Brooklyn Book Festival

NYC’S BEST LITERARY FESTIVAL HAPPENS IN BROOKLYN!
BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

200 Authors, 175 Vendors, 13 Venues, Expanded “Bookend” Events all Weekend 9/10-9/12!
Renowned Poet John Ashbery to receive annual “BoBi” Award

Now in its fifth year, the Brooklyn Book Festival is one of the top book festivals in the country. With the extraordinary literary heritage, vibrant publishing community and international reading audience of Brooklyn and New York City as its backdrop, the Festival offers the best and brightest stars in contemporary literature. The hip, huge and free all-star literary lineup includes Salman Rushdie, Naomi Klein, Paul Auster, Nelson George, Sarah Silverman, Gary Shteyngart, Mary Gaitskill, John Ashbery, Rosanne Cash, Paul Krugman, Colson Whitehead, Francine Prose, Dennis Lehane, Per Petterson, Esmeralda Santiago, Pete Hamill, Jennifer Egan, Russell Banks, Michael Connelly, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Sam Lipsyte, Sloane Crosley, Maaza Mengiste, Paul Harding, Amy Goodman, Marlon James, Sarah MacLean, Jean Valentine, Elizabeth Nunez and many more, as well as children’s and young adult lit stars like Rebecca Stead, Sara Shepard, Jacqueline Woodson, Jon Scieszka, Jenny Han, Nina Crews, Mac Barnett, Tad Hills, Chris Raschka, Michael Rex, Matthew Reinhart and Francisco X. Stork.

At the Brooklyn Book Festival, you can see Salman Rushdie and young novelist Tishani Doshi discuss Pakistani/Indian literature and culture. Hear what Paul Krugman has to say about the economy. Get a peek into the masterminds of modern crime fiction Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane and Alafair Burke, meditate on the insights of yoga-convert and humorist Neal Pollack, get cooking tips from the founders of Frankies Sputino and hear Sarah Silverman, John Hodgman and Kristen Schaal opine on life and comedy. See full list of programs below.

The Brooklyn Book Festival showcases more than 200 national and international authors in readings and panel discussions as well as 175 booksellers, publishers, presses and organizations in an outdoor literary marketplace. Brooklyn Book Festival is presented by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn Literary Council and Brooklyn Tourism.

“As the creative epicenter of New York, Brooklyn is already home to many of the world’s greatest writers, and now we’ve got a festival that gathers together the rest of the best from across the nation and around the world,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

FESTIVAL EXPANDS WITH NEW “BOOKEND” EVENTS ALL WEEKEND!

This year’s expansion includes weekend-long “Bookend” events at the coolest venues in Brooklyn, including BAM, Bell House, Brooklyn Bridge Park, The Brooklyn Kitchen, Brooklyn Public Library, Debut Lit, Freebird Books & Goods, Greenlight Bookstore, Irondale Center, Light Industry, Littlefield, Mainspring Collective, PEN American Center, Pizza D’Amore, powerHouse, St. Ann’s Warehouse, WORD and more!

Hear Russell Banks discuss books and film at BAM, dance as Rob Sheffield spins ’80s music at Bell House, hang with John Waters as he talks about his new book Role Models at WORD in Greenpoint. Check out the rest of the great weekend Bookend events—see list of Bookend events below.

RENOWNED POET JOHN ASHBERY WILL ACCEPT BEST OF BROOKLYN “BoBi” AWARD

On Saturday, September 11, at the Festival Gala, the Brooklyn Book Festival “BoBi” award, given each year to an author whose body of work exemplifies or speaks to the spirit of Brooklyn, will go to the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Ashbery. Ashbery’s ties to Brooklyn and New York run deep. He once worked as a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, and co-directed the poetry MFA program at Brooklyn College. From 2001 to 2003, he was poet laureate of New York State. The BoBi award was established in the Festival’s second year. Previous BoBi recipients include Edwidge Danticat (2009), Walter Mosley (2008) and Paul Auster (2007).

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY IS THE BIGGEST AND BEST YET!

“When we launched the Festival, it was a modest event keyed to Brooklyn’s status as the home to so many great writers,” said Brooklyn Literary Council Chair Johnny Temple. “But it has grown into a celebration of the international literary scene and New York City’s long-lasting love affair with the writing and reading world.”

