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What's happening at WORD?


   

Brooklyn Book Festival    

Two young readers check out staff favorites at our Brooklyn Book Festival booth. Instead of  

attempting to bring the entire bookstore down to Borough Hall, we chose a small selection  

of titles that we want everyone to read. Miss the booth? You can still see our picks here! 

 

It's that time of year again, when all the books you want to read come out at once in a great toppling waterfall of pages. We know one of the most anticipated books of the year is Murakami's 1Q84, so we're holding a midnight release party for it, complete with a few super-rare signed copies! We're also proud to be bringing Chuck Klosterman back to Brooklyn this month to discuss his new novel, next week at Public Assembly. To round things out, we've also got events with a magician, motorcyclists, and more talented writers than you can shake a stick at. Read on for all the details! 

This month at WORD!

Great FrustrationHow to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
For fans of writing chops and wit combined:
Sunday, October 2, 7 p.m.

Seth Fried (The Great Frustration) and Charles Yu (How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe) will read from their novels, take questions, and sign. Both authors excel at clever, surprising, and haunting fiction, so take it from us -- this one is not to be missed.


FathermuckerOld Man and the SwampFor those who enjoy words and music: 
Tuesday, October 4, 7 p.m.

Largehearted Lit's theme this month is fatherhood. Greg Olear will celebrate his novel Fathermucker's release date and read from the book, and John Sellers will read from his memoir The Old Man and the Swamp. Both authors will also discuss music's influence on their works, and singer-songwriter Jenna Torres will play several songs and share a book-related anecdote or two. Facebook RSVP appreciated.


Visible ManFor fans of Chuck Klosterman, of course:
Wednesday, October 5, 8 p.m.

Chuck Klosterman returns to Brooklyn for his new novel, The Visible Man. He'll be in conversation with author/journalist John Sellers (The Old Man and the Swamp). This event is 21+, as Public Assembly has a bar. (Allowing us in turn to arrange for a special cocktail for the night, the Invisible Hombre, in honor of the book!) This event takes place at Public Assembly, 70 N. 6th St. in Williamsburg, rather than at the bookstore, and will be standing-room only. Each ticket includes admittance to the event and a copy of The Visible Man. Tickets available online, in-store, or by calling 718-383-0096. Tickets may not be available at the door, so buy in advance!  


Missed Connections
For anyone still pondering that sexy stranger on the train:
Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m.

Artist and illustrator Sophie Blackall presents her new book, Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found! She'll be introduced by Brett Fletcher Lauer and Gretchen Scott of Ships that Pass, and will share the stage with audience members telling their own missed connections stories. If you're interested in telling a story, please email Jenn at


Mario
For magic-lovers young and old:
 Sunday, Oct. 9, 1:30 p.m.
 
Join Mario the Magician for an uplifting, inventive, and highly interactive magical performance for the young and young-at-heart! We're thrilled to host Mario again, and those who were at his last show know why. Part retro, part rock and roll, Mario is an artist and inventor who creates his own props. Mario's old world looks and physical comedy style are reminiscent of his heroes, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, but he puts a thoroughly modern spin on everything he does. All ages welcome. Facebook RSVP appreciated.


Girl Who Fell from the SkyHandbook for Lightning Strike SurvivorsFor people with a manuscript in the drawer:
Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

Calling all writers in need of advice! Heidi Durrow (The Girl Who Fell from the Sky), Michele Young-Stone (The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors) and agent Michelle Brower (of Folio Literary Management) will dish on all aspects of publishing from the writing process, to finding an agent, to publication and promotion.


Love at First BarkFor dogs and the people who love them:
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Best-selling author and friend of WORD Julie Klam (You Had Me at Woof) presents her new memoir, Love at First Bark. Funny and heart-warming, her new book will simultaneously give you warm fuzzies and fire you up on behalf of rescue dogs in need of homes. She'll be speaking, reading, taking questions and signing books, as well as generally partying it up. Also, there will be treats! (For humans, anyway.) Facebook RSVP appreciated



Men Undressed
For men and the people who love them:
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.

