Publish it Forward: On Giving and Receiving in Literary Life

Since 2012, GrubStreet’s NEA-funded Publish It Forward series has had seven lectures attended by over 2,000 people. Previous speakers have included Amanda Palmer, Susan Orlean, and Richard Nash. Now we’re thrilled to host Matthew Battles, Associate Director of metaLAB at Harvard, for a fascinating look into the new “gift economy.”

What does the “gift economy” mean for writers, and why does it seem to involve more giving than receiving? The pressure to make one’s work open and free is felt everywhere: budding journalists are asked to appear on the web sites of major magazines for free; driven to promote our work, we strive to furnish audiences with quality streams of social-media content; and even established authors find themselves writing in exchange for “exposure.” Reserve your free seat for a look into how writers today can find new ways to understand and make use of “giving” in literary life.

Located at Vilna Shul at 18 Phillips Street, Boston, MA 02114, a 5-minute walk from the Charles/MGH T-stop and parking validation information can be found at this link.

RSVPs requested, but print tickets not required. Click here for more info and to reserve your seat.