FESTIVAL PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

Brooklyn Book Festival sponsors include Astoria Federal Savings; Boar’s Head Provisions; Brooklyn Community Foundation; Citi; Con Edison; Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; NYC & Company Foundation; NYC Department of Parks & Recreation; New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge; New York State Council on the Arts; St. Francis College; Skylight One Hanson; Target; Time Out New York Kids and WABC-TV. Cultural and programming partners are BAM; the Brooklyn Historical Society; Brooklyn Public Library; Cave Canem; Housing Works Bookstore Café; LIVE from the NYPL; The Nation; the National Book Foundation; The New York Review of Books; PEN American Center; Poetry Society of America; and St. Francis College.

With a festival this hip, smart and diverse—Brooklyn is indeed Book-lyn!

Media Contacts:
Please contact Laura Sinagra or Mark Zustovich
lsinagra@brooklynbp.nyc.gov / mzustovich@brooklynbp.nyc.gov / (718) 802-3832
For more information visit www.brooklynbookfestival.org or check out the official Facebook page
On Twitter, follow the Brooklyn Book Festival @BKBF
The Brooklyn Book Festival PressLift page is at http://brooklynbookfestival.presslift.com/brooklynbookfestival


BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL PROGRAMS


FICTION PROGRAMS

*Live from the NYPL The Pleasure Seekers: Salman Rushdie in Conversation with Tishani Doshi. Salman Rushdie talks to novelist, poet and dancer Tishani Doshi about her acclaimed new novel The Pleasure Seekers and about Indian-Pakistani literature and diaspora-Indian literature in general, poetry, dance and, perhaps, the delights of Goan fish curry and chocolate Ganeshes. Introduced by Paul Holdengräber. Co-presented by LIVE from the NYPL. (ST. FRANCIS)

*Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane in Conversation with Alafair Burke. Three masters of crime and cliffhanging suspense in conversation. Discussion and short readings, followed by Q&A. (ST. FRANCIS)

*Next Texts: Five Debut Novelists. The Brooklyn Book Festival presents readings from five of the finest debut novels of 2010. Featuring Sean Ferrell (Numb), Ivy Pochoda (The Art of Disappearing), Helen Simonson (Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand), Tanya Wright (Butterfly Rising) and Teddy Wayne (Kapitoil).

*Past Is Not Past. Brooklyn Book Festival presents the cream of the crop of today’s historical fiction. Readings by Marlon James (The Book of Night Women), Dennis Lehane (The Given Day) and Bernice L. McFadden (Glorious), followed by Q&A.

*Is Beauty Painful? Popular culture dictates that, to beautiful people, the world is their oyster. But perhaps beauty creates its own painfulness. Readings by Jenny Hollowell (Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe), Peter Hedges (The Heights) and Matthew Sharpe (Jamestown), followed by Q&A.

*Hex and the City. Oh, to be young and hip in New York! What, you think it’s easy? Readings by Jennifer Belle (The Seven Year Bitch), Charles Rice-Gonzalez (Chulito) and Joanna Smith Rakoff (A Fortunate Age), followed by Q&A.

*Cabaret BBF Style. Four notorious authors shake up the Brooklyn Book Festival with song and comedy. Singing by Rakesh Satyal and Melvin Van Peebles, mixed with a comic presentation by Sam Anderson and David Rees.

*Being is Scary. In lonely places, one often has to face the aches and desires for something more. Yet even longing has its dangers. Readings by Per Petterson, Scott Spencer and Terese Svoboda, followed by Q&A.

*Wrong Turns. Three fiction writers read from their books about characters who take a wrong turn in life, and can’t go back. Short readings followed by Q&A. Lauren Grodstein (Friend of the Family), Nancy Mauro (New World Monkeys) and Donna Hill (Getting Hers).

*Food, Metaphor and Memory. A panel discussion exploring the ways in which food can provide a means of understanding culture and ethnicity in literature, and how it evokes some of our earliest personal stories and memories. Featuring Lara Vapnyar (Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love), Monique Truong (Bitter in the Mouth) and Amy Besa (Memories of Philippine Kitchens). Moderated by Jessica Hagedorn.

