Explore the life and work of Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Murray Kempton.

Murray Kempton was a distinctive figure in American journalism: a labor reporter, sharp political observer, and man known for his three-piece suits, polished oxfords, and bicycle rides through New York City. In Going Around: Selected Journalism, editor Andrew Holter showcases Murray Kempton’s work with a focus on his years at the New York Post. Using the Library’s archival collection of Dorothy Schiff—the paper’s longtime publisher and Kempton’s employer—Holter sheds light on the Post's pre–Rupert Murdoch era, Kempton’s rise as a columnist, and the growing disillusionment that ultimately led him to walk away from newspapers in the late 1960s.

Holter will discuss Kempton’s extraordinary range, singular voice, and the pivotal period of his career illuminated by the Schiff papers at NYPL.

To join | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 1:30 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Andrew Holter is a writer based in Chicago and the editor of Going Around: Selected Journalism by Murray Kempton (Seven Stories Press), the first collection of Murray Kempton’s columns, essays, and criticism to appear in three decades. His writing on history, literature, photography, and other subjects has appeared in The Times Literary Supplement, The Baffler, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Brooklyn Rail, and other publications.

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ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

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Courtesy Andrew Holter