke (MA), Jefferson City (MO), Havre (MT), Ren0 (NV), Santa Fe (NM), New York (NY), Westchester (NY), Elmira (NY), Olean (NY), Brooklyn (NY), Cooperstown (NY), Charlotte (NC), Toledo (OH), Cleveland (OH), Bethlehem (PA), Philadelphia (PA), Newport (RI), Chattanooga (TN), Austin (TX), Rancho Viejo (TX), Salt Lake City (UT), Ballarat Australia, Sydney Australia, Manitoba Canada, Mississauga Ontario, Nova Scotia Canada, Jamaica, Guatemala, Taipei Taiwan, Ireland, London England.

About V-Day
V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues. In 2007, more than 3000 V-Day events took place in the U.S. and around the world. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $45 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 5000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. In June 2006, V-Day launched the UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS: NYC festival which invited thousands of New Yorkers to stand up and join V-Day in making New York City the safest place on earth for women and girls. The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina. http://www.vday.org

About Culture Project’s Women Center Stage Festival
Culture Project’s Women Center Stage (WCS) is multi-disciplinary festival featuring women artists whose work calls attention to human struggles globally. WCS gathers artists, activists, thinkers and other crucial voices for justice - to build community and solidarity, share stories and ideas, and challenge one another to act and react.