Welcome to Reading the City, a weekly newsletter of bookish events around NYC. Purposefully low-fi, always free, a perpetual work-in-progress. Typos aplenty. Never a long intro. Send feedback, send help, send events I should have on my radar, say hi.
Monday, October 16
Book launch: Justin Torres & Angie Cruz
Justin Torres presents Blackouts: A Novel, in conversation with Angie Cruz (How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water).
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight Bookstore, Fort Greene, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Roxane Gay: Opinions w/ Morgan Jerkins
Hosted by Books Are Magic.
$10.89; 7pm - 8pm; St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157 Montague Street Brooklyn, and livestreamed
Leslie Sainz presents Have You Been Long Enough at Table
In conversation with Terrance Hayes (Lighthead) and Simon Shieh (Master).
$5 for RSVP, but redeemable in-store; 7.30pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Tuesday, October 17
Les Bleus Literary Salon
Hosted in a different venue each time from elegant front rooms to the backs of breweries, often with snack spreads and wine, this month features: Stephen Buoro (The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa); Mikki Bramer (The Collected Regrets of Clover); Ernesto Mestre-Reed (Sacrificio); and Blythe Roberson (America the Beautiful?: One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled)
Free; 7pm; Clinton Hill, RSVP to lesbleusnyc@gmail.com for the address
Table of Contents
Serving three dishes inspired by the passages in the readings, this month it takes place on a rooftop and features: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Chain-Gang All-Stars); Nishanth Injam (The Best Possible Experience); and Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (Glassworks). Tickets also include one complimentary drink from a menu of literary-inspired cocktails creating by Sammi Katz and Olivia McGiff of Cocktails in Color.
$39.47 inc. a cocktail and three dishes; 6.30 - 9pm; Brooklyn Grange Sunset Park, 850 Third Avenue, Brooklyn
AAWW & The Strand Present: Curtis Chin + Jafreen Uddin
Co-presented with the Asian American Writers' Workshop, writer and producer Curtis Chin of his new memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, in conversation with Asian American Writers’ Workshop executive director Jafreen Uddin.
From $8; 7pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room New York
Author Talk w/ E. L. Shen: The Queens of New York
E. L. Shen reading from and discussing her Queens-based teen novel: The Queens of New York. Meet in the Teen Mezzanine with books for sale from Books Are Magic.
Free; 4pm - 5pm; Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn
Farah Ali: The River, The Town
In conversation with Dur e Aziz Amna (American Fever).
$10.89; 7pm - 8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street Brooklyn, and livestreamed
Christine Coulson Presents One Woman Show
Christine Coulson celebrates the release of One Woman Show, a novel written almost entirely in museum wall labels, with an excerpt of 10 labels read by 10 artists, writers, and curators including: Maira Kalman, Sloane Crosley, Michael Hainey, Hilary Leichter, Negin Farsad, Doon Arbus, Neil Selkirk, Jeff Rosenheim, Melanie Holcomb, and Navina Haidar.
$5 for RSVP, but redeemable in-store; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Book Launch with Molly McGhee & Alexandra Kleeman
Molly McGhee presents Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind: A Novel in conversation with Alexandra Kleeman (Something New Under the Sun). Wine reception to follow.
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight bookstore, 686 Fulton Street Brooklyn
Wednesday, October 18
Viet Thanh Nguyen at St. Joseph's
Book launch: Viet Thanh Nguyen presents A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, a History, a Memorial. In conversation with Lisa Hsiao Chen (Activities of Daily Living).
$28 inc. the book; 7.30pm; St. Joseph's University, 245 Clinton Ave, Brooklyn
Reggie Watts: Great Falls Tour
Reggie Watts presents his memoir, Great Falls, MT: Fast Times, Post-Punk Weirdos, and a Tale of Coming Home Again. (A second show was added because the first sold out).
$51.17; 7pm; The Bell House, 149 7th Street, Brooklyn
The International Library: Emily Wilson on The Iliad
Emily Wilson discusses her new translation of The Iliad over lunch – which is included with the ticket price.
$17 inc. lunch; 1.30pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, and livestreamed (free)
Editor and Author Conversation Series @ McNally Jackson
Jimin Han presents The Apology, in conversation with editor Vivian Lee of Little, Brown.
$5 for RSVP, but redeemable in-store; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Thursday, October 19
Co-presented with Greenlight Bookstore, BPL Presents features Teju Cole, discussing Tremor: A Novel, in conversation with Emily Raboteau (The Professor's Daughter).
Free with RSVP; 7pm; Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
Pete’s Reading Series
Hosted by Temim Fruchter and Brian Gresko, this month features: John Manuel Arias; Stephen Buoro (The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa); and Isle McElroy (People Collide).
Free; 7.30pm; Pete’s Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St, Brooklyn
Book launch: Andrew Friedman: The Dish
In conversation with Klancy Miller (For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food).
$10.89; 7pm - 8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street Brooklyn, and livestreamed
Book launch: Emily Zhou presents Girlfriends
In conversation with Grace Byron.
$5 for RSVP, redeemable in-store; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Friday October, 20
Richard Armitage + Harlan Coben: Geneva
Richard Armitage discussing his debut novel Geneva in conversation with Harlan Coben (I Will Find You).
From $35.55 inc. a copy of Geneva; 7pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room New York
Saturday, October 21
Show and Tell Presents: FRAN LEBOWITZ
Fran Lebowitz will be joined in conversation with Marlon James.
From $60; 7pm; Kings Theater, 1027 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
Looking ahead…
Tuesday, October 24
Read The Room Presents.... Transformation
Hosted by journalist Kathleen Squires and her husband Ronnie Rodriguez in their event space in Little Italy, food and great wine is included in the ticket price. This is a special installment to celebrate the launch of Nikki Vargas’s Call You When I Land, with readings from Marina Budhos (Where We All Have); Matt Gross (The Turk Who Loved Apples); Melinda Hansen (The New York Times); and Kathleen herself (The Wall Street Journal).
$40 inc. food and drinks; 6.30pm - 8.30pm; 132 Mulberry Street, No. 502, New York
Let Us Descend: A Conversation with Jesmyn Ward and Ta-Nehisi Coates
Co-presented by the Center for Fiction and The Town Hall, and also featuring music by The Harlem Chamber Players and readings by Emmy-Winner S. Epatha Merkerson and Naomi Pierre.
$56.50 inc. a copy of Let Us Descend; 6pm; The Town Hall, 123 W 43rd St, New York
NB. Please check all details before attending, the fact checker went awol.
I’m a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, teacher, and author of No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run (St. Martin’s Press) and Amphibian (forthcoming from Virago). I’m here and here on Instagram.