Friday, October 23, 2015

Spotlight on Literary Events: October 23-29



Colum McCann – Thirteen Ways of Looking: Fiction
Friday, October 23rd at 7 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Colum McCann’s ninth book of fiction is a virtuoso collection of a novella and three stories, one of which has been selected for the 2015 edition of The Best American Short Stories. He explores questions of mortality and meaning as he follows a retired judge through his last day, chronicles a mother’s grief over a lost son, describes a nun’s shock at reliving an old trauma, and relays a soldier’s bittersweet call home on New Year’s Eve. McCann won the National Book Award for Let the Great World Spin and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres award from the French government. Free admission.

Bob Woodward - The Last of the President's Men
Friday, October 23rd at 7 pm
Sidwell Friends
3825 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC. 20016
Currently an associate editor at The Washington Post, Bob Woodward has been an investigative reporter for more than four decades. He won the first of his two shared Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of the Watergate scandal, a story that he, with Carl Bernstein, turned into the classic All the President’s Men. In The Last of the President's Men, the new chapter of the Nixon story, Woodward draws on extensive interviews with Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who first revealed the existence of the secret White House tapes.  Woodward deftly gets Butterfield to answer lingering questions about the scandal and flesh out its principal figures—including Nixon himself. 1 Ticket: $10; 1 Book and 1 Ticket: $30; $28 for P & P members; 1 Book and 2 Tickets: $35; $33 for P & P members 

Forrest Pritchard - Growing Tomorrow
Friday, October 23rd at 7 pm
Upshur Street Books
827 Upshur St NW
Washington, DC 20011

Hear Forrest Pritchard talk about the sustainable food movement and the process of creating his beautiful new cookbook, Growing Tomorrow. This event will be catered by Slow Food DC. Meet the local farmers who feed America—in stories, photos, and 50 recipes. When Pritchard went looking for the unsung heroes of local, sustainable food, he found them at 18 exceptional farms all over the country. In Detroit, Aba Ifeoma, of D-Town Farm, dreams of replenishing the local “food desert” with organic produce. On Cape Cod, Nick Muto stays afloat and eco-friendly by fishing with the seasons. And in Washington State, fourth-generation farmer Robert Hayton confides, “This farm has been rescued by big harvests. For every one great season, though, you’ve got ten years of tough.” With more than 50 mouth-watering recipes and 250+ photographs, this unique cookbook captures the struggles and triumphs of the visionary farmers who are Growing Tomorrow. Free admission.

Kevin Costner, Jon Baird, Rick Ross - The Explorers Guild: Volume One: A Passage To Shambhala
Saturday, October 24th at 1 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Novelist Keith Donohue, author of four novels, including The Boy Who Drew Monsters, will moderate a lively discussion with  actor, director, and producer Kevin Costner and his co-collaborates. Costner created The Explorers Guild with his Horizon co-writer, Jon Baird, former editor of Harvard Lampoon and author of Day Job and Songs From Nowhere Near the Heart. The book includes illustrations by Rick Ross, creator and publisher of the online anthology Agitainment Comics, the book introduces a group of twentieth-century questers as they comb the known world for the lost cities of legend. Free admission.

Dan Jones - Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty
Saturday, October 24th at 3:30 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Dan Jones marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta with a narrative as suspenseful and colorful as any of the dynastic feuds recounted in The Plantagenets and The Wars of the Roses. In the third installment of his riveting saga, Jones returns to 1215, and what was originally a peace treaty between King John and the landed barons fed up with his wars and taxes. Although the agreement was initially weak, it eventually became a revolutionary document in proving that a monarch could be held to his own laws. Free admission.

Paul Murray - The Mark and the Void
Saturday, October 24th at 6 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
 
Paul Murray’s first book, An Evening of Long Goodbyes, was nominated for the Whitbread Prize and his second, Skippy Dies, was long-listed for the Booker—and came in at number three in Time’s list of Best Books of 2010. In his third novel, the talented Irish writer charts the mayhem that ensues when a novelist named Paul dreams up a fiction based on the life of Claude, a young financier with the Investment Bank of Torabundo. Both men experience some unexpected excitement, and the Bank is headed for a little crisis of its own. Free admission.

