126. Reading the City
May 4 to 10
Welcome back to Reading the City, a weekly newsletter of bookish events in NYC.
First up, on a personal note, I’ve recently returned to freelancing after nearly four years on staff as a senior editor, so I’m again accepting commissions as a journalist and editor and looking for new ventures. If you think we could work together, or you could use someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of New York City book events, I’d love to have a conversation! Reply to this newsletter or contact me here, where you can also read more about my past work.
And onto this week: we have a new reading series launching tonight, cofounded by Penina Roth of the long-running Franklin Park, in what will be perfect backyard bar weather; new novels from Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout, and ‘Pemi Aguda; and another great collaboration between Miss Manhattan and The Queer Love Project.
As ever, get in touch with events I should have on my radar (details on how to submit are here), and please share the love with your bookish friends!
Monday, May 4
SERIES | The Crown Inn Reading Series
Introducing a new seasonal backyard reading series held at The Crown Inn on the first and third Mondays until October. The First Monday events showcase emerging writers and are headlined by acclaimed authors, and the Third Mondays host poetry. Celebrate its launch tonight with readings by Deirdre Coyle (Unwinnable), J.T. Price of Big Score Lit, and Wil Turner of the Sunday Salon, with featured authors Melissa Lozada-Oliva (Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive!) and Sasha Fletcher (Be Here to Love Me at the End of the World), plus drink specials, custom cocktails, and backyard vibes. Hosted by Penina Roth of the Franklin Park Reading Series, Khaholi Bailey (The Miseducation of a 90s Baby), and Crown Inn co-owner Zhenya Kampanets.
Free; 7-9pm; The Crown Inn, 724 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn
SERIES | Miss Manhattan Presents: An Evening with The Queer Love Project
Miss Manhattan is teaming up with The Queer Love Project for the second time this year, featuring writers reading from their latest nonfiction work published by the magazine. With Alex Alberto (Entwined: Essays on Polyamory and Creating Home), Michael Narkunski (Macaroni Heart, forthcoming), Samantha Mann (Dyke Delusions), Lawrence Everett Forbes, Jenine Holmes, and Court Stroud. Hosted by Elyssa Maxx Goodman (Glitter and Concrete).
Free; 7.30pm; Niagara, 112 Avenue A, New York
LAUNCH | Xochitl Gonzalez: Last Night in Brooklyn
Xochitl Gonzalez (Anita de Monte Laughs Last) presents her latest novel Last Night in Brooklyn—a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past (with echoes of The Great Gatsby)—in conversation with Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming). Wine reception to follow.
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight bookstore, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Tuesday, May 5
LAUNCH | Douglas Stuart: John of John
Booker Prize-winning Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain) presents John of John—a vivid, moving novel following a young man returning to his Hebridean island home, a portrait of a father’s expectations and a son’s desires—in conversation with NPR’s Ari Shapiro.
$35 with book; 7pm; Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square S, Manhattan
LAUNCH | Elizabeth Strout: The Things We Never Say
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge) launches her latest novel, The Things We Never Say—the story of a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization in a beloved teacher’s life, a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, and parenthood from the maestro of exploring the human condition—in conversation with Colm Tóibín (Long Island), with a reading from the novel performed by John Slattery (Mad Men) for the Thalia Book Club.
From $19; 7pm; Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, Manhattan
LAUNCH | Alexa Yasemin Brahme: Good News
Alexa Yasemin Brahme celebrates the launch of Good News—in this stylish and provocative debut novel, a young artist struggles to find her way in New York City while navigating strained relationships, the reappearance of an ex, and her burgeoning sense of self; a mess, of course, ensues. In conversation with Mira Jacob (Good Talk).
$10, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague, 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
TALK | Wayne Koestenbaum & Cynthia Zarin in conversation
Wayne Koestenbaum, author of My Lover, the Rabbi and Cynthia Zarin, author of Estate, come together for a conversation at Community Bookstore.
Free; 7-8pm; Community Bookstore, 143 7th Avenue, Brooklyn
LAUNCH | Manoush Zomorodi: Body Electric
Journalist, author, and host of NPR's TED Radio Hour Manoush Zomorodi celebrates her new book Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being—a timely investigation into how screens and sitting are silently reshaping our bodies, and how a simple shift can change everything. In conversation with Debbie Millman, host of podcast Design Matters.
