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What's happening at WORD?

 

Cloud AtlasThe Gone-Away World PBOmnivore's Dilemma  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
WORD's top four bestsellers in our first four years.

This month, we are four! It is all thanks to you. Everything in our beloved world of books seems topsy-turvy these days, but here in our corner of Greenpoint, we are lucky to have a group of customers who love books and just about everything about them. And that has made all the difference. We are so glad that you choose WORD, and feel honored by how supportive our community has been.  

 

We hope to continue being a bookstore you want to shop at for the next four years (and the four years after that, and after that), and we'll be showing our appreciation throughout the month in various ways, at least one of which will involve Peter Pan donuts. For starters, though, we'd like to ask you to take our four-question survey. As we look forward, we want to make sure that we are serving your reading and book purchasing needs in the best way, and the results of this survey will be instrumental to that end. Also, four randomly selected participants will get a WORD T-shirt and tote bag!  

 

And we'll be giving away more WORD schwag and books and so on all month in various places, so make sure that you're keeping an eye on us on Facebook, Twitter, and tumblr, not to mention on our whiteboard and in the store. We're feeling celebratory this month, so if we like the cut of your jib, you might just get a prize!

 

Google eBooks logoOne of the many changes we're facing in our fourth year is more people choosing to read electronically. As you may remember, WORD now sells Google ebooks on our website, which can be read on a laundry list of devices, including your phone. So, to encourage you to bring your ebook habit to WORD, and also because we're pretty sure that ebooks and print books can live in harmony, this month we have a special to encourage you to check out ebooks. All March, if you buy a Google ebook from our site and bring the proof into the store in the form of your confirmation email, we'll give you 20% off the physical book of your choice. This offer is good for every ebook you buy all month! You can start with our list of recommended ebook reads here, which we'll keep updating as we find new gems and old favorites

 

And though we've got a month of fantastic events ahead---seriously, if you want to win your March Madness office pool, love M.F.K. Fisher (or potlucks),  are working on a YA novel, or are the guy who always buys Ween songs on the jukebox at The Diamond, we've got your back, just scroll on down---we wanted to take a minute to tell you about a few cool things happening in Greenpoint and causes that we're committed to, in the hopes that you'll want to help out. 

 

First, our favorite wine shop is partnering with Flying Kites, a charity that works to improve the lives of the poorest children around the world, for a fundraising event. On Monday, March 14 at Dandelion Wine, a whole host of fabulous prizes (including a gift bag from yours truly) will be raffled off during a wine tasting. RSVP to  [email protected].

 

We're also proud to continue to support the efforts of ReadThis, and are currently working with them to supply PS 376A in Bushwick with more small-group reading sets to help reluctant readers enjoy reading and read at grade level. To help, donate here! We'll also be taking contributions towards the East River Academy, an alternative school for incarcerated youth aged 16-21, as part of our launch party for Jon Michaud with the Desk Set. More details below.

 

Thanks for any help you can give, and of course for the support you've shown WORD by being a part of our growing community! Read on for more information about this month's events and book clubs.  


March events at WORD

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Facebook RSVPs appreciated but certainly not mandatory.


BracketeeringFriday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.:
Win Your March Madness Office Pool!
Nearly 1 in 5 people fill out a bracket when the NCAA Tournament rolls around in March. With a combination of mathematics and logic, basketball nerd Andrew Clark (Bracketeering: The Layman's Guide to Picking the Madness in March) has created a system that helps pick the most intelligent bracket possible come tourney time. In the past six years, Clark has picked the winner four times. How does he do it? Come and find out! Facebook RSVP here.


Birth MattersSunday, March 6, 5 p.m.:
WORD presents Ina May Gaskin at The Warsaw
Ina May Gaskin will be speaking about her new book, Birth Matters: How What We Don't Know About Nature, Bodies, and Surgery Can Hurt Us, a spirited manifesta showing us how to trust women, value birth, and reconcile modern life with a process as old as our species. This event will take place at The Warsaw, 261 Driggs Ave, and is free and open to the public; please note, Gaskin will only be signing copies of the new book (up to two per person) purchased during the event.  Facebook RSVP here. And from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., meet and mingle before the event at Caribou Baby, a new local baby store and class space for expectant and new families, across the street from the Warsaw at 272 Driggs Ave. Refreshments and snacks will be on hand!

There Is No YearWednesday, March 9, 7:30 p.m.:
Preview Reading for Blake Butler's There is No Year
Hear it at WORD first: while Blake Bulter's new novel There is No Year won't come out until April, speakers will read a portion of the novel at this pre-publication reading. This is part of a four-night marathon reading series, including the Franklin Park Reading Series, the Center for Fiction, and The PowerHouse Arena. Facebook RSVP here.


Jane EyreFriday, March 11, 7 p.m.:
Celebrating Jane Eyre: An Evening of Eyresses

Madmen on the moors! Madwomen in the attic! A young woman in search of equality, dignity, and love! Do you love Jane Eyre? Of course you do! On the day that a new film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel opens, join the writers and editors of Eyresses: The Zine for Jane Eyre Enthusiasts as we pay homage to one of literature's most enduring heroines. In addition to Jane Eyre trivia (with prizes!) and dramatic readings of the text itself, you'll hear from Eyresses contributors Sarah Bunting, Sherri Erwin, Melissa Febos, Mikki Halpin, Zachary Lipez, and Jeanne Vaccaro.  


