Meet the Author: Brad Gooch

Join us at Richland Library Main to learn about the stunning life of iconic American artist Keith Haring with acclaimed biographer Brad Gooch. Haring was one of the most emblematic artists of the 1980s, a figure described by his contemporaries as “a prophet in his life, his person, and his work.” He broke down barriers between high art and popular culture, creating work that was accessible for all and using it to provoke and inspire radical social change. Haring died of an AIDS-related illness in 1990. To this day, his influence on our culture remains incontrovertible.

Brad Gooch, noted biographer of Flannery O’Connor and Frank O’Hara, was granted access to Haring’s extensive archive. His biography Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring has become the authoritative work on the artist. Based on interviews with those who knew Haring best and drawing from a rich archival history, Gooch sets out to capture the magic of Keith Haring, a visionary and timeless icon.  

The conversation is moderated by CMA Director of Learning and Engagement Chadric Devin. This event is made possible through a partnership with the Richland Library.

Free.

Attendees are encouraged to visit the CMA prior to this event to see the exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. 

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Brad Gooch is a poet, novelist, and biographer. His latest book Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring (Harper, 2024) was a national bestseller, a New York Times Book Critics' Favorite Book of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book of the Year, and a Booklist Top 10 Art Books of the Year. His previous books include Rumi's Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love; Rumi: Unseen Poems (trans. Brad Gooch and Maryam Mortaz, Everyman's Library); Smash Cut: A Memoir of Howard & Art & the ’70s & the ’80s; Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a New York Times bestseller; City Poet: The Life and Times of Frank O'Hara; Godtalk: Travels in Spiritual America; three novels — Scary Kisses, The Golden Age of Promiscuity, and Zombie00; a collection of stories, Jailbait and other Stories, chosen by Donald Barthelme for a Writer's Choice Award; a collection of poems, The Daily News; and Finding the Boyfriend Within and Dating the Greek Gods. His work has been featured in numerous magazines including The New Republic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Travel and Leisure, Partisan Review, The Paris Review, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Art Forum, Harper's Bazaar, The Nation, and The Daily Beast. A Guggenheim fellow in biography, Gooch has received a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship as well as a Furthermore grant in publishing from the J.M. Kaplan Fund. He lives in New York City.