Reading the City
March 18 to 24
Welcome back to Reading the City, a weekly newsletter of bookish events in and around NYC.
It’s an all-star week. We have Téa Obreht in conversation with Marie-Helene Bertino, Marilynne Robinson at the NYPL, and Percival Everett discussing his latest novel. Also, an in-person reading at the recently reopened Poet’s House and the Literary Saloon (formerly the NYDC Reading Series) takes up residence 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, March 18
Table of Contents
TOC returns to Chelsea Market, this month featuring readings from Rita Bullwinkel (Headshot), Soraya Palmer (The Human Origins of Beatrice Potter and Other Essential Ghosts), and Emmeline Clein (Dead Weight). Three dishes will be served inspired by the author’s passages, as well as the always perfect biscuits, and a chat about the creative process with founder and chef Evan Hanczor. Tickets include a complimentary cocktail.
$35; 7-9pm; Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave, New York
Sasha Issenberg with Maggie Haberman: The Lie Detectives
On the eve of primaries in Florida, Ohio, and Arizona, Sasha Issenberg (The Victory Lab) speaks with the New York Times’ senior political correspondent Maggie Haberman about how political campaigns can fight back against disinformation.
Free, register for ticket; 7-8pm; NYPL, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum476 5th Ave, New York
London Writers' Salon presents Writing Dark & Hilarious Surrealist Fiction with Molly McGhee
Matt Trinetti
and , the cofounders the London Writers’ Salon—an international writing community—join Molly McGhee to discuss her writing journey toward the publication of her debut novel Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind.$10.89, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
Adam Rapp: Wolf at the Table
Hosted offsite by The Strand, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award finalist Adam Rapp (The Sound Inside) releases his new book Wolf at the Table, in conversation with Hanya Yanagihara, author of To Paradise and A Little Life, and with a special appearance from Jamestown Revival.
$10; 7pm; Atlantic Theatre Company - Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street, New York
Tuesday, March 19
Téa Obreht: The Morningside
Téa Obreht (The Tiger's Wife, Inland) launches her latest book, The Morningside—named for the crumbling luxury tower where Silvia and her mother settle after being expelled from their ancestral home in the not-so-distant-future setting of this novel—in conversation with Marie-Helene Bertino (Beautyland).
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight bookstore, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Anna Shechtman: The Riddles of the Sphinx
Renowned puzzle creator Anna Shechtman discusses her memoir, The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle, exploring how the crossword puzzle has been an unexpected site of women’s work and feminist protest, in conversation with fellow crossword creator Kameron Austin Collins.
Free, register online; 6-7.30pm; Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn
Maggie Thrash: Rainbow Black
Maggie Thrash (Honor Girl) presents her new novel Rainbow Black—part murder mystery, part gay international fugitive love story, set against the ’90s Satanic Panic and spanning 20 years in the life of a young woman pulled into its undertow—in conversation with Isle McElroy (People Collide).
$10.89, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
Katya Apekina: Mother Doll
Katya Apekina (The Deeper the Water, The Uglier The Fish) presents Mother Doll—a sharp and visceral nesting doll of a novel, about four generations of mothers and daughters and the inherited trauma cast by Russian history—in conversation with Rachel Lyons (Self Portrait with Boy).
$5 for RSVP, redeemable in-store; 6.30pm; McNally Jackson Soho, 134 Prince St. New York
The Silent Book Club of Death
I don’t normally include book clubs but this felt worth flagging: It’s a book club where you can read silently about death, mortality, and grief, run by Lauren Seeley a death doula. They meet one Sunday per month in different locations—this time in a modern funeral home.
Free, but RSVP required; 6pm; Sparrow Funeral Home, 161 Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn
Wednesday, March 20
Marilynne Robinson with Ayana Mathis: Reading Genesis
The legendary novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson (Gilead) discusses her vital new interpretation of the Book of Genesis with Ayana Mathis (The Unsettled).
Free, RSVP for ticket; 7-8pm; NYPL, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum, 476 5th Ave, New York
Margo Steines: Brutalities
Margo Steines launches her debut memoir-in-essays—investigating the dynamics of violence, power, desire, and a body pushed to the brink—in conversation with Erin Williams (What’s Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine).
