Reading the City
August 19 to 25
Welcome back to Reading the City, a weekly newsletter of bookish events in and around NYC.
Light on book launches this week, but a ton of salons to entertain you: Franklin Park in Crown Heights, Metropolis in Ridgewood, and Scrappy Reading Series in Red Hook. Also, an Audre Lorde collective reading and workshop, and a queer poets open mic under the stars at Hudson River Park.
Enjoy! And please share the love with your bookish friends.
Monday, August 19
Franklin Park Reading Series
A stellar lineup for the summer season finale: Laura van den Berg (State of Paradise), Tracy O'Neill (Woman of Interest), Ananda Lima (Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil), Hyeseung Song (Docile), Amy Shearn (Dear Edna Sloane), and Jason Yamas (Tweakerworld), and hosted by founder Penina Roth. Enjoy specials on craft brews and enter the free raffle to win the readers' latest books.
Free; 8-10pm; 766 Franklin Avenue, 618 St Johns Pl, Brooklyn
Calahan Skogman: Blue Graffiti
Writer, poet, and actor Calahan Skogman, from Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, discusses his debut novel Blue Graffiti—a love letter to Johnston, WI, a small town in middle-of-nowhere Midwestern America—in conversation with fellow actor Christian Coulson of Harry Potter.
$34.51 including copy of Blue Graffiti; 7-8pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, New York
Mai Sennaar: They Dream in Gold
Writer, playwright, and filmmaker Mai Sennaar discusses her novel They Dream In Gold—spanning two decades, this literary debut follows two dreamers, one intercultural family, and the diasporic pursuit of home—with Sarah Jessica Parker, obvs, and Dawnie Walton, the author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.
Free; 6pm; Barnes & Noble Union Square, 33 East 17th Street, New York
Tuesday, August 20
Brooklyn Books & Booze
Curated by author and journalist Randee Dawn, readings from fantasy authors Meg Elison (The Road to Nowhere Trilogy), Joshua Palmatier (The Throne of Amenkor Trilogy), Leslye Penelope (Earthsinger Chronicles), A.T. Sayre, and J.S. Breukelaar (Collision: Stories).
Free; 7-9pm; Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room, 86 34th Street, Brooklyn
The Palace Reading Series
Founders and hosts Rita Puskas (The Somber Hilarity) and Marisa Cadena, creators of People at the Core Podcast, welcome readers Oleksandr Frazé- Frazénko (FAQ Ukraine), Andrew Bertaina (The Body Is A Temporary Gathering Place), Danila Botha (Things That Cause), and Rebecca Keith. 2 for 1 well/draft specials all night.
Free; 7-9pm; The Greenpoint Palace, 206 Nassau Avenue, Brooklyn
Shelly Jay Shore: Rules for Ghosting
Reading and signing with Shelly Jay Shore, author of Rules for Ghosting—to save his family's failing funeral home, and his own chance at a queer love story, a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut—in conversation with Haley Jakobson (Old Enough).
Free; 6-8pm; Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore, 116 Suffolk Street, New York
Peter Heller: Burn
Bestselling author Peter Heller (The Dog Stars) discusses his new novel Burn—a novel about two men, friends since boyhood, who emerge from the woods of rural Maine to a dystopian country racked by bewildering violence.
$7.81; 7-8pm; Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room, New York
Melanie Hamrick: The Unraveling
Melanie Hamrick (First Position) launches her new novel The Unraveling—a ballerina spirals into a world of lust and luxury.
Free; 6-7.30pm; The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Avenue, New York
Dmitri Alperovitch: World on the Brink
Thought leader Dmitri Alperovitch discusses his newest book, World on the Brink, a "breezy and mercifully jargon-light" (The Economist) argument that China’s Xi Jinping is preparing to conquer Taiwan—with dire stakes if he is not deterred—and a strategy for the United States and allies to avoid this fate.
$5, redeemable in store; 7pm; P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard Street, New York
Joshua Leifer: Tablets Shattered
Journalist Joshua Leifer launches Tablets Shattered—a lively and personal history of the fractured American Jewish present—in conversation with Andy Bachman, the founder of Water Over Rocks and the Center for Midwestern Jewish Communities.
$5, redeemable in-store; 7-9pm; Powerhouse Arena, 28 Adams Street, Brooklyn
Wednesday, August 21
Open Book
A literary open mic hosted by Becka Olson and Writing Under the Influence. Signup starts at 7pm, readings start at 8pm.
Free; 8pm; Fiction Cafe & Cocktail Bar, 308 Hooper St, Brooklyn
H.B. Akumiah: Bad Witches
H.B. Akumiah launches her debut urban fantasy Bad Witches—a lively and charming novel in which three young women discover the unbelievable: they’re witches, and their newfound magic may be the key to saving the world—with Brooklyn-based culture writer Noella Williams.
