One of Princeton University’s best known dropouts is receiving a posthumous hero’s welcome as both town and gown celebrate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” which was first published 100 years ago in April, 1925 by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Fitzgerald, considered a member of Princeton’s Class of 1917, though he never graduated, nonetheless owes much of his success, and his inspiration, to the time he spent at Old Nassau. The campus serves as the setting for much of his instantly successful debut novel “This Side of Paradise.” One of Fitzgerald’s classmates was Edmund Wilson, the future influential literary critic.
And his failed relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King both precipitated his departure from the university to enlist in the army and inspired future characters, including “Gatsby’s” Daisy Buchanan.
“The Great Gatsby” was Fitzgerald’s third novel, following “This Side of Paradise” (1920) and “The Beautiful and Damned” (1922). While it did not have the immediate critical or commercial success of his earlier works, “Gatsby” found renewed success after its author’s death from a heart attack in 1940. It has gone on to become a mainstay of high school English curricula and is widely considered among the greatest works of American literature.
Set during the jazz age — a term popularized by Fitzgerald — “Gatsby” unfolds on Long Island and in New York City, telling the story of enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy woman he once loved who is now married to imperious millionaire Tom Buchanan. Told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a Midwestern bond salesman who has moved into a bungalow abutting Gatsby’s lavish estate to work in Manhattan, it explores themes of wealth, class, and corruption; the American dream; and the futility of chasing the past.
In honor of the novel’s centennial, a full month of exhibits and events is planned on the Princeton campus and in venues around town.
“When Pages Breathe: The Greatness of Gatsby” is a series of free events organized by Princeton University Library and the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater that celebrate good books brought to life through stage and screen adaptations.
“The Greatness of Gatsby,” a panel discussion, takes place Monday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m. in the Chancellor Green Rotunda. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok and Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., executive director of American Repertory Theater and a 2009 Princeton alumnus, discuss Majok’s book for the new musical “Gatsby, An American Myth,” which had its world premiere in May, 2024.
Princeton theater professor Stacy Wolf serves as moderator at the event that also includes a performance by Tony Award-nominated writer and actress Sharon Washington. Registration is required; the event was fully subscribed at press time but a wait list is available. Visit library.princeton.edu/gatsby100.
A screening of “When My Sleeping Dragon Woke” takes place Wednesday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in the Drapkin Studio at the Lewis Arts complex. Director Chuck Schultz and playwright/actress Sharon Washington screen their documentary about Washington’s life, from a young girl exploring library shelves to Tony-nominated playwright. The film underscores the ways in which creativity can flourish in the most unexpected places. No registration required.
“The Great Gatsby” by Literature To Life takes place Thursday, April 3, at 5 p.m., also in the Drapkin Studio. The performance-based literacy program presents professionally staged, verbatim adaptations of American literary classics. Kelvin Grullon’s theatrical adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” is performed by Bryce Foley and directed by Grullon with music by A.J. Khaw. No registration required.
Festivities move to Princeton Public Library for “The Great Gatsby” Community Filibuster Read-Aloud on Monday, April 7, at 11 a.m. In addition to being part of the centennial celebration, the event is also part of Right to Read Day, a kickoff to National Library Week 2025 dedicated to raising awareness and protecting the freedom to read and access books without censorship.
“The Great Gatsby” has faced censorship over its use of profanity and the prevalence of sexual content and adulterous relationships. Notably, in 1987, Baptist College in South Carolina attempted to have it removed from school curricula in the state, and in 2020, the Matanuska-Susitna school district in Alaska voted to ban “Gatsby” and several other classics; the ban was overturned shortly thereafter following widespread protests from the community.
At the library event, “Gatsby” will be read in its entirety. All are invited and encouraged to attend — individuals, groups, teachers, and students and book clubs. Drop-in readers and listeners are welcome. To register in advance for a time slot, contact the library’s reference desk at 609-924-9529, ext. 1220 or fill out the form available at princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/13138425 before April 1.
Author Nghi Vo visits Princeton Public Library on Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. to celebrate the launch of her book “Don’t Sleep with the Dead.” The novella tells the story of what happens to Nick Carraway, the narrator of “The Great Gatsby,” following that novel’s end.
“Don’t Sleep with the Dead” is a companion to Vo’s 2021 debut novel, “The Chosen and the Beautiful,” a retelling of “The Great Gatsby” from the perspective of Jordan Baker, a friend of Daisy Buchanan who is emblematic of the “new woman” of the Roaring Twenties.
At the library event, Vo will be interviewed by Emma Sarconi, a rare book librarian and historian who works as a reference and outreach specialist at Princeton University Library. The event is free; no registration required.
Princeton Garden Theatre gets in on the action with a screening of the 2013 film adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” on Wednesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. The film, which won Academy Awards for costume design and production design, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. Tickets, $13.75, are required. Visit www.princetongardentheatre.org.
Raconteur Radio visits Princeton Public Library for a performance of “The Great Gatsby” on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. The group specializes in theatrically staged productions of vintage radio plays and classic works of literature. “Gatsby” will be performed as a staged radio play, with period costumes and vintage commercials. The performance is free, but registration is required by visiting princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/12785405.
The Friends of Princeton University Library host their Annual Dinner with Maureen Corrigan, author of “So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures” on Sunday, April 27, at 6 p.m. at the Nassau Club. The 2014 book by the “Fresh Air” literary critic explores the enduring power of Fitzgerald’s novel. Tickets for the dinner are $125 per person. Email libraryf@princeton.edu for more information.
Corrigan stays in town for “What’s So Great About ‘The Great Gatsby’?,” a panel discussion hosted by Labyrinth Books on Monday, April 28, at 4:30 p.m. Joining Corring is Anne Margaret Daniel, the editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “I’d Die for You and Other Lost Stories” (2017) and the Norton Library edition of “The Great Gatsby” (2022). Alfred Bendixen, lecturer in gender and sexuality studies at Princeton, moderates the discussion. The event is free, but registration is required via EventBrite.
The “Gatsby” party ends, fittingly, with a party, the After-hours Speakeasy at Princeton Public Library on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. The event features 1920s-era music by the Glenn Crytzer Quartet, mocktails, photo booths, Gatsby trivia, and more. Costumes are encouraged and registration is required, opening April 1. Visit www.princetonlibrary.org for more information.
In addition to the in-person events, “Gatsby at 100: The Author and His Creation” digital exhibit is available through Princeton University Library. Accessible at dpul.princeton.edu/gatsby100, the exhibit includes stories and archival materials from Fitzgerald’s life and writings as well as information about Princeton University’s Fitzgerald collections.
For full information about all Gatsby at 100 events, visit library.princeton.edu/gatsby100.
