Tuesday, August 2, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Memoirama Workshop with Marion Roach Smith

Join author and teacher Marion Roach Smith for a two-hour memoir writing workshop. Tickets are $12 and include a copy of her new book, The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing Life, full of quirky, provocative tactics that teach you to write with purpose. Marion has been teaching memoir and writing for over a decade. She has published books including The Roots of Desire and Another Name for Madness, and has written for The New York Times Magazine, Prevention, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. Tickets available online or in-store.

 

Indie bookstore favorites Stacy Carlson (Among the Wonderful, an August IndieNext Pick) and Alexander Yates (Moondogs, a WORD staff pick) will read from their novels, both of which feature some unusual main characters. Among the Wonderful roams through the New York of the 1840s, following a taxidermist and a professional giantess as their lives are changed by an upstart showman named PT Barnum. Moondogs, set in the present-day Philippines, chronicles the exploits of an unlikely squad of soldiers with otherworldly talents as they set off to rescue a kidnapped American businessman. Facebook RSVP here.

For budding artists and future astronauts:

Sunday, August 7, 1:30 p.m.

Comics for Kids Workshop with Dave Roman

Join two-time New York Times bestselling writer-illustrator Dave Roman for a comics workshop for kids! He'll introduce you to his great new graphic novel, Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity (a staff favorite!) and lead an interactive workshop on creating your own comics. Roman is the creator of Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery, has contributed stories to the Flight series, and has written comics and manga for X-Men and The Last Airbender. Recommended for ages 8+, all ages welcome. Facebook RSVP here.



Celebrate with us in honor of journalist and local author Lev Grossman's new novel The Magician King, sequel to The Magicians, at a party and reading! Grossman's books pay homage to the fantasy worlds of J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, Susan Cooper, and others, and we'll be kicking things off with a trivia contest (with prizes!) accordingly. Facebook RSVP here.



For people too shy to sing in front of large groups:

Friday, August 12, 7 p.m.

Literary Karaoke: Celebrity Memoirs

Introducing your new favorite monthly series, inspired by your favorite guilty Friday night activity. Think you've got literary chops? You've got three minutes to prove it by reading a passage from a book that will surprise and delight the crowd. Our theme for this month is Celebrity Memoirs; come prepped to read the juiciest three minute passage you can find in your favorite star's tell-all. Sign-up starts at 6:30; can't hurt to have a back-up passage just in case. BYOB! Facebook RSVP here.  

The Buffono Puppet Show, performed by Samantha Midler and Shannon Godly, presents "Buffono's Night Sky", a marionette puppet show complete with music and fun characters.  Buffono, an old Italian man, likes looking at the night sky. When Buffono gets the idea to use a telescope, the discoveries of outer space begin for everyone. This story encourages kids to let curiosity, imagination and inspiration lead them into learning new things. $5 per child; parents free. Facebook RSVP here.  

 

 

For word nerds:

Inside the Dictionary with Merriam-Webster's Peter Sokolowski  

 

Ever wondered how a word gets into the dictionary? Why words are spelled differently in American English than British English? How dictionaries are making the transition to the Internet? Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster, presents the story of dictionaries in America from Noah Webster's textbooks and dictionaries to today's reference sites on the Web and dictionaries made specifically for English language learners. Come with questions! Facebook RSVP here.

For attendees of Marion Roach Smith's workshop  

(and other budding memoirists):  

Friday, August 19, 7 p.m.

Just Working On My Memoir  

 

This month, we're doing something a little different. In honor of our esteemed host Melissa Febos, author of the new-to-paperback memoir Whip Smart, we're doing a Just Working On My Memoir. Bring your memoir-based writing to read -- and you might win some awesome prizes. To read, email russ@russcomm.net. Remember, stories must be no longer than 10 minutes. This month, you're judged on the qualities of good memoir writing. Or, just come and listen and enjoy the open wine bar. Facebook RSVP here.

 

 

For city-dwellers (so, basically, everyone):

Manager Stephanie says: "If you've ever gone on a date, had a job, or fought with a friend while living in New York City, you should read this book. If you've done all three, you MUST read this book." Girls in White Dresses follows three young women grappling with heartbreak and career change, family pressure and new love-all while suffering through an endless round of weddings and bridal showers, capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life. Join us for a party, reading and signing! (White dresses optional.) Facebook RSVP here.

 

Paperback Launch for Rick Moody's   

The Four Fingers of Death  

 

Best-selling author Rick Moody (Garden State, The Ice Storm) presents a reading and signing of his newest book The Four Fingers of Death for its paperback release. An exercise in sci-fi satire and meta-fiction, the novel follows Montese Crandall, a blocked writer, in his attempt to novelize an old horror flick called The Crawling Hand. From Earth to Mars, from real life to fantasy, Moody's future (the year is 2025) looks back to present-day culture and wonders where exactly we're headed. Facebook RSVP here.


             

 

 

For people who want the latest and the greatest in literary fiction:

Tuesday, August 30, 7 p.m.   

Keeping the Volkswagen Alive with Christopher Boucher, Reif Larsen
and Emily St. John Mandel 

 

Modeled on the bestselling 1969 hippie handbook of the same title, Christopher Boucher presents his novel How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive. In this zany debut, tools talk, trees walk, and time is actually money. He'll be joined by two readers, Brooklyn's own Reif Larsen (The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet) and Emily St. John Mandel (The Singer's Gun, Last Night in Montreal). Facebook RSVP here.