MAD Magazine's Joe Raiola will present "The Joy of Censorship," at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, in Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library. This critically acclaimed lecture program on the first amendment seen at countless libraries, colleges and professional conferences, also is broadcast nationally on C-SPAN’s American Perspectives.
Since 1979 as a young comedian in the Theatre Within Workshop in New York, Raiola has had a flourishing career as a solo performer, comedy writer, producer, director and speaker on first amendment issues. In 2006, he established the workshop as a not-for-profit organization with the mission of “promoting artistic expression as a public service.”
As a comedy writer, Raiola began his career in 1984 when he teamed up with "National Lampoon" alumni for a series of classic magazine spoofs, including "Cosmoparody" and "Like A Rolling Stone." The following year, with his long-time writing partner, Charlie Kadau, he joined “the Usual Gang of Idiots” at "MAD" magazine, quickly becoming one of their most prized contributors, churning out irreverent satire, ad parodies and inspired silliness. He is currently MAD Senior Editor, a title he insists “means nothing since I work at the only place in America where if you mature, you get fired.”
The public is invited to this free event, but seating is limited, so plan to arrive early. In celebration of the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, Sept. 26 to Oct. 3, the program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book and Penn State University Libraries' Colloquia Committee. Please note the presentation may contain adult language and subjects.
For additional information, contact Caroline Wermuth, administrative assistant for the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, at 814-865-5472 or cvw1@psu.edu.