Brooklyn Book Festival

Almost as soon as I finished the alphabet and thought I was out of the Brooklyn woods, I discovered that this Sunday is the second annual Brooklyn Book Festival. There’s no way I could let it pass without a post! I really enjoyed the event last year–just when I was feeling nostalgic for new books and the start of school, the festival came along and made my September a wordier one. An array of writers speak on panels (Colson Whitehead! Paul Auster! Mary Gaitskill! Dave Eggers!), the Borough Hall courtyard becomes a massive book fair of (mostly) independent publishers, poets’ voices echo off of outdoor staircases, and general literary merriment reigns. And all of the readings and discussions are free!

The “mainstage” readings were very crowded last year, so I’d recommend getting there early (the festival starts at 10am) and planning a military-style course of action on a program. You might have to skip “Developing Stories” to get into “Africa Now,” so make sure to prioritize! Of course, I’ve found that the best readings are often ones with the less popular, still almost undiscovered writers.

The Brooklyn Book Festival is this Sunday, September 16th from 10am-6pm. It will be held in various venues around Brooklyn’s Borough Hall. See you there!

X: Xtra-Special Literary Festival

OK, so this is a bit (a lot) of a stretch for the “X” entry, but Kyle and I wanted to be sure to plug the annual Fort Greene Literary Festival in time for you to attend. The event is intimate and community oriented–last year many of the writers were from the neighborhood, and I later ran into some of them on the streets.  Think booths from places like the library and independent publishers , lots of families sprawled out on picnic blankets, and musical interludes.  Really, what could be better than a sunny day in the park complete with books and readings?

The festival will be held on the hill in the park this Saturday, August 18th at 4:30pm. Authors attending include Gloria Naylor, Jennifer Egan, Chris Abani, Staceyann Chin, and Roger Bonair-Agard. Students from a neighborhood summer workshop and the P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club Steppers will also perform.

This promises to be the kind of event that makes you very glad to live in Brooklyn. And (no small feat) it even tops the Halloween dog costume parade as my favorite Fort Greene Park gathering.

W: Walking Brooklyn

When I attended Book Expo America this past spring with Michelle, I picked up an advance copy of Adrienne Onofri’s Walking Brooklyn (Wilderness Press, 2007) with the intention of making it the “W” of my Brooklyn alphabet. I was not disappointed. The small book (perfect for carrying in your bag) details 30 different Brooklyn neighborhood walks. Kyle and I often take off on our own circuitous routes through Bed-Stuy or Prospect Heights, but with this book, you actually have a friendly tour guide by your side. Each walk includes maps and bullet points of historical, cultural, and architectural information. For example, Onofri explains what’s up with Farrell’s, the old-time bar near my Windsor Terrace apartment that my roommates and I always wonder about:

“Farrell’s is said to be one of the first bars opened in Brooklyn after Prohibition was repealed. Cops, firefighters, and neighborhood loyalists love Farrell’s, which was featured in a scene with Helen Hunt and Shirley Knight in the Oscar-winning flick As Good As It Gets” (92).

R: Rats

Now that Ratatouille and this study have come out, maybe my love of rats won’t be so strange. OK, I would certainly be freaked out to have one of the furry fellows living in my apartment, but I have an obsession with observing and reading about them. When it’s midnight at the Metropolitian stop and I’m waiting for the G, rat counting is my favorite activity. And have you seen how many there are on the border of Prospect Park? I used to think that the crunching leaves I heard in the trees along Prospect Park South West were squirrels, until one evening I realized that the noise came from a whole colony of rats. As I licked my banana head ice cream they multiplied before my very eyes.

N: NY Brain Terrain

New York Brain Terrain is one of the first blogs I visit and required reading for all New Yorkers interested in literary and cultural events. Maintained and written by Brooklynite Michelle Lin, (full disclosure: she’s also a friend and former co-worker) it includes book reviews, interviews with authors, previews of events, and much more.

Looking for a free reading or the latest gallery opening? Michelle keeps an impressive calendar of fun city events. Today’s calendar entry alone includes a reading, a jazz concert, a lecture, and a film festival. Without Michelle and New York Brain Terrain, I wouldn’t have eaten free Thai food as part of an art installation or listened to Quebecois writers read in French. This is the site to visit if you want to take advantage of New York’s quirky and amazing events to the fullest.

My Yoga Instructor could Beat Up Your Yoga Instructor

Yeah, that’s right. I said it. If my yoga instructor were ever really mad at your yoga instructor, your yoga instructor would totally be in a world of hurt.

Because, as you’ve probably guessed, my yoga instructor is three time world champion prowrestler Diamond Dallas Page (DDP, for short).

More Than Just Books

One day I dropped by the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, planning to guiltily return the book I had failed to read before hanging out in Prospect Park. I never made it into the sunshine, though—just as I was about to leave, a voice from the loudspeaker announced that Michael Cunningham, author of the Hours, was giving a free reading from his new book.

Of course libraries are great for books, but the reading that day, an intimate talk where empty seats abounded, reminded me that they’re also an amazing and underutilized resource for other forms of entertainment. The thrifty New Yorker will find high quality art exhibits, music, movies, classes, and writing workshops all for a grand total of zero dollars.

I’ll Only Buy a Book for the Way it Looks

I want to make a quick plug for Manhattan’s McNally Robinson bookstore. I went there last night for a reading, (check out their calendar, they have some interesting ones) and my friend Michelle showed me the sale area downstairs. Truly a bookworm’s paradise! I love the Strand, but while they have some heavily discounted books, a lot aren’t much cheaper than what you’d find on Amazon.

McNally Robinson’s sale area is different. There were hundreds of titles, many hardcover, by writers I love, like Paul Auster, Jonathan Lethem, and Zadie Smith, and by ones I’ve been meaning to read. All books are around 50% off list price. The books look new, so they’re probably overstocks. Look out for travel guides and big art books from Taschen, too. A perfect place for finding your next subway read or a gift.

McNally Robinson’s is located at 52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry).