Death of Paine

On June 8th, 2009 several events will be held all over the world celebrating the life and works of Thomas Paine. I received an e-mail today from Martha Spiegelman of Thomas Paine Friends detailing some significant gatherings in and around New York City. I encourage any TPG readers in the vicinity to check out these free events.

The official announcement from our friends reads as follows.


Thomas Paine Remembrances
Will Be Held in New York City and New Rochelle NY

Marking the 200th Anniversary of His Death
on June 8, 1809 in Greenwich Village, New York City

Sponsored by Thomas Paine Friends, Inc.

Events are free and the public is invited

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2 PM, lecture by historian and actor J. WARD REGAN,
at Jefferson Market Branch of New York Public Library, at Sixth Ave. & W. 10th St.
~ Co-Sponsor: GREENWICH VILLAGE SOCIETY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ~
J. WARD REGAN is a lecturer on Paine with New York Council for the Humanities
and National Endowment for the Humanities "On the Road" program.
He lectures on history and philosophy at New York University.
His one-man show, "A Paranoid's Guide to History," had a recent off-Broadway run.

SEATING IS LIMITED. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. MAKE RESERVATIONS BY
EMAIL AT RSVP@GVSHP.ORG OR BY TELEPHONE AT 212-475-9585, EXT. 35

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 3:30 PM, following the lecture, a short WALKING TOUR to Paine's
last two residences, 309 Bleecker St. and 59 Grove St., where he died. Both are close by
the Jefferson Market Branch Library. We will depart from the Library at 3:30 pm and
the first stop will be 293 Bleecker St. Highlight of the tour is a pair of rarely seen art works housed in
59 Grove St., the site now of Marie's Crisis Café. One piece is an etched glass of marching revolutionaries; the other is a large wood engraving of Danton, Robespierre, and Thomas Paine.
The guide will be MARIAM TOUBA, Reference Librarian at New-York Historical Society
and Curator of the memorable Thomas Paine Exhibit at N-YHS in 2005.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1 PM, memorial observance at Thomas Paine Monument, New Rochelle NY, located on North Ave., near Paine Ave., close to the original gravesite.
~ Co-sponsors: CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE and HUGUENOT & NEW ROCHELLE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION ~
Paine Monument, Paine Cottage and Paine Museum comprise the PAINE HISTORIC SITE
at the western edge of what was his farm, awarded to him in 1784
by a grateful New York state legislature for his eminent services in the struggle for independence.

[At 2 pm, the Huguenot & New Rochelle Historical Association holds a gala lawn party / fundraiser
at Paine Cottage grounds, $45 each ($50 at the door). Distinguished actress-writer-director, RUBY DEE,
will be a special guest speaker. Funds are for the Cottage restoration.
Contact executive director John Wright, 914-633-1776 or PaineCottage@optonline.net .]

MONDAY, JUNE 8, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM, a commemoration at Thomas Paine Park,
at Foley Square, across from the courts in lower Manhattan;
the Park is bound by Centre, Worth, Lafayette Sts.
~ Co-Sponsors: THE NATION MAGAZINE, CENTER FOR INQUIRY-NEW YORK CITY CHAPTER
and HUMANISTS OF METROPOLITAN NEW YORK ~

Dedication of a new Thomas Paine historical sign installed by New York City Parks Dept.

~ SPEAKERS ~

JOHN NICHOLS, prolific writer and journalist; Washington correspondent
with The Nation magazine; associate editor of The Capital Times [Madison WI];
author of The Genius of Impeachment, and books on media, political and social reform.

ERIC FONER, DeWitt Clinton professor of history, Columbia University; past-president of
the Organization of American Historians and president of the American Historical Association;
his many books include Tom Paine and Revolutionary America, and Paine: Collected Writings;

CRAIG NELSON, historian, eclectic writer and editor, author of
Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution and the Birth of Modern Nations,
which won the 2007 Henry Adams prize.

FRANCES CHIU, faculty in humanities and social sciences at the New School University,
where she teaches a course on Paine;
editor and scholar on 18th and 19th century literature for Valancourt Books.

MICHAEL MISCIONE, Historian of the Borough of Manhattan.

MICHAEL DE DORA, executive director of Center for Inquiry-New York City chapter,
which presents an annual Thomas Paine Memorial Lecture every January.

BARBARA AND GRAHAM DEAN will perform songs--guitar and vocal--from their collection,
Tom Paine's Blues: Common Sense Songs.

A number of organizations and individuals are expected to join in to offer a few words of homage
to Thomas Paine and to the late PAUL O'DWYER whose initiative and tireless work
when he was City Council President led to the naming of Thomas Paine Park.

Information at spiegelman22@yahoo.com or 413-253-7934

Thomas Paine Friends, Inc.
185 Middle Street
Amherst MA 01002-3011

Website: http://www.thomaspainefriends.org