NYC Lit Events: December 8th – 12th
It’s another busy week for literary events in New York City. With the end of the year rapidly approaching, many organizations are having celebrations and handing out awards. This week offers you opportunities to donate to NYC schools, feast on treats baked by esteemed authors, reveal all that you’ve never said, and support the New York literary community.
Monday, December 8, 2014
2014 First Novel Fête at The Center for Fiction
17 E. 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
6:30pm
Celebrate debut novelists and help raise money for Books for NYC/KidsRead. This year’s finalists for The Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize are Rene Denfeld (The Enchanted), Smith Henderson (Fourth of July Creek), Josh Weil (The Great Glass Sea), Vanessa Manko (The Invention of Exile), Tiphanie Yanique (Land of Love and Drowning), Ted Thompson (The Land of Steady Habits), and Matthew Thomas (We Are Not Ourselves). Donations of grade school and YA books can be brought to the door.
Tickets to the event are $35 and all the proceeds support Books for NYC/KidsRead.
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The Sackett Street Writers’ Series at BookCourt
163 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
7:00pm
Hosted by Julia Fierro, The Sackett Street Writers’ Series celebrates some of NYC’s most exciting writers and encourages a tight knit community. Check out readings by Emily St. John Mandel, Will Boast, Leah Umansky, Dina Nayeri, and Diane Cook, while you sip some wine and buy some books.
FREE
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Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Women of Letters at Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
Doors at 6:00pm/Show at 7:00pm
Women of Letters is a monthly literary salon based out of Australia. Female writers and performers read letters written on the theme of the evening. Tuesday's event at Joe's Pub will focus on the theme, "Letter to My Broken Rule.” Readers include Kristin Hersh, Meg Wolitzer, and Sara Benincasa.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.
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An Evening with King Dork Approximately: Frank Portman, Beth Lisick, and Friends at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street
New York, NY 10012
7:00pm
Dr. Frank (of the Mr. T Experience) will sing songs and read from King Dork Approximately. Friends include Jami Attenberg, Emily Gould, and Gayle Forman, along with many others. Prepare to arrive early: there’s free beer for the first 100 people.
FREE
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Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Poetry Forum: Mark Bibbins and Kathleen Ossip at The New School
66 West 12th Street, room 510
New York, NY 10011
6:30pm
New School Writing program faculty members, Mark Bibbins (They Don’t Kill You Because They’re Hungry, They Kill You Because They’re Full) and Kathleen Ossip (The Do Over) will read and discuss their work. These forums are sponsored by the Writing Program, so they are a great place to hear about process and craft, as well as tips for aspiring writers. The event will be moderated by David Lehman.
$5
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Suki Kim and Jenny Nordberg at Macaulay Honors College
35 W 67th St
New York, NY 10023
7:00pm
Moderated by Katha Pollitt, Macaulay presents Suki Kim (Without You, There Is No Us: My Time With the Sons of North Korea’s Elite) and Jenny Nordberg (The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan) discussing memoir and investigative journalism. Reception and book signing to follow.
FREE (RSVP is Requested)
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Thursday, December 11, 2014
The Moth StorySLAM! at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street
New York, NY 10012
7:00pm
There will be ten stories, three teams of judges, and one winner. This evening’s theme is “Art.”
$8, though seating is limited. Arrive early and join the line outside.
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Party with Riverhead Books to support Guernica Magazine at The Brooklyn Brewery
79 North 11th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11249
8:00pm
Come out and party with authors and other fabulous folks. There will be raffles, beer, and the return of the grilled cheese truck. Rumor has it that there will be fine baked goods from literary all-stars like Meg Wolitzer, Emma Straub, and Jen Doll.
$15 at the door
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Friday, December 12, 2014
The Brooklyn Writers Space at BookCourt
163 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
7:00pm
This monthly reading series features current and former members of The Brooklyn Writers Space. Friday’s reading features Robb Todd, Lauren Hickman, Zachary C. Solomon and Bill Gullo.
FREE
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Collective Task Book Launch and Performances at Postmasters Gallery
54 Franklin Street
New York, NY 10013
8:00pm
Collective Task is an international group of artists and writers. A task is chosen by a random member each month, and at the end of the year, these tasks are published in a book and on the website. Performers include Erica Baum, Rob Fitterman, Monica de la Torre, Kim Rosenfield, Lanny Jordan Jackson, and Serkan Ozkaya.
FREE (The book can be purchased for $20)