Free; 7-9pm; Powerhouse Arena, 28 Adams Street, Brooklyn
Percival Everett: James
Pulitzer Prize finalist Percival Everett (Erasure, which was adapted into American Fiction) discusses his latest novel, James—an action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view—in conversation with Brandon Taylor (Real Life).
$5, redeemable in store; 7pm; P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard Street, New York
Andrew Boryga: Victim
Andrew Boryga presents his debut novel Victim—a fearless satire about a hustler from the Bronx who sees through the veneer of diversity initiatives and decides to cash in on the odd currency of identity—in conversation with Xochitl Gonzalez (Olga Dies Dreaming).
$10.89, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
Rowan Beaird: The Divorcées
Rowan Beaird discussed her debut novel The Divorcées—about female self discovery, liberation, and women daring to imagine a different future for themselves during a time when fathers and husbands expected them to be housewives and mothers—in conversation with Sarah Blakely-Cartwright (Alice Sadie Celine).
$8; 7-8pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, New York
An Intimate Evening Salon with Roxana Robinson
Roxana Robinson (Cost) appears at the Center for Fiction’s Members Lounge for an intimate conversation and reading from her new novel, Leaving, in conversation with author, journalist, and radio host Kurt Andersen (Evil Geniuses). This event has a smaller audience and extended time for readers’ questions.
$65, including a beverage and the book; 7pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Thursday, March 21
Pete’s Reading Series
This month, readers include Maura Cheeks (Acts of Forgiveness), Christina Cooke (Broughtupsy), K Patrick (Mrs. S), and Corey Sobel (The Redshirt), and hosted as ever by Temim Fruchter and Brian Gresko.
Free; 7.30pm; Pete’s Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St, Brooklyn
Xochitl Gonzalez: Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Xochitl Gonzalez discusses Anita de Monte Laughs Last, a Reese’s Book Club Pick, with Miwa Messer for a Poured Over live podcast taping.
Free; 7pm; Barnes & Noble, 82nd & Broadway, 2289 Broadway, New York
Rachel Cohen: A Chance Meeting: American Encounters
Rachel Cohen, one of the few living authors published in the NYRB Classics series, presents her nonfiction work A Chance Meeting, tracking the friendships and influences of some of America’s great writers, thinkers, artists. Rachel is joined in conversation by poet Vijay Seshradi (That Was Now, This Is Then).
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight bookstore, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Marie Mutsuki Mockett: The Tree Doctor
Marie Mutsuki Mockett (American Harvest: God, Country and Farming in the Heartland) presents The Tree Doctor—a startling, erotic novel about the need to balance care for others with care for one’s self—in conversation with Megha Majumdar (A Burning).
$10.89, redeemable in-store; 7-8pm; Books Are Magic Montague 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, and livestreamed free
Speaking the World into Being: an Evening of Short Readings
An in-person event at the recently reopened Poets House! Four Way Books, Yetzirah, and the Poets House present short readings from Hadara Bar-Nadav, Carlie Hoffman, Jessica Jacobs, Ilya Kaminsky, Owen Lewis, Matthew Lippman, and Yerra Sugarman.
Free; 6.30-8pm; Poets House, 10 River Terrace, New York
Sunday, March 24
The Literary Saloon
The Literary Saloon (formerly known as the NYDC Reading Series) has a new name and a new residence at The Center For Fiction, evoking a “Sunday-evening-at-the-bar-with-my-friends vibe.” The mixed-genre reading series puts an emphasis on local emerging talent and a dedication to diverse and underrepresented voices. Host and curator Wesley Straton (The Bartender’s Cure) brings together Lux editor Natalie Adler, Janelle Greco, poet Emily Lee Luan (回 / Return), and Soraya Palmer (The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts) for the inaugural event.
Free, but drink purchases from their Café & Bar are requested; 5pm; The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Booking Ahead…
Table of Contents Regenerative Residency Closing Dinner
TOC also runs a Regenerative Residency program, which closes with a multi-course dinner inspired by their residents' work and featuring ingredients from Glynwood, where its located, and the Hudson Valley region. It’s out of the city, but sounds so very lovely. The March 2024 residents include Diane Cook (The New Wilderness) and Andriniki Mattis (Quiet Fires) who will also give brief readings before the meal. All ticket sales go towards funding the growth of the residency program. Limited sliding scale seats available. There’s also a handful of overnight packages.
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!