*The International Graphic Novel: Drawing from Life. Three acclaimed cartoonists, whose work takes on social and political themes, talk about the on-the-ground research and background work they have all done in preparation for creating their books. London-based author Nick Abadzis (Laika), Josh Neufeld and Jessica Abel. Moderated by Matt Madden.
*Border Crossings. Three writers with hyphenated identities and whose work crosses and bridges cultural boundaries read from their most recent books. Featuring Gary Shteyngart (Super Sad True Love Story), Luis Alberto Urrea (Into the Beautiful North), Maaza Mengiste (Beneath the Lion’s Gaze).

*International Noir. As the enormous popularity of international noir fiction continues to produce many new authors and titles, the international stage will host a discussion of the unique features of this genre and its enduring appeal. Featuring Hirsh Sawhney (editor of Delhi Noir), Mexican author Paco Ignacio Taibo II, French author Caryl Férey (Zulu) and Pete Hamill.

*Reading the World: A Spotlight on International Writers. Come celebrate publishers of international literature—New Directions, Archipelago Books, Ugly Duckling and Zephyr Press—and their authors and translators. Declan Spring of New Directions with author/translator Susan Bernofsky; Matvei Yankelevich of Ugly Duckling Presse with Russian poet Marina Temkina; Bill Martin (Zephyr) with Polish poet Miłosz Biedrzycki; and Greek translator Karen Emmerich (Archipelago Books) will discuss and read from their work.

*Mothers and Daughters. An adult imagining and reimagining the relationship with one’s mother invariably leads back to the complex web of childhood and upbringing. Short readings followed by a discussion and Q&A. Featuring fiction authors Marlon James, Elizabeth Nunez and Jayne Anne Phillips.

*It’s Only Rock n’ Roll (But I Like It). Musically inspired readings by three chart-topping American fiction writers: Steve Almond, Jennifer Egan and Colson Whitehead (Sag Harbor). Readings followed by Q&A.

*Kafka on the Block. In conjunction with BAM’s Next Wave Festival performance of Metamorphosis (Vesturport Theatre, Iceland) directed by Gísli Örn Gardarsson, BAM hosts a panel discussion on Kafka’s legacy with Joshua Cohen, author of the postmodern epic novel Witz; Francine Prose, author of many bestselling books of fiction and the nonfiction New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer; and Matthew Sharpe, author of the novels The Sleeping Father, Nothing is Terrible and Jamestown. Moderated by Liesl Schillinger, frequent contributor to The New York Times Book Review.

*Poetry of the Gumshoe. From Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler to Law & Order, the fiction of the tough cop and detective has created its own language and a vivid, sui generis idea of western culture. Readings by Gabriel Cohen, Michael Connelly and Paco Ignacio Taibo II, followed by Q&A.

*Primal Impulses and Prose. Mary Gaitskill (Don’t Cry), Ben Greenman (What He’s Poised to Do) and Simon Von Booy (The Secret Lives of People In Love) each write poignantly about primal impulses—ones which are spoken about or not—yet felt; and are accepted or not—yet change lives.

*The World in Fiction. Three fiction writers talk about the relationship between reality and imagination in their work: Jabari Asim, Russell Banks and Mona Simpson. Moderated by David L. Ulin of the Los Angeles Times.

*One Story, One Borough. Following a campaign that will inundate Brooklyn subway trains with short stories in the days leading up to the festival, One Story presents readings by three Brooklyn authors published in the magazine: James Hannaham (God Says No), Reif Larsen (The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet) and Caedra Scott-Flaherty.

*Comics and Form: Is the Medium Still the Message? Do comics change when they are released from their traditional print medium? And how? Creators, publishers and developers will combine to discuss the expanding boundaries of the comics format. Robert Berry, Ben Katchor, Jillian Tamaki (Skim). Moderated by Karen Green.

*Abstract Jungle. Though violent crime may have decreased in some cities of the world, a new aesthetics of bleakness has transformed the urban chronicle into a form of writer’s survival. Readings by Peter Akinti (Forest Gate), Henry Chang (Red Jade) and Brando Skyhorse (The Madonnas of Echo Park), followed by Q&A.

*Family: They Mess You Up. Of course they do. But how they help or hinder you in developing a relationship to the world is the real marker of who you are now. Readings by Stephen Elliott (The Adderall Diaries), Jennifer Gilmore (Something Red) and Luis Alberto Urrea (Into the Beautiful North), followed by Q&A.