Female writers discuss writing the male sexual experience in a panel featuring contributors from the new anthology Men Undressed . Panelists Allison Amend, Nava Renek, and Elizabeth Searle will be in conversation with editor Stacy Bierlein, who will also lead a Q&A session with the audience. We can neither confirm nor deny the attendance of Chippendale dancers at this event. Facebook RSVP appreciated



For ebook lovers looking for a new book club:
Saturday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.

For its inaugural book club meeting, Emily Books brings you No More Nice Girls by Ellen Willis, available for the first time as an ebook -- this essay collection might just change your life. "Lust Horizons" and "Escape from New York" and "Toward A Feminist Sexual Revolution" are as funny, shocking and relevant today as they were in the early 80s - maybe more so. The ebook will be available for purchase on emilybooks.com.


Zoe and Robot Let's PretendFor young doodlers, scribblers, and artistes:
Sunday, Oct. 23, 1:30 p.m.

Ryan Sias (Balloon Toons Zoe and Robot: Let's Pretend!) will lead an interactive workshop for kids, including exercises on drawing and using your imagination. Recommended for ages 5 - 10, all ages welcome. Facebook RSVP appreciated



1Q84For those counting down the hours anyway:
Monday, Oct. 24, 10:30 p.m.

Calling all Murakami fans! Come and read your favorite passage from any of his books as we count down the hours until the release of his newest novel. Those wishing to read should email [email protected] with their selection so we can avoid duplicates. The event starts at 10:30 p.m. and a pre-paid pre-order of 1Q84, either in-store or online, is necessary to attend. We're excited to announce that WORD will have a small number of super-limited-edition signed copies of 1Q84 that will only be available to attendees! We'll have a raffle and winners will receive a signed copy when they pick up their pre-order at midnight. Pre-order the book here!   


Man Who Would Stop at NothingFor biker babes and other badasses:
Thursday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Can you imagine riding a motorcycle thousands of miles in mere days? Us neither -- but John Ryan, subject of Melissa Holbrook Pierson's The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing, has done it time and again. Explore the pleasures and perils of long-distance motorcycling, the Iron Butts competition, and one man's mission to outride everyone else with Melissa Pierson and John Ryan. The event will take place at Brooklyn Moto, 215 N. 10th St., in Williamsburg. Facebook RSVP appreciated


All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Every time you attend an event, you get a chance to
enter our event book raffle for a signed set of featured books!
Facebook RSVPs appreciated but certainly not mandatory.

 

Book groups

Clown Girl Our next book group pick is Clown Girl by Monica Drake. This is a weird book, and a great one, whether you like clowns or not. The voice of the book is powerful; anybody who has gone through a period of bad friends and worse jobs will recognize, hiding beneath all the balloon-tying, the electricity of hope and despair charging the story from the first page. In his introduction to the book, Chuck Palahniuk wrote: "Writers are nothing if not rivals, but competition as good as Monica Drake is a blessing. Clown Girl is more than a great book. Clown Girl is its own reality." And it's absolutely true. It'll be 10% off all month in-store and online and we'll discuss it on Saturday, November 5th at noon. 

Fathers And Sons 

As for our year of Russian literature, our classics book club pick is Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, 10% off now, and set for discussion on Saturday, October 8th, at noon. When Arkady Petrovich returns home from college, his father finds his eager, na�ve son changed almost beyond recognition, for the impressionable Arkady has fallen under the powerful influence of the friend he has brought home with him. Vividly capturing the hopes and fears, regrets and delusions of a changing Russia around the middle of the nineteenth century, Fathers and Sons is Ivan Turgenev's masterpiece. And if you want to get a head start, the next pick after that will be One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, which we'll discuss on November 12th! 

WORD's September bestsellers  

  1. Habibi Habibi by Craig Thompson  
  2. Those Across The River by Christopher Buehlman
  3. What The Hell Are You Doing? by David Shrigley
  4. Lucky Peach, Issue 1: Ramen 
  5. Just Kids by Patti Smith (also available as Google ebook
  6. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (also available as Google ebook
  7. Sex At Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha (also available as Google ebook
  8. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (also available as Google ebook
  9. How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu (also available as Google ebook
  10. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (also available as Google ebook)

Quick links

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