I’m back from vacation after a glorious two weeks offline with this week’s edition of Reading the City, a newsletter of bookish events in and around NYC.
We have launches from Susan Dominus, Madeleine Thien, Yiyun Li, Gay Talese, and Amy Larocca, as well as Kevin Nguyen at the NYPL. Also, McNally Jackson’s Preservation of Record festival is ongoing, with Irvin Weathersby, Lucy Sante, and Harron Walker speaking this week, so check that out, too.
As ever, send events I should have on my radar or just say hi! And please share the love with your bookish friends.
Monday, May 19
#YeahYouWriteBKBF
Hosted by Lisa Amico Kristel and Robin Luce Martin, enjoy an evening of literary cocktails, food, and an open mic, alongside readings from Zain Khalid (Brother Alive), Madeleine Thien (The Book of Records), and Cynthia Pelayo (Vanishing Daughters).
Free; doors, 6.30pm; Someday Bar, 364 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn
Susan Dominus, Lauren Groff and Sarah True with Taffy Brodesser-Akner: The Family Dynamic
New York Times Magazine staff writer Susan Dominus, Lauren Groff (Fates and Furies), two-time U.S. Olympian Sarah True, and New York Times Magazine staff writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Fleishman is in Trouble) come together for an exploration of extraordinary siblings and Dominus’ new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success.
From $30; 7.30pm; 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave, Manhattan
Wine and Pine Volume 18
Wine and Pine, a reading series about desire hosted by , welcomes Grace Shuyi Liew (Careen), Rosebud Ben-Oni (If This Is the Age We End Discovery), (Love, Rita), and . Expect drink specials and homemade desserts.
Free; 7-9pm; Ten Degrees Bar, 121 St. Marks Place, New York
Besha Rodell: Hunger Like a Thirst
Food writer and New York Times contributor Besha Rodell celebrates the release of Hunger Like a Thirst—“a fascinating capsule history of restaurant criticism” (NY Times)—in conversation with , the food correspondent for The New Yorker. All tickets come with a flight of three wines that pair thematically with the book.
$35; 6pm; Bibliotheque, 54 Mercer Street, Manhattan
Daria Lavelle: Aftertaste
presents her debut novel Aftertaste—set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction. In conversation with (Bear).
$5 redeemable in-store, RSVP required; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, Manhattan
Tuesday, May 20
Madeleine Thien: The Book of Records
Madeleine Thien (Do Not Say We Have Nothing) celebrates the release of her new novel The Book of Records—which tells the story of a mysterious and shape-shifting enclave called “The Sea,” in which pasts and futures collide—in conversation with Maaza Mengiste, whose 2020 Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Shadow King explores parallel themes of political revolution and generational change.
$10; 7-8.15pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, and livestreamed
Writing Wealth: Literary fiction about rich, unlikeable characters
Join Hannah Deitch (Killer Potential) and Kirstin Chen (Counterfeit) in conversation with Avery Carpenter Forrey (Social Engagement) to discuss the intricacies of writing wealth in literary fiction and how to portray unlikeable characters that readers grow attached to. The authors will discuss their recent books, as well as delve into the complexities of plot and their publication journeys. Ticket includes open bar for one hour.
$11.49; 7-8.30pm; Liz’s Book Bar, 315 Smith Street, Brooklyn
Yiyun Li: Things in Nature Merely Grow
Pulitzer Prize finalist Yiyun Li launches her new book Things in Nature Merely Grow—a remarkable, defiant work of radical acceptance that considers the loss of Li’s son James—in conversation with President and Publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Mitzi Angel.
$5; 7-8pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, Manhattan
Wednesday, May 21
On America: The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity with Sarah Schulman and Alexander Chee
As part of the Center for Fiction’s “On America” series, cultural critic Sarah Schulman discusses her new book The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity, delving into the intricate and often misunderstood concept of solidarity, offering a new, uplifting vision of what it means to engage in this work and why it matters. She is joined by , the author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel and The Queen of the Night, and veteran ACT-UP activist.