*Living Thru Dying. One thought is that our lives flash before us as we die. Another perspective is that the experience of dying focuses our lives. Steven Amsterdam (Things We Didn’t See Coming), Pulitzer Prize-winning Paul Harding (Tinkers) and Alia Yunis (The Night Counter) in conversation and readings about characters who are living through dying.

*Hallucinations of Your Neighbors. Three writers whose work pokes across the dividing line between reality and fantasy share their work and thoughts on just how far a writer can go. Short readings and a discussion with Cristina García, Steven Millhauser, and Peter Straub.


YOUTH STOOP PROGRAMS
*When it All Goes Wrong. Adele Griffin (The Julian Game), Tracy White (How I Made it to Eighteen) and Sofia Quintero (Efrain’s Secret), discuss what happens when life gets out of hand, from online stalking to addiction to the lure of living double lives.

*Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made. Laura Toffler-Corrie (The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz), Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich (8th Grade Superzero) and 2009 Newbery Award winner Rebecca Stead (When You Reach Me), bring us relatable, inspiring characters embracing challenges with friendships and popularity—while trying to solve a mystery or two—set against very different New York landscapes.

*DRAWN! Illustrator Draw-off. Illustrators bring magic to words with the simple stroke of a pencil. Watch award-winning illustrators create in response to a few energetic prompts from the audience, and hear them discuss the magic behind their illustrative work. Mike Cavallaro (Foiled), Shane Evans (Olu’s Dream) and Vanessa Brantley.

*About a Boy. Newbery Honor-winning Jacqueline Woodson (Peace, Locomotion), debut author Torrey Maldonado (Secret Saturdays) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Charles Fuller (Snatch: The Adventures of David and Me) offer us a rare look into the minds and hearts of young boys who could really use a second chance.

*You’ve Got to Be Kidding. Former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka (Spaceheadz), National Book Award Finalist E. Lockhart (The Treasure Map of Boys) and Mac Barnett (The Brixton Brothers) take on the absurdity of life in books and writing and talk about their ways of making us laugh, including hamster space aliens and panicky smart alecks.

*Making It. Mitali Perkins (Bamboo People), Francisco X. Stork (The Last Summer of the Death Warriors) and Kate Milford (The Boneshaker) bring tales of their characters’ extreme survival to the stage, from a teen soldier in Burma to an orphanage in Mexico to a girl in 1913 Missouri who finds herself in the middle of a battle between good and evil. Anjali Wason, moderator.

*Happily Ever After? Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall), Jenny Han (It’s Not Summer Without You) and Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars) talk about characters who are forced to relive their past, come to terms with haunting memories and who have committed terrible acts. Moderated by Kirsten Miller (The Eternal Ones).

*Tiger Beat. Teen author band Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Natalie Standiford and Barnabas Miller perform at the Festival.

TARGET CHILDREN’S AREA

Art Bennett (The Butt Book)
Nina Crews (Sky-High Guy; The Neighborhood Mother Goose)
Brian Floca (Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11; The Racecar Alphabet)
Tad Hills (How Rocket Learned to Read; Duck & Goose)
Michelle Knudsen (Library Lion; The Dragon of Trelian)
Chris Raschka (Big Black Crow; Peter and the Wolf)
Matthew Reinhart (Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes)
Michael Rex (Furious George Goes Bananas; Goodnight Goon)
Sergio Ruzzier (Amandina; Hey, Rabbit!)
John Rocco (Fu Finds the Way; Moonpowder)


NON-FICTION PROGRAMS


*COMPOSED: In Conversation with Rosanne Cash. Celebrated music journalist Jancee Dunn talks to the first daughter of country music about her new memoir, life with her famous father and coming into her own as an artist.

*The Problem with Music. Does music have the same role in our lives it once did or has it become mere background noise in our more-now-again age of over-saturation? Do rock, punk and hip-hop still provide a voice and a sense of community to the alienated and disaffected? And what of technology’s role in these changes? Four music writers discuss the state of the art. With Sara Marcus (Girls to the Front), Greg Milner (Perfecting Sound Forever), Elijah Wald (How the Beatles Destroyed Rock n’ Roll) and Thomas Chatterton Williams (Losing My Cool).

*Change is Gonna Come: The Fluid Life of New York City. In a city like New York, change is constant. Yet coupled with that change comes numerous and often times competing interests. Sharon Zukin (Naked City), Roberta Brandes Gratz (The Battle for Gotham) and Martin Lemelman (Two Cents Plain) consider the perpetual ebb and flow of The Big Apple and how it affects us all. Moderated by Phillip Lopate, Waterfront.

