The Tea & Talk Series (originally conceived as Conversation with Authors and Artists) “was designed to give students, faculty, and friends of Hunter College the opportunity to meet with outstanding authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults, and to hear from them about their inspiration and craft.” The program also encouraged dialogue between the authors and/or illustrators, and the audience. Decisions about whom to invite was made by the committee and was based on the quality and popularity of each writer or illustrator. The programs were open to the public and were held each semester in the Teachers Central Laboratory of the former Education Library. The first speaker of the series was Ezra Jack Keats (November 3, 1965), whose book The Snowy Day won the Caldecott Medal in 1963 for the most distinguished picture book for children. Initially no prepared talks were given. Guests were interviewed by Florence B. Freeman and she willingly entertained questions from the audience. However, as the program evolved, subsequent guests did deliver prepared talks. Many of the presentations and interviews were recorded on audio cassette or reel-to-reel tapes and were later transcribed. Some of the outstanding authors and illustrators that appeared in the series included Isaac Asimov, Pura Belpre, John Ciardi, Don Freeman, Lillian Hoban, Leland Jacobs, Ezra Jack Keats, John Langstaff, Arnold Lobel, John Steptoe, and Maurice Sendak among others. Virginia Hamilton was the last Honor Guest to appear in the series in 1987.
The Tea & Talk Series was conceived by Doris de Montreville, (former head of the Education Library from 1962 - 1972) and by Florence B. Freedman, (former chair of the Library Committee of the Division of Programs in Education) in the early 1960's. The Tea & Talk Series Committee, chaired by Professor Eileen G. Cowe (1967 - 1983) consisted of members from the Education Library and the Division of Programs in Education. The series was sponsored by the Hunter College Library, the Division of Programs in Education, and the Graduate Student Association of Hunter College. By the end of the 1980's it became increasingly time-consuming and expensive to continue the program. In total 36 authors and illustrators of children and young adult books presented talks or were interviewed as part of the series.
Visit the displays on the 4th floor in the Cooperman Library to view archival material from the Tea & Talk Series.
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