$10; 6.30-8pm; P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard Street, Manhattan
Wednesday, May 6
LAUNCH | Kyle McCarthy: Immersions
Kyle McCarthy (Everyone Knows How Much I Love You) discusses Immersions—Black Swan meets Bluebeard in this novel of sisterly rivalry and obsessive love set in the New York City dance scene—in conversation with Leslie Jamison (The Empathy Exams).
$10; 7-8.15pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, and livestreamed
SERIES | Patchwork Literary Salon
Patchwork Literary Salon is back with a May Day themed lineup of writers whose work celebrates labor, revolution, and people power, including Maggie Cooper, Tierney Oberhammer (Forever Egg), Radhika Singh (Earthly Playing Field), and Jules Wernersbach, a cofounder of Hive Mind Books, who will also be celebrating the launch of their debut novel Work to Do. Enjoy readings, lively conversation, and drink specials. Curated and hosted by Nadine Santoro.
Free, RSVP appreciated; 7pm; SISTERS, 900 Fulton St., Brooklyn
LAUNCH | ‘Pemi Aguda: One Leg on Earth
National Book Award finalist ’Pemi Aguda (Ghostroots) launches One Leg on Earth—a debut novel that thrills with its eerie mix of folklore and history. In conversation with Diane Cook (The New Wilderness).
$5, redeemable in-store; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, Manhattan
LAUNCH | Avigayl Sharp: Offseason
Avigayl Sharp celebrates the launch of Offseason—a blisteringly funny and transcendently deranged debut novel following a young woman who takes a job at an all-girls boarding school in a small coastal town to teach English literature—and to try, desperately, to escape the trap that is herself. In conversation with Madeline Cash (Lost Lambs).
$10, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague, 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
Thursday, May 7
LAUNCH | Tracy Clark-Flory: My Mother’s Daughter
Tracy Clark-Flory (Want Me: A Sex Writer’s Journey into the Heart of Desire) celebrates the launch of My Mother's Daughter: Finding Myself in My Family's Fractured Past: “tender, revelatory, and deeply moving” (Amanda Montei, Touched Out) story of family secrets, sisterhood, and the importance of untangling all that we inherit from our mothers—in conversation with Irin Carmon, a senior correspondent at New York magazine and the author of Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America.
$10, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague, 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
LAUNCH | Anna Konkle: The Sane One
Co-creator and co-star of Pen15 Anna Konkle discusses The Sane One, an emotional and laugh-out-loud coming-of-age memoir grappling with the reappearance of her estranged father—and whether it’s possible to reconnect before it’s too late. In conversation with Tony Award-winning director Sam Pinkleton.
$10; 7-8pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, Manhattan
SERIES | Rally Reading Series
The Rally Reading Series, providing a platform for overtly political literature, welcomes Emily Lee Luan ( 回 / Return), Kaitlin Hsu, and Swati Sudarsan to the stage for an evening of art and activism. Hosted by Ryan D. Matthews.
Free; 7-8.30pm; Pete’s Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St, Brooklyn
LAUNCH | Sara Lippmann: Hidden River
Sara Lippmann (Lech) celebrates the launch of her latest novel Hidden River—a “deeply dark comedy and aching human drama while exploring the long-lasting costs of trauma” (Chicago Review of Books)—in conversation with A.M. Homes (This Book Will Save Your Life).
$5, redeemable in-store; 7-9pm; Powerhouse Arena, 28 Adams Street, Brooklyn
Friday, May 8
MAG LAUNCH | Lux Issue 16 Launch Party
The launch of the new issue of Lux hosted at its HQ, the Francis Kite Club, with a special happy hour to celebrate Lux’s 5th birthday. Meet the authors and artists, have some cake, and hang with the Lux editors.
Free; 6-8pm; Francis Kite Club, 40 Loisaida Ave, Manhattan
LAUNCH | Maeve Dunigan: Read This to Look Cool
Writer, comedian, and frequent contributor to The New Yorker Maeve Dunigan celebrates the launch of Read This to Look Cool: Essays and Overthinkings—a deeply relatable meditation on the absurdity inherent in the constant performance of ourselves— in conversation with Rax King (Tacky).
Free; 7pm; WORD, 126 Franklin St, Brooklyn
This post was written by a human. Please check all details before attending.
I’m a Brooklyn-based journalist and author. My debut novel Amphibian is out now. My first book, No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run followed my childhood as the daughter of an international pot smuggler and federal fugitive. I’m here and here on Instagram.
Thank you so much for including me in the mix, Tyler!
Thanks for the shout out!