Nerds! Trivia Night
Saturday, October 24th at 8 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

How many rings were forged by Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkein’s Middle Earth? Excluding monuments, what is the tallest building in D.C.? Put on your thinking cap, grab a drink, and join us for our monthly trivia night! Enjoy the grilled cheese sandwich special at the P&P Coffehouse from 7 to 8 p.m., grab a latte (with a lid!) and trek upstairs for four rounds of mind-bending trivia questions. Prizes will be awarded. Trivia night is open to all ages. Free admission.

The Great Children’s Read
Sunday, October 25th from 10 am to 1 pm
Washington DC Jewish Community Center
1529 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036

Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Bring books to life with story time with Lesléa Newman, author of My Name is Aviva and winner of the 2015 Sugarman Family Children’s Book Award. Make crafts, sing songs, and watch a puppet show. Don’t, of course, miss the book fair featuring a wide selection of Jewish and general interest children’s books. Plus, a special guest: Clifford the Big Red Dog! Please bring a new or gently used book to donate to children in need. Best suited for children up to age 5. $12/family, Discounted $10.

Douglas Waller - Disciples: The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought For Wild Bill Donovan
Sunday, October 25th at 1 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Douglas Waller, a former correspondent for Newsweek and Time, and the author of A Question of Loyalty and other books of military and intelligence history, follows up his biography of Wild Bill Donovan with this portrait of some of the men who followed in Donovan’s footsteps. Allen Dulles, Richard Helms, William Colby, and William Casey were all involved in the OSS during World War II, and Waller details their courageous wartime missions as well as their later CIA leadership and Cold War operations, which sometimes reflected questionable judgment. Free admission.

Susan Muaddi Darraj and Baron Wormser
Sunday, October 25th from 2 pm to 4 pm
The Writer's Center
4508 Walsh Street
Bethesda, MD 20815

Visiting poet Baron Wormser reads from his new collection, Unidentified Sighing Objects. He is joined by Susan Muaddi Darraj, who reads from A Curious Land: Stories from Home. The reading will be followed by a reception and book signing. Free admission.

Judith Viorst - Wait For Me: and Other Poems about the Irritations and Consolations of a Long Marriage
Sunday, October 25th at 5 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Judith Viorst’s verse journey through the decades, from When Did I Stop Being Twenty to Unexpectedly Eighty, reveals a dry wit and unflinching perseverance in the face of passing time. As Viorst considers her fifty-five years of marriage, she offers us an affectionate and playful look at the ways deep familiarity breeds both irritation and comfort. This book is a tribute to shared domestic life and a look at what comes next. Free admission.

Jerry Gabriel and Peter Malae
Sunday, October 25th at 5 pm
Upshur Street Books
827 Upshur St NW
Washington, DC 20011

Join Peter Malae, Oregon-based novelist, poet, playwright, and short story writer and author of Our Frail Blood, and Jerry Gabriel, local short story writer and author of The Let Go, for a night of reading and discussion. Free admission.

Sherie M. Randolph - Florynce Flo Kennedy: The Life of a Black Feminist Radical
Monday, October 26th at 6:30 pm
Busboys and Poets (14th & V location)
2021 14th St, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

An associate professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Sherie Randolph has written the first full biography of black feminist Florynce “Flo” Kennedy (1916–2000). Drawing valuable lessons from both the Black Power and white feminist movements, Kennedy empowered black women to act against both sexism and racism. Randolph’s deep research chronicles Kennedy’s upbringing, Columbia Law School experience, and traces her involvement in groups such as the National Organization for Women and the National Black Feminist Organization; her influence remains a factor in today’s progressive movements. Free admission. 

Dan Ephron - Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking Of Israel
Monday, October 26th at 7 pm

Dan Ephron, a former Newsweek Jerusalem bureau chief, covered the rally at which Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated as well as the ensuing trial of his killer, Yigal Amir. Marking the twentieth anniversary of what has proven to be a defining moment in Israel’s history, Ephron traces the parallel tracks of Rabin and Amir for two years prior to the killing. Drawing on official archives as well as interviews with Amir’s family, Ephron explains how the assassination was planned and how Rabin’s death continues to affect events—including stalled peace talks and relations between Israel and the United States. Ephron will be in conversation with Nancy Updike, award-winning writer and producer for American Public Radio’s This American Life; the presentation will feature video footage and audio clips from their adaptation of Ephron’s book for radio documentary. Free admission.