*The Body Electric: The Cult and Culture of Movement in America. Stefanie Syman, author of a new history of yoga (The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America); humorist and Yoga-foe-turned-zealot Neal Pollack (Stretch); and choreographer Elizabeth Streb (How to Become an Extreme Action Hero) for a discussion of the mind/body split and how our approach to stillness and movement shape who we are—and who we can be.

*Eating Our Words. Do chefs ever get the equivalent of writer’s block in the kitchen? Do food writers ever lose their appetite after a difficult day at the keyboard? Gabrielle Hamilton (chef and owner of Prune), Ted Lee (one half of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook writing team of Matt Lee and Ted Lee), Francis Lam (food columnist for Salon) and Melanie Rehak (Eating for Beginners) discuss the differences and similarities between writing and eating, thinking and tasting, working out a recipe and working out a sentence.

*Culture vs. Cash. Explore the breach between the role of the musician as artist and the role of the record companies as a business. Often times music rises up out of subcultures that are about much more than profits, but ultimately the industry is a business that must support itself financially. Dan Charnas (The Big Pay Back), Will Hermes (The Big Bang), Kristin Hersh (Rat Girl) and moderator Greg Tate (James Brown’s Body) look at the conflicting interests of artists and executives.

*Pop Life: Music, Memory and America’s Coming of Age. Rob Sheffield (Talking to Girls About Duran Duran), Joshua Clover (1989) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Beautiful Struggle) discuss the ways that memory and personal and political meaning inhabit the most ephemeral music and popular culture. Moderated by Julie Burstein, creator of public radio’s Studio 360 and the author of the upcoming Spark: How Creativity Works.

*Exposing a Difficult Past. A panel exploring the motivations for, and process behind, writing for the general public about life events most people would keep secret. With Piper Kerman (Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison), Darin Strauss (Half a Life), Kathryn Harrison (The Kiss) and Nelson George (City Kid: A Writer’s Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success), moderated by Elizabeth Wurtzel (Prozac Nation). Presented by Housing Works Bookstore Café.

*Food Fetish: Brooklyn Chefs. Beloved chefs of Brooklyn’s restaurant scene discuss what inspires the legendary kitchens of Brooklyn. Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo (The Frankies Spuntino: Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual), Ramin Ganeshram (Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago) and Amy Besa, Memories of Philippine Kitchens.

*Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose: Sports and Power in America. Michael Weinreb (Bigger than the Game), Dave Zirin (Bad Sports) and Will Leitch (Are We Winning?) show us the money, unmask the juiced-up, ego-fueled game of professional sports and salvage what’s left to love.
*The Economic Crisis and What To Do About It. A conversation with Nobel Prize-winner Paul Krugman and Robin Wells, moderated by Jeff Madrick—all frequent contributors to The New York Review of Books. Introduced by Robert Silvers, editor of The New York Review of Books.

*The Culture of Disaster: How Crisis Defines America. Nietzsche once said, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Or does it? Naomi Klein (The Shock Doctrine), Kurt Andersen (Reset), Jordan Flaherty (Floodlines) and Paul Reyes (Exiles in Eden) look at issues such as Katrina, the economic collapse, and the war abroad and consider whether they in fact make us stronger as a society, or more vulnerable.

*It Ain’t Easy Being Green. Sustainable environmental practices may be better for us, but are they really helping save the planet? With Colin Beavan (No Impact Man), Heather Rogers (Green Gone Wrong), Anna Lappé (Diet for a Hot Planet) and Miyun Park (Gristle).

*All Politics is Local. Is politics down and dirty or full of optimism for the future? Here city, state and national politics are discussed from all angles of reform and whether real change is a utopian myth. Francis S. Barry (Scandal of Reform), former State Assembly Member Dan Feldman (Tales from the Sausage Factory) and Scott Simpson, editor of the 40th anniversary edition of Unbossed and Unbought by Shirley Chisholm.

*War in Words: Reporting from Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Jeremy Scahill (Blackwater), Moustafa Bayoumi (Midnight on the Mavi Marmara) and Nir Rosen (Aftermath) discuss the perils of reporting the current major conflicts. GRITtv’s Laura Flanders moderates.