Sunday, March 13, 1:30 p.m.:
Get Crafty! with Hannah Rogge: Save This Shirt
Give that ratty old t-shirt a second life and bring it to Get Crafty! Hannah Rogge will teach you how to make a scarf, headband, and other cool things. $5; attendees will receive $5 off purchase of the book. All ages welcome; some cutting and measuring involved. Facebook RSVP here.

Please Ignore Vera DietzTuesday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.:
On Being Weird: Teen Writing Workshop with A.S. King
Forget about your "inner child." What about channeling that tortured teenager living inside of you? Everyone has one of those, right? Author A.S. King (Please Ignore Vera Dietz, The Dust of 100 Dogs) certainly does. She's tapped in to her inner adolescent and written critically-acclaimed young adult novels. And now she wants to show you how it's done. This workshop is open to teenagers interested in pursuing writing careers as well as adults who are thinking of writing for teens. Facebook RSVP here.

Five Very Good ReasonsWednesday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.:
Matthew Inman presents 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth at Veronica People's Club
Web phenom Matthew Inman will present and sign his new book, 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth. Rumor has it that he will also teach participants how to give a perm to a Kodiak bear. Presence of said bear can neither be confirmed nor denied at this point in time. Please note: due to space restrictions, this event will be held at Veronica People's Club, 105 Franklin St., instead of at WORD. Standing room only. Facebook RSVP here.

33 1/3 Ween
Sunday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.:

33 1/3 and Ween with Hank Shteamer
Brooklyn author Hank Shteamer presents his contribution to the 33 1/3 series on Ween's fourth studio album, Chocolate and Cheese, with a screening of clips from performances and a reading from the book. Discover Ween's evolution from their early 4-track incarnation to their later fully fleshed-out live band. Chocolate and cheese will, in fact, be served. Facebook RSVP here.

When Tito Loved ClaraThursday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.:

Reading and Fundraiser with Jon Michaud and the Desk Set
Join New Yorker librarian Jon Michaud for a reading and signing celebrating the launch of his new novel, When Tito Loved Clara. Michaud will be in conversation with Sarah Murphy, co-founder of The Desk Set, about his book as well as his work with the New Yorker. But wait, there's more! Attendees will also be able to contribute towards a fundraiser for classroom sets of books for East River Academy. Facebook RSVP here.

Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private EyeSunday, March 27, 1:30 p.m.:
Comics Workshop: Colleen Venable & Stephanie Yue
Author Colleen Venable and illustrator Stephanie Yue (Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye) will lead a hands-on workshop for kids on creating comics. Their series stars a unfriendly guinea pig who is persuaded to solve crimes by a hyperactive hamster, and "everything about it could be described as cute, from the art to the characters' personalities," says Publishers Weekly. All ages welcome. Come for the hamster voices, stay for the comics-making! Facebook RSVP here.

To TimbuktuTuesday, March 29, 7:30 p.m.:
Launch Party for To Timbuktu
Casey Scieszka and Steven Weinberg will give a multimedia presentation about their two years after college spent in Asia and West Africa and the two years after that spent creating their illustrated book about it all, To Timbuktu. Using photos, cartoons, videos, sketches, and process pieces they'll talk about everything from life abroad, to the tricky process of being true to an experience while putting it on paper later, to what it's like to collaborate with your significant other. They'll read, they'll sign, they'll dance, they'll sing. Ok, maybe they won't sing and dance. Facebook RSVP here.

MFK FisherThursday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.:
Anne Zimmerman on M.F.K. Fisher (and potluck!)
What better way to celebrate M.F.K. Fisher than with books and food? Join us for a potluck and reading in her honor. Culinate.com contributor Anne Zimmerman presents An Extravagant Hunger: The Passionate Years of M.F.K. Fisher, a portrait of the prolific food writer's life and relationships woven together with her letters and journal entries. Zimmerman brings to light the relationships and passions that fed Fisher's creativity. Bring your favorite small dish to share! Facebook RSVP here.


Book Clubs
Colossus of New YorkOur book club pick for April is The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead. In this book, Whitehead (the author of WORD favorite The Intuitionist, among other great novels), brings the city we love to love and love to hate to life in all its chaotic beauty. Remember, all you have to do to be a part of book club is read the book and show up: in April the meetings will be Wednesday, April 6 at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 2 at noon. The physical book is 10% online and in-store all month. And don't forget to join our Facebook group for WORD book club here, so you can share links and thoughts about the books between meetings.

MasterContinuing our year of Russian literature, our classics book club pick is The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Do not be intimidated! Get to know the classics better with us! This book was censored for decades, which is always a good sign. Also, the devil in it has a cat that likes vodka. There is no reason you won't like this book. We'll discuss it Saturday, April 9 at noon, and as with regular book club, the book is 10% off online and in-store. This book is not available as an ebook yet, but that doesn't mean you can't get all technological about it: there's a WORD classics book club Facebook group as well.
WORD February bestsellers  
  1. Argus by Michelle Knudsen  
  2. The Empty Family by Colm Toibin (available as Google ebook
  3. Just Kids by Patti Smith (available as Google ebook)
  4. Papertoy Monsters by Brian Castleforte 
  5. All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John 
  6. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen 
  7. Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki 
  8. Other People We Married by Emma Straub  
  9. Country Driving by Peter Hessler  
  10. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 
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126 Franklin St Brooklyn NY 11222
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