News & Events

Jay Michaelson, author of “God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality,” to make two appearances at UNC Asheville

January 16, 2013

Jay Michaelson, an award-winning journalist, a poet, activist, and scholar on the intersections of religion, spirituality, sexuality and law, will make two public appearances at UNC Asheville – a reading of poetry and prose at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, in Karpen Hall's Laurel Forum, and a lecture at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28 at the Sherrill Center, Mountain View Room. Both events are free and open to the public.

Michaelson is author of four books, including the Amazon.com best-seller, "God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality" (Beacon Press, 2011) and "Another Word for Sky: Poems" (Lethe Press, 2007). A contributing editor to the Jewish newspaper Forward, Michaelson's column for that newspaper won the 2010 award for best opinion writing from the New York Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He is also associate editor of Religion Dispatches magazine, and writes regularly for the Daily Beast, Huffington Post, Salon and other publications.

Michaelson's academic accomplishments span many fields – he holds a Ph.D. in Jewish thought from Hebrew University, a master of fine arts degree from Sarah Lawrence and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He has published articles in many law journals and was clerk for a federal appellate-level judge. He has also held teaching positions at Boston University Law School, Yale University and City College of New York.

Michaelson is the founding director of Nehrim, an LGBT Jewish organization, and he is a longtime advocate on behalf of sexual minorities in religious communities. Spiritually, Michaelson says he "dances at the intersections of Judaism, Buddhism and earth-based spirituality."

Michaelson's visit to UNC Asheville is sponsored by the university's Center for Jewish Studies and the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, in cooperation with Asheville Jewish Community Center, and with generous support from the Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund.

For more information, call 828.232.5027.