Free; 7.30pm; Greenlight bookstore, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Alexandra A. Chan: In the Garden Behind the Moon
Alexandra A. Chan (Slavery in the Age of Reason: Archaeology at a New England Farm) discusses In the Garden Behind the Moon: A Memoir of Loss, Myth, and Magic—her remarkable history of multiple generations of one family, interwoven with strands from Chinese mythology to create an unforgettable memoir.
Free; 6.30-8pm; Yu and Me Books, 44 Mulberry Street, New York
Written in Brooklyn
Written in Brooklyn is a storytelling series at the Wythe Hotel, this iteration featuring Jonathan Bender, Tiffany May, Julianne Cross, Emily Antoniades, and Erin Michele Davis, and hosted by Carly Ann Filbin (who’s reading at Scrappy on Friday). Afterparty at the Wythe's Bar Blondeau.
$28.52; doors 7pm, show 8pm; Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn
Thursday, August 22
Metropolis Literary Salon
Writer-filmmaker Jeffrey Wengrofsky hosts his Metropolis Literary Salon, this month featuring Eugene S. Robinson (formerly of legendary experimental band Oxbow), poet-musician Tony O'Neill, and American Hardcore author Steven Blush.
Free; 6-8pm; TV Eye, 1647 Weirfield St, Ridgewood, Queens
Navid Sinaki: Medusa of the Roses
Navid Sinaki presents his debut novel Medusa of the Roses—sex, vengeance, and betrayal in modern day Tehran, this bold and cinematic debut is a queer literary noir following Anjir, a morbid romantic and petty thief whose boyfriend disappears just as they're planning to leave their hometown for good—in conversation with Porochista Khakpour (Sick).
$5 redeemable in-store, RSVP required; 7pm; McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton St, New York
Regina McBride: Stranger From Across the Sea
Regina McBride (The Nature of Water and Air) discusses her newest novel, Stranger From Across the Sea—the story of a beautiful but ultimately catastrophic friendship between two girls in Northern Ireland that "captures [the] vulnerability of adolescence" (Lisa Gornick, Ana Turns)—in conversation with Patty Dann (Mermaids).
$5, redeemable in store; 7pm; P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard Street, New York
Tea Time in the Asian Avant Garden
Featuring readings and conversations with Kiran Bath (Instructions for Banno) and Catherine Chen (Beautiful Machine Woman Language). In celebration of their debut collections, this event will delve into the world of hybrid and experimental writing among Asian poets in particular.
Free; 6.30-8pm; Yu and Me Books, 44 Mulberry Street, New York
Friday, August 23
Scrappy Reading Series
Brought together by Farah Faye and inspired by Chloé Caldwell’s course Scrappy: How To Build an Alternative Literary Life, five readers explore what it means to be “scrappy.” Featuring Barrie Miskin (Hell Gate Bridge), Bob Gower (Radical Alignment), Hyeseung Song (Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl), Sasha Fox Carney, and Carly Ann Filbin. Also enjoy the current exhibit, “Las Sirenas Del Cañón Hudson” Isobath, presented by the Artmageddon Collective.
Free, register to attend; 7-8pm; Compère Collective, 351 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn
Out in the Open: Queer Poets & Writers at the Pier
An enchanting evening of poetry under the stars, presented by the American LGBTQ+ Museum and Nuyorican Poets Cafe and hosted by its executive director and poet, Caridad De La Luz. The first part is a workshop with Najee Omar, with guided reflection and writing exercises, followed by an open mic, focused on LGBTQ+ poets and allies. Music by DJ Luna Rosa.
Free; 5-9pm; Pier 45 at Hudson River Park, Hudson River Greenway New York
American Debauchery: An Evening of Prose Performances
An evening of prose performances by Chelsea Alexandra, Danielle Chelosky (Pregaming Grief), Noel Martin, Chloe Scout Nix (sorry for the mess (writings)), and Guillermo Santos. Readings in Kray Hall with a reception to follow.
Free with RSVP; 6-8pm; Poet’s House, 10 River Terrace, New York
TENSE Presents: Beckett’s at The Locker Room
Experience TENSE's latest iteration of Beckett's: The Unknowns. A whole bunch of readers as usual, produced by Beckett Rosset, with music by August Lamn
$20; 8-11.30pm; The Locker Room, 373 South 1st Street, Brooklyn
Sunday, August 25
Expand the Erotic: Audre Lorde
Hosted by the American LGBTQ+ Museum, a collective reading and workshop based on Audre Lorde's Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power, with guided discussions and writing prompts to uncover the profound impact of Lorde’s work, with artist, performer, and activist tasha dougé.
Free; 2-5pm; 461 West 126th Street New York
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 forthcoming from Ig on October 22, Virago (UK), and dtv (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!