Out and About in NYC

Hello, WNBA-ers! Here are some events in the city to add to your social calendar.

Khaled Hosseini in Conversation With Bill Goldstein

Barnes & Noble Union Square
33 E 17th St., b/t Broadway and Park Ave South
May 21, 2013
7:00pm – 8:00pm

The author The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns will sit down to discuss his new work,  And the Mountains Echoed

Bookrageous BEA Bash: Nathan Larson, Sarah MacLean, Rosie Schaap, and Teddy Wayne

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street
New York, NY 10012
May 29, 2013
7:00pm

Join Bookrageous, “a podcast about books and why they’re awesome” for a party featuring some of our favorite authors. First 250 drinks are on us! Three lucky attendees will get a personalized list of reading recommendations, courtesy of the Bookrageous hosts and Library Journal staff! You could also win one of several audiobooks, hand-picked by Library Journal. Raffle tickets will be $5 each, or 5 for $20, and all proceeds will benefit Housing Works.

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Feature Friday: The Bookstore Crawl Guest Blog

by Heather Allen

This year the women of the WNBA-NYC chapter organized a Bookstore Crawl on the Upper East Side. Our intimate group of seven braved a potential downpour to travel to these small, but significant bookstores.  While at each store, we heard about the history and the ownership of each. The first stop was Crawford Doyle Booksellers, a quaint, inconspicuous store. The space is utilized completely, covered top to bottom with literary fiction, best-sellers, non-fiction and children’s books. The most prized books, in the First Edition’s Case, were on display next to the register. The manager, Thomas, explained the history, how it always had been a bookstore, although the owners and the name have changed over the decades. The space also holds two other tenants who work in rare and interesting books, but the public can only see those gems by appointment.

Next, we walked to Kitchen Arts & Letters, a bookstore dedicated entirely to food related books: cookbooks, food memoirs, travel journals, anything that a chef or aspiring chef might be interested in reading (or cooking!). They also had a small section dedicated to these books in French, Italian and German.  Our contact was Mike the owner. He said because the store was so specialized, they were able to reach more people. He used an example of a customer calling in to find out if they carried a book on a specialized method of cooking. Even if they did not have it, he would be able to find it, explaining further that they are best at finding unusual requests.

Our last stop was only a few blocks away at The Corner Bookstore, aptly named for its location. It was a pharmacy many years ago, and through excellent care has been able to retain many of the original structures and design. Our guide, Nick, explained that The Corner Bookstore had been around for many years, and their specialty is catering to the customers in the area. One aspect that sets the store apart is a program that allows kids to submit book reviews. The store also frequently holds signings and readings, which sets them apart from much of the local competition.

We hope to plan another excursion again.

Thanks to Marilyn Berkman and Jessice Napp for organizing the event, and to the Owners and Managers of the bookstores for hosting us.

To see more pictures from the event, check out the album on our Facebook page!

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Out and About in NYC

Happy Tuesday WNBA-ers! The warmer weather in NYC brings with it the arrival of some of the city’s most popular events.

BookExpo America
Thursday, May 30 – Saturday, June 1, 2013
Javits Center
655 W 34th St.
New York, NY 10001

For the first time, BEA is now open to the public with a Reader’s Pass. There are still spots available, so head on over to their site to register for your chance to meet and greet editors, writers, and other book lovers. And get ready for lots of freebie – that means books! Be sure to check back to the blog for more info on the WNBA-NYC post-BEA dinner meet-up.
Here ‘s a list of just some of the authors and exhibitors in attendance:
Diana Gabaldon
Veronica Roth
Amazon Children’s Publishing
 

Shakespeare in the Park
Enjoy the Bard for FREE at this beloved event in Central Park (between 79th and 80th streets, west side). This year’s plays are Love’s Labour’s Lost and A Comedy of Errors, featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson of the sitcom Modern Family. Performances begin May 28th.
Head over to the events website for more ticket information and a complete calendar of performances.

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Out and About in NYC

Changing Styles in Children’s Book Illustration
Friday, April 26, 2013, 2:15-4:00pm
New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Bldg. South Court Auditorium

Join the NYPL for an exploration of two hundred years of children’s book illustration.  Notable editions of Alice in Wonderland  and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will be examined, as well as illustration techniques, social and religious concerns, humor and pathos through children’s books from colonial primers to the works of Maurice Sendak.

Song of Myself: A Reading From the Deathbed Edition
Saturday, April 27, 2013, 1:00 – 4:00pm

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Housing Works is hosting a “marathon” reading of the 1891 edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. The event is free and will be held at the Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street New York, NY 10012).

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Out and About in NYC

Hello WNBA-ers! Need to add events on your literary to-do list? Here’s what happening in and around New York City!

American Poet Launch with the Academy of American Poets

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Housing Works Bookstore is hosting a poetry reading to launch the spring 2013 issue of American Poet. The event will be held the evening of April 24, 2013, beginning at 7:00pm. Poets Sophie Cabot Black, Cynthia Cruz, and Rachel Eliza Griffiths will read from their work. American Poet is the bi-annual journal of the Academy of American Poets.

Housing Works Bookstore
126 Crosby St.
New York, NY 10012
 
World Book Night US: April 23, 2013; Times TBA

Each year in April,  World Book Night hosts events around the globe to reach light and non-readers in an attempt to spread literacy and the simple joy of reading. Thirty books are chosen by a panel of independent booksellers and librarians. Members of the public then volunteer to hand out 20 copies of a particular title at bookstores and libraries around the world.

This year’s books include works by authors Ray Bradbury, Nora Roberts, Margaret Atwood, and even comedienne Tina Fey. The full can be seen on the organization’s webpage.

You can follow World Book Night US on Twitter @wnbamerica, for updates on events in New York City and around the country.

Want to be a Book Giver in 2014? Complete the application here on the World Book Night website.

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