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What's happening at WORD?
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The next generation of comics artists learns from Ben Hatke.
The sun is out, the daffodils are up, the kids are at American Playground and our front tables are overflowing with tons of new releases in paperback and hardcover. It's definitely spring, and our events schedule is blossoming too! Pun intended. (If you want to read more about all the great books, either check out last month's WORD Recommends email or wait another week or so for May's edition.)
We've got a great event designed for your dog, especially if your dog is bad. We're putting our favorite related authors in one room so they can all insult each other's musical taste. We're hosting a magic-filled launch party for one of our favorite new authors of the year. And did we mention the butter churning?
 Before we move on to our May events, we want to make sure you know about a big event we have on the first of June: China Mieville is coming to Brooklyn and WORD is hosting him! He'll be at Public Assembly in Williamsburg on Wednesday, June 1st at 8pm, first being interviewed by Lev Grossman (The Magicians) and then signing. Awesome dance party to follow. Tickets are $25 and include a copy of his new book, Embassytown. Tickets are available online (click here to buy) and in-store, but don't wait too long, as we suspect they will sell out.
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May events at WORD
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All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Don't forget, every time you attend an event, you get a chance to enter our event book raffle, in which we raffle off a signed set of featured books!
Facebook RSVPs appreciated but certainly not mandatory.
Never mess an event! Check out our public Google calendar.
Tuesday, May 10, 7:30 p.m.: Largehearted Lit: A Family Affair Largehearted Lit is pleased to announce a very special literary family edition for May, featuring Emma Straub ( Other People We Married), Peter Straub ( A Dark Matter), Austin Grossman ( Soon I Will Be Invincible), and Lev Grossman ( The Magicians)! They will share embarrassing stories about each others' musical taste. Oh yeah, and read from their books. Largehearted Lit is a monthly series curated by Largehearted Boy's David Gutowski, exploring the relationship between music and literature. Facebook RSVP here.Thursday, May 12, 7 p.m.: ENVISION This Reading & FundraiserPoets Mónica de la Torre, Bianca Stone, and Sara Wintz and cartoonists Sarah Glidden, Lisa Hanawalt, and Julia Wertz will read to benefit Project ENVISION Williamsburg, a local coalition of activists working to prevent sexual assaults before they occur. Suggested donation of $5 at the door. Saturday, May 14, 2 p.m.: Be a Better Bad Dog with Martin Kihn Author Martin Kihn will read from and discuss his memoir Bad Dog: A Love Story at the Church of the Ascension, 127 Kent St, Brooklyn. Kihn shares his journey with his dog Hola -- both were a mess when they met. He was a high-functioning alcoholic, and she was a behavioral nightmare. But they got through it together through their goal of passing the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen test. The event will also feature: a Puppy Kindergarten Graduation, courtesy of Dog Habitat and Unleash; a Q&A with Kihn; and a chance for attendees to ask training questions! All dogs welcome. Presented by: The Arts at Ascension, Dog Habitat, Unleash Brooklyn, and WORD. Facebook RSVP here.Tuesday, May 17, 7:30 p.m.: The Wilder Life with Wendy McClure In The Wilder Life, Wendy McClure dives headfirst into the world of The Little House on the Prairie -- in all its many incarnations. From the original pioneer journey of the Ingalls family to modern-day pageants to the TV shows, she looks for the "Laura experience" and answers the question of whether or not we can reconnect with childhood touchstones. McClure will be interviewed by fellow author Jami Attenberg ( The Melting Season), and the event will include a trivia contest, butter churning demonstration and store-boughten candy. Facebook RSVP here.Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.:
