Welcome back to Reading the City, a weekly newsletter of bookish events in and around NYC.
A couple exciting launches this week, including Julia Phillips’ second novel, Tracy O’Neill’s nonfiction debut, and a new book from Catherine Newman. Also, this weekend, the Lower East Side Pride Bookstore Crawl returns for the third year, and the Literary Saloon closes out the week at the Center for Fiction.
As ever, send feedback, send help, send events I should have on my radar, say hi! And please share the love with your bookish friends.
Monday, June 24
Catherine Newman: Sandwich
Catherine Newman (We All Want Impossible Things) launches Sandwich—a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go—in conversation with Nicola Kraus (co-Author of The Nanny Diaries).
$10, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
World Transexual Forum
Anton Solomonik and Jeanne Thornton’s series this month talks to Non Binarian Book Bike about an overlooked part of publishing: how to distribute the books. How do we fill in the gaps left by non-profits and bookstores to disburse high-quality trans literature to those who need it? The Nonbinarian Book Bike will talk about their mutual aid initiative to give out free queer books throughout Brooklyn. There will also be an open mic.
Free; 7pm sign-up, 8pm readings; Franklin Park, 618 St Johns Place, Brooklyn
Herbal Supplements Reading Series
Jules Rivera’s Herbal Supplements celebrates Pride with reading from Tyler Exum, Violet Stanza, Aarushi Agni, Jo Sunday, Ruben Reyes Jr. (There is No Rio Grande in Heaven), and Rupert. Donations made to Palestine Children's Relief Fund.
Free; 8pm; Cherry On Top, 379 Suydam St, Brooklyn
Tuesday, June 25
Julia Phillips: Bear
Julia Phillips (Disappearing Earth) presents her new novel Bear—a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods—in conversation with Rumaan Alam (Leave the World Behind).
From $6.79; 7.30pm; St. Joseph’s University, 245 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn
Read the Room
Hosted by journalist Kathleen Squires and Ronnie Rodriguez in their event space in Little Italy, the ticket includes Puerto Rican food by chef Julie Carrión, dessert by Taste It Presents, and great wine. This special installment features a reading and conversation with Luis A. Miranda Jr. of Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That is Transforming America.
$75 inc. food and drink; 6.30-8.30pm; 132 Mulberry Street, No. 502, New York
Santiago Jose Sanchez: Hombrecito
Santiago Jose Sanchez discusses their debut novel, Hombrecito—a queer coming-of-age story about a young immigrant’s complex relationships with his mother & his motherland—in conversation with Larissa Pham (Pop Song: Adventures in Art and Intimacy).
$5, redeemable in store; 7pm; P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard Street, New York
Emily Nussbaum: Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV
Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker writer Emily Nussbaum launches her new book Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV in conversation with Pulitzer Prize finalist Vinson Cunningham (Great Expectations).
From $8; 7-8pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, New York
Cody Delistraty: The Grief Cure
Journalist Cody Delistraty presents The Grief Cure: Looking for the End of Loss—a lyrical and moving story of the world of Prolonged Grief, exploring the author’s experience and what modern science, history, and literature reveal about the nature of our relationship to grief—in conversation with Kiara Barrow, co-editor of The Drift.
$5 for RSVP, redeemable in-store; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Elizabeth Dias & Lisa Lerer: The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America
New York Times reporters Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer discuss The Fall of Roe, depicting the breathtaking untold story of the plan to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Free; 6pm; Barnes & Noble, 82nd & Broadway, 2289 Broadway, New York
Wednesday, June 26
Tracy O'Neill: Woman of Interest
National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 honoree Tracy O'Neill (Quotients) presents her first work of nonfiction, Woman of Interest—a compulsively readable, genre-bending story of finding her missing birth mother and, along the way, learning the priceless power of self-knowledge—in conversation with Chloé Cooper Jones (Easy Beauty). Wine reception with cake from Lady Wong Patisserie to follow.
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight bookstore, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Ditmas Lit
This month Ditmas Lit, hosted by Lena Valencia and Sarah Bridgins, features a lovely lineup of readers: Urbane Conspirators co-owner Brittney Inman Cooke, Danny Goodman (Amerikaland), Nina St. Pierre (Love is a Burning Thing), and Wesley Straton (The Bartender’s Cure).
Free; 8pm; Hinterlands, 739 Church Ave, Brooklyn
Tyler Mills: Poetry Studio: Prompts for Poets
For the launch of Poetry Studio: Prompts for Poets—offering prompts paired with poems to foster an intertwined reading and writing practice—author and educator Tyler Mills (The Bomb Cloud) will host a poetry workshop, followed by a conversation with interdisciplinary artist Leah Souffrant about craft and process. The audience will be invited to write poems, too—along with snacks and bubbly.
Free; 6.30-8pm; Lofty Pigeon Books, 743 Church Avenue Brooklyn
Andrew O'Hagan: Caledonian Road
Andrew O’Hagan (Mayflies) discusses his new novel Caledonian Road, exploring the British aristocracy, academia, and politics through this story of five interconnected families and their fortunes, in conversation with Joanna Biggs, the senior editor at Harper’s.
$10; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, and livestreamed
Thursday, June 27
Girls Write Now book launch
Girls Write Now—a brilliant nonprofit that serves girls and gender-expansive youth from historically and systemically underserved communities—celebrates the launch of its new book, On the Art of the Craft: A Guidebook to Collaborative Storytelling. Hear excerpts from the book and ask contributors about the experience of creating engaging work with the support of community.
Free; 5.30pm; Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn
Fiction/Non Fiction Converstion Series
The series where writers discuss the similarities and differences in format, tone, style of their respective genres welcome noam keim (The Land is Holy) and Yasmin Zaher (The Coin) to discuss the idea of homelands.
$5 for RSVP, redeemable in-store; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Friday, June 28
Booking for Love: Literary Speed Dating
A bookish take on speed dating, the aim is to have guests go on 12 mini-dates over the evening, with a book of your choosing as a chat prompt. If both parties are into continuing the conversation, you’ll each receive information about how to get back in touch. Happy hour specials at the Café & Bar.
$35; 6-8pm; Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Saturday, June 29
Lower East Side Pride Bookstore Crawl
The third annual Lower East Side Pride Bookstore Crawl; celebrate the diversity and resilience of the neighborhood's indie bookshops by spending a day shopping discounts, special giveaways, and curated selections of queer books. Each store will provide "passports" to be stamped or stickered as you make your way along the crawl.
Free; 12-7pm; Lower East Side, various locations
Sunday, June 30
Literary Saloon
The Literary Saloon, hosted by Wesley Straton (The Bartender’s Cure), is a mixed-genre reading series, evoking a “Sunday-evening-at-the-bar-with-my-friends vibe.” This month it features Joshua Garcia (Pentimento), Emily Neuberger (A Tender Thing,), charles theonia (Gay Heaven Is a Dance Floor but I Can’t Relax), and Vanessa Walters (The Lagos Wife).
Free, but drink purchases from their Café & Bar are requested; 5pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
NB. Please check all details before attending, the fact checker went awol.
I’m a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and teacher, and the 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. Get in touch with any bookish events you’d like me to include!