David Green – Midnight in Serbia
Monday, October 26th at 6:30pm
Kramerbooks
1517 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Travels with NPR host David Greene along the Trans-Siberian Railroad capture an overlooked, idiosyncratic Russia in the age of Putin. Far away from the trendy cafes, designer boutiques, and political protests and crackdowns in Moscow, the real Russia exists. Free admission.

Intrepid Time Travelers: New Fiction with Novelists Jessamyn Hope, Jami Attenberg, and Mary Morris

Monday, October 26th from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Washington DC Jewish Community Center
1529 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036

As part of the Jewish Literary Festival, novelists Mary Morris (The Jazz Palace), Jami Attenberg (Saint Mazie), and Jessamyn Hope (Safekeeping) sit down with author Michelle Brafman to discuss the common themes of their celebrated new works. Go on journeys through space and time through their readings, and hear them reflect on their experiences as writers in the 21st century. General Admission $12; Discounted $10.
Monday Night Open Mic Poetry hosted by Shelly Bell
Monday, October 26th from 8 pm to 10 pm
Busboys and Poets (Shirlington location)
4251 South Campbell Avenue
Arlington, VA 22206

For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians, and a different host every week. $5 cover.

Monday Night Open Mic Hosted by Drew Land
Monday, October 26th from 9 pm to 11 pm
Busboys and Poets (Brookland location)
625 Monroe St. NE
Washington, D.C. 20017

For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians, and a different host every week. $5 cover.

Ron Childress – And West is West
Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30 pm
Busboys and Poets (Takoma location)
235 Carroll St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20012

Winner of the 2014 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, Childress’s debut novel looks at how we use technology to do our dirty jobs for us. Childress, who has worked in a variety of communications and marketing capacities, focuses on a drone pilot in Nevada and a big-data worker on Wall Street. As the two narratives unfold, both characters find that they not only use the new technology but are also used by it, and that the algorithms are as treacherous as the remote weaponry. Childress will be in conversation with Tope Folarin, winner of the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing for his story "Miracle." In 2014, he was named to Africa39's list of most promising African writers under forty. Free admission.

Ian F. Svenonius - Censorship Now!!
Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30 pm
Busboys and Poets (14th & V location)
2021 14th St, NW
Washington, D.C. K20009

Former host of VBS.TV’s “Soft Focus,” the multi-talented Ian Svenonius was frontman for Chain & the Gang and has performed with numerous other bands, cutting nearly twenty albums. He’s also the author of cult favorites, including Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock ‘n’ Roll Group and The Psychic Soviet. His well-honed satirical wit is on full display in this new collection of essays, which takes on subjects ranging from Apple and Ikea to Marion Barry, hats, tipping, and weather. Free admission.

John Kelly – Never Surrender
Tuesday, October 27th at 6:30pm
Kramerbooks
1517 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

A remarkably vivid account of a key moment in Western history: The critical six months in 1940 when Winston Churchill debated whether the British would fight Hitler. Free admission.

Sonia Purnell - Clementine: The life of Mrs. Winston Churchill
Tuesday, October 27th at 7 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

In this long-needed supplement to Mary Soames’s profile of her mother, Clementine Churchill, Sonia Purnell details the crucial role Winston’s wife played throughout the Second World War-era. Of noble lineage but limited means, Clementine turned her insecurities into a strong partnership. Focusing on her husband’s career, she tempered his letters, rewrote speeches, smoothed relations between Churchill and Roosevelt, and helped ease the way for U.S. entry into the war. Purnell is a London journalist formerly with The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph and author of Just Boris, Free admission. 

Haunted D.C.
Tuesday, October 27th at 7 pm
Upshur Street Books
827 Upshur St NW
Washington, DC 20011

Spend a spine-tingling Halloween evening during Upshur Street Books’ series with History Press. Authors, historians, and D.C. experts Robert Pohl and Tim Krepp will tell us all the sinister stories about our city. Refreshments will be available. Free admission.