POETRY PROGRAMS


*The Transformation of the Book. Four poets discuss how authors and publishers are expanding and re-framing the notion of what a book is, and can do. Jen Bervin, Mendi Obadike, Tan Lin, John Yau. Moderated by Camille Rankine.

*Poetry and Prose. A panel discussing how poetry and prose (be it fiction, creative nonfiction, essays and journalism) relate to and inform each other, with well-known practitioners of both. Monica Ferrell, Phillip Lopate, Katha Pollitt, Maureen N. McLane. Moderated by Meghan O’Rourke.

*Brooklyn Poet Laureate Presents. Brooklyn’s new Poet Laureate, Tina Chang, introduces some of her favorite poets to read from their work. Mark Doty, Terrance Hayes, Ada Limón, Tracy K. Smith, moderated by Poet Laureate Chang.

*The PSA Presents: Established and Emerging Poets. The nation’s oldest poetry organization celebrates its 100th anniversary with some of the country’s best emerging and established poets—Martín Espada, Dorothea Lasky, John Murillo and Jean Valentine. Moderated by Rob Casper, PSA.

*Verbal Catalysts. The City’s top teen poets from Urban Word and Community Word perform; with poets Aracelis Girmay, A. Van Jordan and Lynne Procope.

*Paul Auster in Conversation with John Ashbery, this year’s 2010 Brooklyn Book Festival BoBi Award winner.


BOOKEND EVENTS (SEPTEMBER 10 – SEPTEMBER 12)

FRIDAY

Secret History of the Dividing Line: A True Account in Nine Parts (Parts I-IV, 1999-2001). Light Industry presents a screening of David Gatten’s unfinished 16mm film cycle, a project based around the life, writing and library of William Byrd II, a Virginia planter who owned one of the largest collections of books in Colonial North America.
Location: 177 Livingston Street
Time: 7:30pm
Price: $7

Brooklyn Indie Press Celebration! With Akashic, A Public Space, Archipelago, Armchair/Shotgun, BOMB, Electric Literature, Melville House, powerHouse, Tin House, and others. Brooklyn’s finest independent publishers of books and periodicals come together at Greenlight Bookstore. Mingle with writers and publishers who make Brooklyn’s literary scene, and enjoy refreshments and live DJs to kick off BKBF weekend.
Location: Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton Street (corner of S. Portland)
Time: 7:30 pm
Price: Free

WORD Presents an Intimate Conversation with John Waters. John Waters, the iconic filmmaker, actor and writer, comes to Greenpoint to talk about his new book Role Models with Carolyn Kellogg of the LA Times. For details, visit www.wordbrooklyn.com.
Location: Coco 66, 66 Greenpoint Ave.
Date: 8:00 pm
Price: $25.00 (includes copy of book)

DEBUT LIT presents “Opening Act,” a flash reading of original work by literary rock stars. Reading will be written on a theme provided by Debut Lit. It’s fun and it’s fast. Readers include Aryn Kyle (The God of Animals), John Murillo (Up Jump the Boogie), Sung J. Woo (Everything Asian), Brooke Berman (No Place Like Home), Matt Stewart (French Revolution), Fiona Maazel (Last Last Chance) and Daphne Beal (In the Land of No Right Angels).
Location: powerhouse Books
Date: 7:00 pm
Price: Free

Books to Movies: The Sweet Hereafter (1997) Directed by Atom Egoyan. With Ian Holm, Sarah Polley. In this adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel, a big city lawyer (Holm) descends on a small Canadian town following a tragic school bus accident to organize a civil action suit, while simultaneously mourning the loss of his own daughter to drug addiction. Atom Egoyan’s masterpiece is a sensitive examination of overcoming grief. Q&A with author Russell Banks.
Location: BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue
Time: 7:30 pm
Price: $12 general admission / $8 BAM Cinema Club members

Literary Pub Contest staged by PEN American Center at St. Ann’s Warehouse. The first ever PEN Quiz Night. Don’t miss the chance to compete with (and against!) your favorite authors. We’ll bring the paper and the pencils; you bring your literary meddle!
Location: St. Ann’s Warehouse
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm; doors open at 7:00
Price: FREE

