As there was/is a pandemic going on, few events are scheduled at the present time. In the coming months, I may do an event or two to mark the publication of my new book. Otherwise, my recent events include:
HE Who Gets Slapped screening at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington — October 23, 2023
— booksigning, introduction, post screening conversation
Pandora’s Box screening at the Egyptian Theatre – American Cinematheque, Hollywood, CA — February 29, 2020
– booksigning
Rudolph Valentino Memorial, Hollywood, CA — August 23, 2019
– keynote address
Interested in having me speak? I’m available through zoom, or in person for a modest fee. Please email me through my CONTACT page.
Over the years, I’ve given talks on film, literature, and the arts at a number of venues. I’ve spoken about books & authors at the San Francisco Public Library, about silent film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and about the silent film star Louise Brooks at the Village Voice bookshop in Paris, France. I have also curated three exhibits related to the Jazz Age, and introduced numerous authors, artists, and celebrities at events I either hosted or produced.
A few of the highlights including hosting poet Allen Ginsberg’s last public reading (one of more than 900 events I put on at The Booksmith), introducing artist & filmmaker Bruce Connor before a crowd numbering more than 1400, spinning discs as guest DJ on a college radio station, and conducting an onstage interview with the last surviving silent film star, “Baby Peggy.”
As an authority on the life and films of Louise Brooks, I have been honored to introduce her films at venues including the Castro Theater in San Francisco, the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit, Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California, and Action Cinema in Paris, France. As an author of three books on the actress, I have also spoken at bookstores and libraries around Northern California. Below is a checklist of some of my past events.
Past Events with Thomas Gladysz
(introductions, talks, presentations, book signings, etc…):
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Action Cinema (Paris, France) Alamo Drafthouse (San Francisco, CA) American Bookseller Association (NYC) American Cinematheque (Hollywood, CA) Balboa Theater (San Francisco, CA) Book Expo America (Chicago, IL) Books by the Bay (San Francisco, CA) Books Inc. (San Francisco, CA) Castro Theater (San Francisco, CA) Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, MI) |
Folsom Public Library (Folsom, CA) Hollywood Forever Cemetery Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum Noe Valley Author Festival NCIBA (Oakland, CA) Orinda Books (Orinda, CA) Sacramento Classic Film Club San Francisco Book Festival San Francisco Public Library San Francisco Silent Film Festival Village Voice Bookshop (Paris, France) |
My 2011 San Francisco Public Library exhibit, “Reading the Stars,” and my on-stage interview with silent film star Baby Peggy, were featured on the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum website in 2021.
In 2019, I gave the keynote address at the 92nd annual Valentino Memorial Service at the Hollywood Forever cemetery in Hollywood, California. My talk was titled, “Through the Black Velvet Curtain: Louise Brooks and Rudolph Valentino”. In 2021, I converted my original power point presentation to video (an audio slide show)., which can be found on YouTube and Vimeo.