Join Keep St. Pete Lit, a local organization that supports the literary community, for a book club connecting the visual and literary arts.  Each month’s featured book will relate to the MFA’s collection or special exhibtions.

November 8th:  Self Portrait With Boy, by Rachel Lyon

We explore themes central to our This Is Not a Selfie exhibition with the debut novel, Self Portrait with Boy, by Rachel Lyon.

Lyon’s heroine, a young woman named Lu Rile who has just graduated from art school, is a bit like a plain Jane Eyre, minus the moral compass. Lu, in an effort to remain focused on her professional ambition, takes a daily self-portrait.

When the novel opens, she’s about to take No. 400. Looking at the shots from session 400, she sees a potentially career-making image: her neighbor’s young son plummeting to his death from the floors above. Ambition and empathy collide in grand fashion; leading to a life altering decision for the struggling young artist.

Free with admission, $10 on Thursdays after 5pm