Power of Purple Luncheon with NY Times Bestselling Author Dawn Tripp April 6

Special Awareness Lunch - The Power of Community: Women, Language, and Activism
Thursday, April 6 at Holiday Inn - Norwich
 
New London, CT – The Power of Purple Campaign, founded by the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund of Safe Futures in partnership with Hadassah American Affairs of Eastern Connecticut, will present a special awareness luncheon, featuring New York Times bestselling author Dawn Tripp in a presentation on The Power of Community: Women, Language and Activism. The event will take place on Thursday, April 6th at the Holiday Inn in Norwich. For more information, visit www.SafeFuturesCT.org or call 860-884-8945.

This special author's event luncheon will highlight Dawn Tripp's latest release. Dawn Tripp’s Georgia (January 2017), a boldly imagined novel based on the life and art of Georgia O’Keeffe and her passionate relationship with photographer Alfred Stieglitz, was a national bestseller when it was published last spring.  Attending a retrospective of Georgia O’Keeffe’s abstract paintings at the Whitney Museum, Dawn Tripp realized that although she had seen many of O’Keeffe’s paintings before, there was a startling difference between the revolutionary charcoals and abstract works that O’Keeffe created as a young artist and the southwest landscapes, flowers, and representational paintings she is now most famous for. Curious about this shift in style, Tripp began to research the life of O’Keeffe, to discover more about this woman, the evolution of her art, and what might have been the cause of her transformation. Georgia, Tripp’s dazzling new breakout novel, brings O’Keeffe vividly to life in a riveting story about her years with Alfred Stieglitz in New York and the impact of their relationship on her life, her vision, and her art — the story of how Georgia the girl became Georgia O’Keeffe, master painter and American icon. Georgia is a dramatic departure for acclaimed novelist Dawn Tripp – a breathtaking work of imagination that brings a fresh perspective to an artist loved by so many. Luncheon attendees will receive a complimentary signed copy of Georgia.
 
Dawn Tripp’s fourth novel, Georgia, is a national bestseller and finalist for the New England Book Award. Tripp is the author of three previous novels, Moon Tide, The Season of Open Water, which won the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction, and Game of Secrets, a Boston Globe bestseller. Her essays have appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Believer, The Rumpus, Psychology Today and NPR. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. www.dawntripp.com. Dawn is pleased to appear in Norwich in support of the Power of Purple campaign of Safe Futures to discuss the power of community, women, language and activism. Books provided in partnership with Bank Square Books.

The Power of Purple Campaign takes action against domestic violence by raising awareness and by educating the general public and the professional community of responders to domestic violence. Purple is the color of domestic violence and is a reminder to honor and give hope to battered women and their children who are living in violent homes. This year's luncheon will highlight the power of community and beauty in supporting women and survivors to reach and nurture their inner core and strength as independent women overcoming pain and trauma. Sponsorships are available to businesses and Angels. Individual and organization tables are encouraged and groups are welcome.

The Power of Purple Campaign has been engaging the community in awareness and education projects since 2013. The Campaign has presented three community forums and its annual Hot Cider Walks and Rallies and two previous luncheons. The Power of Purple Campaign has won awards state-wide for its community outreach and advocacy and a National Hadassah Advocacy Award presented at the Annual Convention in Las Vegas in July, 2014.

The Power of Purple Campaign educates the community on the dynamics and staggering statistics of domestic violence. Three women are killed every day in the U.S. by their intimate partners and one in four American women will be abused in her lifetime. Millions of children are victims and bystanders of domestic violence and still many more victims are left in the shadows, paralyzed by fear, terror and shame, and by the failure of our institutions to adequately recognize and respond. The Power of Purple Campaign brings domestic violence out of the shadows and into the open through awareness, education and action.

As Chair of American Affairs for the Hadassah of Eastern CT chapter and founder of the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund of Safe Futures, Sheila Horvitz is chairing the event with a committee made up of representatives from both sponsoring organizations as well as many community organizations. "We are thrilled that Dawn Tripp’s appearance at our luncheon will not only help us raise awareness about domestic violence – but will also help empower each of us to get more involved in creating social change,” said Sheila.
 
The Rose Conrad Memorial Fund was founded by Sheila Horvitz in 2005. As a matrimonial attorney in southeastern Connecticut for over thirty years, she saw the problem of domestic violence first hand, most dramatically in the murder of her client, Rose Conrad, at the hands of her husband during their divorce case. Out of that tragedy, the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund was born to bring awareness and education to the victims and their responders in the health, education, legal and criminal justice communities. Since its founding, the Fund, under the umbrella of Safe Futures, has mounted educational conferences, programs for children affected by domestic violence and fundraising events.
 
Hadassah is the largest women's organization in America and is committed to unwavering devotion to Zionism and American ideals. In the U.S., through its American Affairs branch, Hadassah reaches its goals by advocating for issues of importance to women and to the American Jewish community. Its advocacy includes policy statements, direct advocacy, legislative initiatives, and lobbying political leaders on the local, state and national level. Hadassah has been outspoken in support of initiatives to end domestic violence and is a strong supporter of the Violence Against Women Act, advocating for its initial passage and recent reauthorization. In its policy statement on Violence Against Women, Hadassah "reaffirms its long-standing commitment to women’s rights and women’s health needs. To these ends, we actively condemn all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence. Hadassah therefore pledges to work directly to educate its members and their communities about violence against women, both inside and out of the Jewish community. Hadassah will also continue to advocate for legislative initiatives aimed at ending this violence and supporting the needs of battered women and their families."
 
Safe Futures saves lives, restores hope and changes the future for those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault throughout New London County. During the last year, Safe Futures saved the lives of 170 women and children who fled abuse and were sheltered at its safe house; restored hope by providing housing, training and support for 30 individuals in families living in its Phoenix House transitional living program; and changed the future for over 5,600 students who participated in violence prevention education programs, including the popular VIP (Violence is Preventable) program. Over 4,500 women, children and men receive free, confidential services annually. Safe Futures’ hotline (860-701-6000) operates 24/7/365, providing round-the-clock accessibility to Safe Futures’ free, confidential services. Safe Futures was founded 40 years ago as the Women’s Center of Southeastern CT.
 
Safe Futures is part of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV).  Safe Futures is also a Partner Agency of United Way and its programs are funded in part by the State of Connecticut’s Departments of Social Service, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Office of Victim Services, Judicial Branch.
 
 
What: THE POWER OF PURPLE LUNCHEON: NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DAWN TRIPP, “GEORGIA” PRESENTS THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: WOMEN, LANGUAGE & ACTIVISM
 
Where: Holiday Inn
10 Laura Boulevard
Norwich, CT 06340
 
When: Thursday, April 6, 2017
11:30 am: Registration Begins
12:00 – 2:00 pm: Luncheon and Author Talk
Followed by book signing
 
How: For more information and pre-registration visit www.SafeFuturesCT.org
Or call (860) 884-8945.
$54 per person; includes signed copy of Georgia by Dawn Tripp.

Books provided in partnership with Bank Square Books.