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What's happening at WORD?
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Left to right: Maira Kalman, Jon Scieszka, and Daniel Handler hanging out at WORD before Handler and Kalman's presentation for Why We Broke Up.
If you missed it, we've got lots of signed copies!
Last chance to register for World Book Night! The deadline to be involved is tomorrow,  February 1st, so we highly recommend you sign up right now! Go ahead, we'll wait. Or maybe you're not sure what World Book Night is, and would like to know more? We're so glad you asked. Publishers are printing special editions of 30 different books, to be given out on one night in April (the 23rd, to be precise). You choose one that you've read and loved, you apply to hand it out (and tell them why, where, how, etc.). If you're approved (and you will be, you're great), you can pick your books up right here at WORD. We'll be celebrating with a party for book-picker-uppers and it will, as you can imagine, involve food. Not only will you get to hang out with us some more, but you will be able to share a favorite book with people who might otherwise never read it, thereby accumulating some excellent book karma. WORD staff have already signed up to be givers as well, since we are constitutionally incapable of passing up a chance to pimp our favorite reads. The list is fantastic, and we really hope you'll join us!
Save the date: As if Michael Showalter and Sara Benincasa weren't already enough comedy for us all, Michael Ian Black will be coming to WORD on Wednesday, February 29, at 7 p.m. We're still finalizing all the details of the event; keep an eye on the event schedule and we'll have more news soon!
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| WORD celebrates Algonquin | |
For everyone, really:
Tuesday, February 14, 7 p.m.
Algonquin Night, featuring Jonathan Evison and Kevin Fox  Algonquin Books, the fiercely independent publishing house that launched national bestsellers like Water for Elephants and A Reliable Wife, will showcase their new and forthcoming releases. Craig Popelars, Algonquin's director of marketing, will share with you his recommendations for great reads while also answering and avoiding questions about book publishing in today's market. Highlighting the event will be Algonquin authors Jonathan Evison ( West of Here) and Kevin Fox ( Until the Next Time). Evison and Fox will discuss Sasquatch, gun-running, marmots, scurvy, ex-girlfriends, and, of course, their latest works. Attendees will also have a chance to $150 worth of Algonquin titles of their choice! Complimentary Algonquin book club catalogs and tote bags will available, and we'll be sampling beers and wines that we think pair perfectly with Algonquin's full-bodied, hand-crafted fiction. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
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 This month at WORD!
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 For lovers of grog and good fiction:
Wednesday, February 1, 7 p.m.
Sara Levine and Treasure Island!!!
What happens when a failure-to-launch post-graduate reads Treasure Island, and decides to restructure her life according to its values? Come and find out as Sara Levine presents her novel Treasure Island!!!, in which the heroine does just that. There will be a reading, a Q&A moderated by Jason Diamond, rum punch, and possibly parrots. Co-presented by Europa Editions, Largehearted Boy, and Vol. 1 Brooklyn. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For the proud and the poetic:
Thursday, February 2, 7 p.m.
Que(e)ry and WORD present Saeed Jones, Metta Sama, and Amy King
Pushcart Prize Nominee Saeed Jones presents his new chapbook When the Only Light is Fire. His poetry has appeared in Hayden's Ferry Review, StorySouth, Jubilat, and many others. He is also a monthly columnist for Lambda Literary and contributing writer for Union Station Magazine, and his blog For Southern Boys Who Consider Poetry is dedicated to emerging queer poets of color. Co-presented by Que(e)ry, an organization of librarians which celebrates the diverse representations and contributions of queer people in the cultural record. He'll be joined by fellow poets Metta Sama, fiction editor of ragazine, and Amy King, who teaches English and Creative Writing at SUNY Nassau Community College. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For the budding artist:
Sunday, February 5, 1:30 p.m.
Comics for Kids Workshop with George O'Connor
Author/illustrator George O'Connor (Hades: Lord of the Dead) will give a presentation and lead a hands-on workshop for kids on creating comics and his ongoing Olympians series retelling the classic Greek myths. He'll give tips, talk about the process of making a comic, and draw with attendees! Recommended for ages 8+, all ages welcome. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For the digerati:
Wednesday, February 8, 7 p.m.
An Evening with Joyland
Join Joyland author Jim Hanas and co-founders Emily Schultz and Brian Joseph Davis as they read from ebooks available from WORD's online storefont and discuss the evolution of Joyland. Brooklyn-based by way of Toronto, Joyland is an award-winning showcase for short fiction and a pioneering ebook imprint that has issued four collections by emerging and established North American writers. Buy a Joyland ebook via WORD at the event and receive a free copy of Joyland Retro, their first print anthology, which includes stories by Nathan Sellyn, Roxane Gay, Kevin Wilson, Zoe Whittall, Ricco Siasoco, James Greer, Jim Hanas, Andrew Hood, Ben Loory, Erica Lorraine, Scott McClanahan, and Margaret Wappler! Facebook RSVP appreciated.
For the broken hearted:
Friday, February 10, 7 p.m.