Launch Party for Haley Tanner's Vaclav and Lena Local author Haley Tanner presents her debut novel Vaclav and Lena, which sweeps the reader into the landscape of the immigrant childhood experience. And, in honor of the main character's aspirations, the reading will feature a performance from magician "Vanishing" Vinny DePonto! Our event manager Jenn will not shut up about this book: "I had to pry myself away from this one. Tanner captures the voices of these characters so aptly. It's a gorgeous debut that captures the spirit of the immigrant experience in New York, as well as the joys and pains of first loves and first revelations." Facebook RSVP here.Thursday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.: Civic Pride: Washington DC with Vol. 1 Brooklyn  Vol. 1 Brooklyn's successful quarterly series, which focuses on writers from a specific city or state, returns to WORD with composer and debut novelist Nathan Larson ( The Dewey Decimal System), riot grrrl expert Sara Marcus ( Girls to the Front), reviewer Parul Sehgal, and musician and poet Zach Barocas. As an added bonus, there will be free beer via one of the region's independent breweries. Hosted by Vol. 1 Brooklyn's Jason Diamond. Facebook RSVP here.Friday, May 20, 7:30 p.m.: Tin House Night with Katie Arnold-Ratliff, Jim Krusoe, Mike Sacks & Scott Sparling Tin House and WORD present a reading and Q&A with four authors: Katie Arnold-Ratliff ( Bright Before Us), Jim Krusoe ( Toward You), Mike Sacks ( Your Wildest Dreams, Within Reason), and Scott Sparling ( Wire to Wire). Facebook RSVP here. Keep an eye on our tumblr, because each of the authors will be guest-blogging for us in May to give you a taste of what you can look forward to at the event! Saturday, May 21, 1:30 p.m.: Sign Language Storytime with Lilit MarcusIf you've been using any of the sign language videos or books for kids, you'll love this Sign Language Storytime with Lilit Marcus, who is a CODA (child of deaf adults). She will read and sign a popular kids' book, and children will learn a few signs so that they can follow along with her. Parent participation is welcomed and encouraged. Facebook RSVP here.
Saturday, May 21, 7 p.m.: LOCAL ORGANIC: New Works by Greenpoint WritersThe core members of the Greenpoint Writers Group will share excerpts from their latest works-in-progress. This cycle, there are novels, stories, and screenplays in the works. Writers include Christianne Hedtke, Crispin Kott, Nathaniel Kressen, Logan Medland, Kathy Lindboe, Danielle Pollack, and Chris Tarry. Free admission. Complimentary wine. Gratuitous awesomeness. Facebook RSVP here.Friday, May 27, 7:30 p.m.:
Red Lemonade presents Lynne Tillman & Vanessa Veselka  Richard Nash's Red Lemonade celebrates the new novels of two authors, the incredibly prolific Lynne Tillman ( Someday This Will Be Funny) and first-time novelist Vanessa Veselka ( Zazen), with a reading and Q&A. Attendees will also be eligible to download a DRM-free ebook of both titles, free with any book purchase at WORD during the event! Facebook RSVP here.
Publishers Weekly is excited about both books. Of Zazen, they say: "The deeply disaffected young woman narrator of Veselka's taut debut must decide whether to flee a dystopian America or try to endure it, and, in the process maybe help save it a little." And they rave about Tillman: "[her] gorgeous and potent latest ... finds the innovative author embracing diverse, imaginative forms in these often brief but always intriguing tales."
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Book Groups
| |  Our book group pick for May is Methland by Nick Reding. It's difficult to describe a book that is so unrelentingly honest about our country's problems with meth as good, because it would be best if the book didn't need to exist at all---but since it must, it couldn't have a better author than Nick Reding. He's thoughtful about the perfect storm of social, cultural, and political changes that have led to the problems that so many rural communities have with meth addiction, and uncommonly respectful of the actual human beings at the heart of it all. The book will be 10% off all month and is also available as a Google ebook. Due to our event on June 1st, we will only discuss Methland once: Saturday, June 4th, at noon.
 And continuing our year of Russian literature, our next classics book club pick is still Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. As Gogol's wily antihero, Chichikov, combs the back country wheeling and dealing for "dead souls"--deceased serfs who still represent money to anyone sharp enough to trade in them--we are introduced to a Dickensian cast of peasants, landowners, and conniving petty officials, few of whom can resist the seductive illogic of Chichikov's proposition. Don't be frightened off: due to its length and density, we'll be reading and discussing this book in both May and June. The book is divided into two volumes, so we'll discuss Volume 1 on Saturday, May 14th at noon, and Volume 2 (along with the book as a whole) on Saturday, June 11 at noon.
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WORD 126 Franklin St Brooklyn NY 11222 open from 11am to 9pm, seven days a week 718.383.0096 www.wordbrooklyn.com |
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