Press Releases

October 30, 2001
92nd Street Y Announces November 21 Benefit Featuring Roger Rosenblatt & Friends: "A New York State of Mind"

Legendary New Yorkers Share Favorite New York Stories, Celebrate the City

Contact:
Jane Finalborgo
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

On Wednesday, November 21, at 8:00 p.m., journalist and essayist Roger Rosenblatt will host "Roger Rosenblatt & Friends: A New York State of Mind," a benefit to raise money for the 92nd Street Y September 11th Response Fund. Rosenblatt brings his wit and wide-ranging interest to this parlor discussion among friends about what makes New York City great, and enduring. The New Yorkers who will share the stage with Rosenblatt include Alan Alda, Nora Ephron, Joel Grey, Ed Koch, Frank McCourt and Jane Pauley, among others.

The 92nd Street Y September 11 Response Fund is a reflection of the Y's longstanding commitment to New York. Since its 1874 establishment, the Y has supported the city and its inhabitants, through wars, epidemics, disasters and their aftermaths. The Y's contributions have included bond, blood, food and fund-raising drives; the creation of a War School to train prospective soldiers in military arts like telegraphy; the establishment of canteens for soldiers; and the preparation of care packages for men on the front lines. The Y also stepped up to the plate during post-war periods with programs like job counseling and placement. During influenza epidemics and other outbreaks, the Y took care of hospital- and home-bound patients. Roger Rosenblatt is a member of the 92nd Street Y family who has hosted many evenings at the Upper East Side cultural center. His thoughtful, articulate and entertaining guests are always close friends, which gives the conversations a unique intimacy and veracity. Among the people Rosenblatt has spoken with on the Y's stage are Jim Lehrer, Sidney Lumet, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tom Brokaw, Mario Cuomo, Helen Thomas, Pete Hamill, Beverly Sills, Bob Herbert, William Safire, Jules Feiffer, Ellen Goodman, Norman Lear, Russell Banks, Rita Dove, George Plimpton, William F. Buckley, Katie Couric, Barney Frank and Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Roger Rosenblatt is editor-at-large for Time, an essayist for The News Hour with Jim Lehrer; a professor of writing at Southampton College, Long Island University; and the author of seven books. He is the recipient of two George Polk Awards, an Emmy Award, a George Foster Peabody Ward, a Robert F. Kennedy Book Prize, and awards from the Overseas Press Club, the American Bar Association and many other organizations.

The 92nd Street Y has been one of the country's leading cultural and community centers for 127 years. This unique, multifaceted institution serves more than 250,000 people annually, from newborns to centenarians. A model for outstanding programming in the arts, education, Jewish studies, health and fitness, parenting, and a variety of social services for children and adults, the 92nd Street Y always remains true to its mission to enrich the lives of those who pass through its doors.

Tickets to the event are $250 for preferred seating and 6:00 p.m. pre-program cocktail reception with Mr. Rosenblatt and his guests, $100 for preferred seating and $50 for reserved seating. A portion of each ticket is tax-deductible. For further information call (212) 415-5500.