Bill Goldstein in Conversation With Thymaya Payne at The Church

Authors Bill Goldstein and Thymaya Payne will explore the intersections between writing biography and memoir in a wide-ranging conversation at The Church about “trusting the process.” The event will be on Sunday, November 23, at 3 p.m. Both will share excerpts from their works in progress before discussing the ways their creative practices overlap. The event will conclude with an audience Q&A.

Goldstein is currently at work on a biography of Larry Kramer, the acclaimed playwright, novelist, film producer and AIDS activist. Drawing on years of research and a personal working relationship with Kramer, Goldstein navigates the complexities of writing from both a firsthand and scholarly perspective.

Payne, meanwhile, turns inward with his memoir “AIDS, Raves, and Pirates,” reflecting on his relationship with his father while interrogating memory, truth and projection. His previous works include a forthcoming biography of civil rights leader Walter White and a documentary on Somali pirates.

Both projects began during Goldstein’s and Payne’s respective residencies at The Church. The program complements The Church’s fall exhibition, “Here & There: The First Churchennial,” honoring activist legacies, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, and fostering allyship and creative connection.

Please note: This event was rescheduled from its original Oct. 11 date.

Bill Goldstein reviews books for NBC’s Weekend Today in New York and was the founding editor of The New York Times books website. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he holds a Ph.D. in English from the City University of New York Graduate Center. Goldstein is the author of “The World Broke in Two: Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, E. M. Forster, and the Year That Changed Literature” (2017). He worked on his forthcoming Larry Kramer biography during a 2022 residency at The Church and received a 2024–25 Public Scholars grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Thymaya Payne is a biracial, queer writer and filmmaker. His first feature, “Stolen Seas,” a five-year exploration of Somali piracy, was praised as “magnificent” by The New York Times and Variety, won multiple international awards, and holds a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Payne co-wrote and produced “Live Cargo” (2015), starring Lakeith Stanfield and Dree Hemingway, and co-wrote “Across Our Lands” (2017), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He also developed the television series “Scrap” with Samuel L. Jackson attached. Payne lives in New York City, where he serves as director of advancement at the Swiss Institute.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for members. For tickets and more information, visit thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street in Sag Harbor.