BOOKISH: Celebs on bikes, Easter tales and a literary safari

Each week, Nina Willbach rounds up upcoming readings and literary events in BOOKISH. This week: celebs on bikes, Easter tales and a literary safari.

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BOOKISH: Celebs on bikes, Easter tales and a literary safari

POSTED: Thursday, April 5, 2012, 4:00 PM

Sunday, April 8

A very English Easter

When you get past the chocolate and the bunnies to the crucifixion and the redemption, you realize the Easter story is about some pretty heavy suffering. As with most biblical tales, religious folk have used the story as inspiration for overcoming hardships in the present day. For Michael Arditti, a gay British author growing up in the '80s, this meant exploring the suffering of those plagued by the AIDS epidemic. His book, appropriately named Easter, reads like a modern-day passion story. The parish of St Mary-in-the-Vale is preparing for the holiday, and the vicar uses his Palm Sunday sermon to remind the congregation that Christ's crucifixion is taking place every day. In the Holy Week that follows, the parishoners are put to the test with a series of horrific events that include the death of an AIDS victim, the aggressive snobbery of the victim's mother, and the deviant longings of a “celibate” priest. Raised in the Catholic Church, Michael Arditti is known for incorporating themes of sexuality and sprituality into his work. His thorough understanding of the Catholic doctrine creates a powerful backbone for the wild antics running across this powerful reworking of a timeless tale.

Look for a copy at your local library branch.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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