Just Working On My Breakup
Just Working On My Novel returns from winter hibernation with a freshly broken heart. For this installment, we're nodding towards Valentine's Day and flipping it off by asking for your sad stories, your breakup stories, your humiliating stores of love gone bad. Bonus points if your story ends hilariously instead of tragically (and triple points for both). Memoir and fiction welcome, with a ten-minute time limit. February's host is the esteemed and in-freaking-credible Jean Grae: rapper, singer, and writer. RSVP in advance to read to russ@russcomm.net. Bring: yourself, a bottle of wine, your friends. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For runners and readers:
Monday, February 13, 7 p.m.
Running the Rift with Naomi Benaron
There are some debuts that are truly not to be missed, and this is one of them. Running the Rift, winner of the Bellwether Prize, is a breathtaking novel about a Rwandan runner, trying to make his way to the Olympics during the Hutu-Tutsi conflict. The author is equally fascinating--Benaron is an Ironman triathlete, former siesmologist, and teacher as well as an accomplished writer. She'll be in conversation about her novel, running, and more with fellow author and Runner's World editor Steve Friedman. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For those who like to laugh:
Thursday, February 16, 7 p.m.
Michael Showalter is Mr. Funny Pants
The man responsible for bringing us The State, Wet Hot American Summer and other comedies you probably own, returns to WORD for the paperback release of his dubiously honest, thoroughly engaging memoir Mr. Funny Pants. Hilarity guaranteed to ensue.
Don't believe us? Maybe you'll believe Mike Birbiglia: "Mr. Funny Pants is unlike any book I've ever read. It's this weird, hilarious, choose-your-own-adventure inside Michael Showalter's brain--which is, of course, brilliant. I was at first skeptical of the premise of deconstructing the process of writing a book, but 10 pages in, I was literally crying with laughter and by the time he got to analyzing his own high school poetry, I could no longer read the book in public without embarrassing myself." Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For book-binders in training:
Tuesday, February 21, 6 p.m - 8 p.m.
Bookbinding for Beginners Workshop
Join Nathaniel Kressen, local writer and author of Concrete Fever, for an interactive workshop! Kressen will showcase the hand-bound first edition of his debut novel, and will teach attendees how to construct their own bound books. Everyone will make a notebook to take home! Registration is $25, and includes materials and a copy of Concrete Fever. You can register online, in-store, or by calling us at 718-383-0096.
  For fans of words and music:
Thursday, February 23, 7 p.m.
Largehearted Lit: Jesse Browner & Joe Wallace
Largehearted Lit's theme is the New York City novel this month. While (probably literally) a million novels have been written about the city, here are two in particular worth reading. Jesse Browner's novel Everything Happens Today is set in Greenwich Village, and Joe Wallace's Diamond Ruby, the New York of the 1920s. They'll each read from their book, discuss music's influence on their writing and vice versa, and a musician will share a book anecdote or two and perform. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
 For fellow former wallflowers:
Tuesday, February 28, 7 p.m.
Sara Benincasa and Agorafabulous!
One of WORD's favorite funny ladies, Sara Benincasa, will present her memoir Agorafabulous!, which chronicles her journey from agoraphobic youngster to professional smart-ass. Benincasa is an award-winning comedian, writer and host of the popular podcast, Sex and Other Human Activities. She'll be joined by Glennis McCarthy of the Gorgeous Ladies of Comedy for a party and reading, complete with celebratory refreshments. Facebook RSVP appreciated.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Facebook RSVPs appreciated but certainly not mandatory. |
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Book groups
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 Our next book group pick is Woodsburner by John Pipkin. We're picking this mostly because Jenn has been wanting to read it for years and needs an excuse to finally get around to it, and Stephanie can't believe more people haven't read it. Who wouldn't want to read a novel about Thoreau, the forest fire he accidentally started (true story), and how it changed his life and the lives of those around him?  Also available as a Google ebook, for the ereaders among us. We'll discuss it Saturday, March 3, at noon. No sign-up necessary; just read and join us!
A House and Its Head, by Ivy Compton-Burnett, is our next pick for our year of Brits in Classics book group. Downton Abbey addicts, rejoice! Think Muriel Spark meets Jane Austen: biting humor, drawing room debacles, adultery, murder, and more. We'll discuss it Saturday, March 10, at noon. (Can't wait to find out what else we have planned for this year? The full list is up online!)
As always, all books are 10% off in the month before their discussion. And if you need help remembering to mark your calendar, or can't make the discussion but still want to complain about that thing that happened on page 210, you can join our Facebook groups! There's one for the regular group and one for Classics.
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WORD's January bestsellers
| |  - Why We Broke Up, Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman (Google ebook)
- Among Others, Jo Walton (Google ebook)
- Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (Google ebook)
- Other People We Married, Emma Straub
- Homer's Odyssey, Gwen Cooper (Google ebook)
- I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen
- Just Kids, Patti Smith (Google ebook)
- Mr. Fortune, Sylvia Townsend Warner
- Bossypants, Tina Fey (Google ebook)
- A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan (Google ebook)
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Quick links
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This email not enough WORD for you? No worries, we're all over the Internet:Visit our website
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This has been another production of the book-lovin' fools at: WORD 126 Franklin St Brooklyn NY 11222 Open for your reading needs from: 11am to 9pm, seven days a week Available during those hours at: 718.383.0096 And always open at: wordbrooklyn.com |
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