James Gavin’s new biography, Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne, is an astute investigation into what would ideally be a bygone American tale: a wildly talented black woman relentlessly beset by racism. Horne has had a long and successful career as a chanteuse, as well as some significant dips into acting. This would be the right time to throw around the word “diva,” but there's no need to don a feather boa — that's just our unsolicited, barely educated, and hopefully unwarranted fashion advice. Tonight’s event, Stormy Weather: The Life and Music of Lena Horne, features a reading by Gavin, rare television footage of Horne, and a guest appearance by Paula West, who will sing a few numbers from the Horne oeuvre.
Wed., July 15, 7 p.m., 2009