RingShout, a Place for Black Literature, kicks off its new reading series. Join us for an evening of readings by four acclaimed African-American writers. Featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tayari Jones, Jeffrey Renard Allen and Danielle Evans. DJ Sounds by Rob Fields.
Location: Littlefield, 622 Degraw Street (3rd and 4th Avenue)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Price: Suggested donation: $5
SATURDAY

Making Books Sing - A Warming up for the Brooklyn Book Festival. In 1929, New York’s first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Belpré, transforms her East Harlem library into a welcoming community center for all, through a blend of storytelling, music and puppetry, young audiences will learn about Puerto Rican folklore and the library’s important role in the community. Kids sing along and become puppeteers as Pura’s stories unfold. Followed by a bookmaking workshop.
Location: Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza (Flatbush Ave. & Eastern Parkway)
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Price: FREE
Books to Film for Children. A series of short films based on children’s books for ages 2-6, followed by Q& A with some of the authors, including Brooklyn Book Festival participants Jon Scieszka (with the film The True Story of the Three Little Pigs) and Chris Raschka (with the film Yo! Yes?).
Location: BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue
Time: 10:30 am
Tickets: Adults: $12; Children (under 13): $9

Robin Hood: Prince of...MONSTERS. Mainspring Collective and the Irondale Center present a new children’s theater series, Monster Literature, written and conceived by Daniel John Kelley, an action-packed and hilarious live theater series that celebrates great works of children’s literature that kids can read NOW. For more information, www.monsterliterature.com.
Location: Irondale Center, 85 South Oxford Street
Time: 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Price: Tickets available online for $5 or at the door for $7

THE NEW BROOKLYN COOKBOOK: Recipes and Stories from 31 Restaurants That Put Brooklyn on the Culinary Map. Join authors Melissa and Brendan Vaughan for a panel discussion and cocktail hour at The Brooklyn Kitchen, North Brooklyn’s leading hub of home culinary exploration, and the best place to learn how to make restaurant dishes in cramped apartment kitchens. Panelists will include the chefs, farmers, kimchi makers and beer brewers who make this borough delicious! Admission includes an early copy of the book.
Location: 100 Frost Street
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Price: $65 (includes advance copy of book)

Talking to Girls About Duran Duran. Author Rob Sheffield reads from his latest work and chats about new wave music, adolescent love and John Hughes movie soundtracks. Rob is the best-selling author of Love is a Mixtape and has been a music journalist for over 20 years. Talking to Girls About Duran Duran is his latest book, a poignant tour of his 1980s adolescence, as told through the music of that decade. Stick around afterward and enjoy Rob and other DJs spinning the tunes highlighted in the book. For details, please visit www.thebellhouseny.com.
Location: Front lounge at the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd & 3rd Aves.)
Time: 8:00 pm
Price: FREE

Genre Busters: Freebird Books & Goods presents a ninety-minute variety show with artists and authors who work in a genre to turn it on its head. Includes readings, slideshows, short lectures, video, Q&A, trivia prizes and snacks.
Location: Freebird Books & Goods, 123 Columbia Street
Time: 8:00 pm
Price: FREE
SUNDAY (AFTER THE FESTIVAL)
Copper Canyon Listening Party featuring Mountains and Lymbyc Systym
It’s not about reading, it’s about listening. Copper Canyon Press’ award-winning authors Mark Bibbins, Chris Martin, Brenda Shaughnessy and Ben Lerner will be reading their works at this event; also featuring special performances by acclaimed folk-gazer/electronica bands Mountains and Lymbyc Systym.
Location: Littlefield, 622 Degraw Street (btw. 3rd and 4th Aves)
Time: Doors open at 7:30 pm
Price: $8 in advance, $10 day of show

The Story of Italian American Song by Mark Rotella. Song selections from the book will be performed for dinner guests at Brooklyn’s own Pizza D’Amore. Rotella’s book covers everyone from crooners like Sinatra and Tony Bennett, to female pop singers like Joni James and Connie Francis, to the late 50s/early 60s groups like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Dion and the Belmonts.
Location: Pizaa D’amore, 2147 Mill Avenue
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Price: Included with dinner

Cosmos: A Personal Journey. Screened under the evening sky, the Emmy Award-winning PBS television series based on the book Cosmos by Carl Sagan, will enchant and fascinate all ages. Bring a picnic blanket and prepare to be dazzled.
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier One
Time: 7:00 pm
Price: Free