This session examines the lives of two amazing individuals whose rise in their respective fields was unlikely, to say the least. Daniel Bergner’s subject, Ryan Speedo Green, went from a childhood marked by poverty and violence to international opera star. Sing for Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family received a starred review from Publishers Weekly for its moving portrait of success in the face of huge personal and societal obstacles. The French Chef in America: Julia Child’s Second Act, by Child’s great-nephew Alex Prud’homme, relates how the publication of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking propelled her to instant stardom in the US, exerting great pressure on her to accept the mantle of America’s first lady of French food. Each author will give a presentation about his subject, followed by conversation and audience Q&A. Moderated by BBF Fellow and associate producer of WBUR’s Here and Now, Erica Morrison.