$10; 7-8.15pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, and livestreamed
Hudson Yards Hosts Reading Rhythms
Reading Rhythms takes over Hudson Yards for their largest summer reading party. Bring a book of your choosing for two hours of communal reading to a backdrop of live music, interspersed with facilitated discussions with your neighbors. Arrive early to nab a deck chair.
Free; 6-8pm; Backyard by The Vessel, Hudson Yards, New York
Open Book
is a monthly open mic—with a podcast—hosted by . Signup starts at 7pm, readings start at 8pm.Free; 8pm; Fiction Cafe & Cocktail Bar, 308 Hooper St, Brooklyn
Thursday, May 22
Kevin Nguyen: Mỹ Documents
In his second novel, Mỹ Documents, Kevin Nguyen satirizes American xenophobia, political dysfunction, and our tech-culture industrial complex. Nguyen discusses his novel with writer .
Free, register online; 7-8pm; NYPL, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 476 5th Ave, New York, and livestreamed
Hebdomeros and Mr. Dudron by Giorgio de Chirico
An evening celebrating the release of two novels by the Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico: his seminal 1929 surrealist novel Hebdomeros and Mr. Dudron, translated into English for the first time. Ara Merjian, Professor of Italian at NYU, and Stefania Heim, the translator of Mr. Dudron, come together to discuss the painter’s literary pursuits, the process of translating surrealist fiction, and the connection between literature and the visual arts. Cosponsored by David Zwirner Books and
Books.$5, redeemable in-store; 7-9pm; Powerhouse Arena, 28 Adams Street, Brooklyn
BOTH/AND: Five AAPI Writers on the Intersection of Mental Health & Identity
Hyeseung Song (Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl) leads a discussion with , Prachi Gupta (They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us), Helen Rho (American Seoul: A Memoir), and (The Way You Make Me Feel: Love In Black and Brown) on artmaking and mental health for AAPI writers and artists, with a Q&A following the conversation.
$5, redeemable in store; 6.30-8pm; P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard Street, Manhattan
Books & Brews: Ledia Xhoga Discusses Misinterpretation
A Brooklyn Public Library hosted evening of books and brews with Ledia Xhoga discussing Misinterpretation—a ruminative and propulsive debut novel interrogating the darker legacies of family and country, and the boundary between compassion and self-preservation. The Gather Inn Again will offer drinks and food for purchase during the program.
Free, with registration; 6.30-8pm; The Gather Inn Again, 2718 Gerritsen Ave, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Reads: Marsha with Tourmaline and Phoebe Robinson
A celebration of the legacy of Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson with author and artist Tourmaline, whose debut book, Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson offers the first definitive biography of Johnson as both an activist and artist. The evening opens with a performance by Egyptt LaBeija, Overall Godmother of the House of LaBeija. After a reading, Tourmaline will be joined in conversation by Phoebe Robinson, a bestselling author, actor, producer, and founder of Tiny Reparations Books. In collaboration with Café con Libros.
$25; 7-10pm; Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
Amy Larocca: How to Be Well
Award-winning journalist Amy Larocca presents How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time—a deeply researched, lively, and personal exploration of the multibillion-dollar wellness industry—in conversation with actor Ana Gasteyer.
$10, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague, 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
Gay Talese: A Town Without Time
Legendary journalist Gay Talese discusses A Town Without Time, chronicling over six decades of his best New York City stories, capturing what the city was and is. Talese will be in conversation with New York Times reporter and features writer Alex Vadukul.
Free; 6-8pm; Rizzoli Books, 1133 Broadway, Manhattan
NB. Please check all details before attending, the fact checker went awol.
I’m a Brooklyn-based journalist and author. My debut novel Amphibian is out now from Ig, as well as Virago in the UK, and forthcoming from dtv in Germany. My first book, No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run (St. Martin’s Press, 2018) followed my childhood as the daughter of an international pot smuggler and federal fugitive. I’m here and here on Instagram. Get in touch with any bookish events you’d like me to include!