Local Author Fair: Discover a New Book
Tuesday, October 27th from 7:30 pm to 9 pm
Washington D.C .Jewish Community Center
1529 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036

Meet and greet authors at this annual Local Author Fair! As part of the Jewish Literary Festival, a selection of D.C.-area authors will each be given three minutes to tell you about their books. Buy a locally grown book and network with area readers and writers at a wine and cheese reception. Free admission. 

Tuesday Night Open Mic hosted by Gowri K
Tuesday, October 27th from 9 pm to 11 pm
Busboys and Poets (14th & V location)
2021 14th St, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians, and a different host every week. $5 cover.

Busboys and Poets & @Beltwayslamdc Present: The Beltway Poetry Slam
Tuesday, October 27th from 9 pm to 11 pm
Busboys and Poets (Brookland location)
625 Monroe St. NE
Washington, D.C. 20017

D.C.'s only Poetry Slam, Inc certified slam event meets the last Tuesday of every month at Busboys and Poets' Brookland location.  $5 cover.

Tuesday Night Open Mic hosted by Drew Anderson
Tuesday, October 27th from 9 pm to 11 pm
Busboys and Poets (Takoma location)
235 Carroll St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20012

For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians, and a different host every week. $5 cover.

Hal Niedzviecki - Trees on Mars
Wednesday, October 28th at 6:30 pm
Kramerbooks
1517 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

What is it like to live in a society utterly focused on what is going to happen next? In Trees on Mars: Our Obsession with the Future, cultural critic and indie entrepreneur Hal Niedzviecki asks how and when we started believing we could and should "create the future," arguing that the short-term purview of innovation is not always as effective as we think. Free admission.

Noga Kadman - Erased from Space and Consciousness: Israel and the Depopulated Palestinian Villages of 1948
Wednesday, October 28th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Busboys and Poets (Takoma location)
235 Carroll St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20012

Middle East Café Presents a conversation with Noga Kadman, author of the new book, Erased from Space and Consciousness: Israel and the Depopulated Palestinian Villages of 1948. Free admission.

Lisa Randall - Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe
Wednesday, October 28th at 7 pm
Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Lisa Randall is the first tenured woman theoretical physicist at both MIT and Harvard, where she is currently the Frank J. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science. She is also adept at translating her complex field for a general audience—writing the bestselling Warped Passages and Knocking on Heaven’s Door. Her fourth book uses original research to propose that while a comet is the likely cause of the dinosaurs’ extinction some sixty-six million years ago, it was a band of dark matter that sent the comet hurling Earthward. Free admission.

Wednesday Night Open Mic hosted by Dwayne B
Wednesday, October 28th from 9 pm to 11 pm
Busboys and Poets (5th and K location)
1025 5th St NW
Washington, DC 20001

For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians and a different host every week. $5 cover.

Keith Donohue - The Boy Who Drew Monsters
Wednesday, October 28th at 7 pm
Upshur Street Books
827 Upshur St NW
Washington, DC 20011

Bring on the Halloween chills with Keith Donohue for The Boy Who Drew Monsters, the story of a young boy trapped inside his own world, whose drawings blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

Ever since he nearly drowned in the ocean three years earlier, ten-year-old Jack Peter Keenan has been deathly afraid to leave his home in a small coastal town in Maine. Instead, Jack Peter begins to draw monsters, and when those monsters take on a life of their own, no one is safe from the terror they inspire. His mother, Holly, begins to hear strange sounds in the night coming from the ocean. When she seeks answers from the local Catholic priest and his Japanese housekeeper, they fill her head with stories of shipwrecks and ghosts. His father, Tim, wanders the beach, frantically searching for a strange apparition running wild in the dunes. And the boy's only friend, Nick, becomes helplessly entangled in the eerie power of the drawings. While those around Jack Peter are haunted by what they think they see, only he knows the truth behind the terrors that lurk in the outside world. Keith Donohue's The Boy Who Drew Monsters is a mesmerizing tale of psychological terror and imagination run wild. Free admission.

Simon Winchester - Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers
Thursday, October 29th at 7 pm
Busboys and Poets (Hyattsville location)
5331 Baltimore Ave
Hyattsville, MD 20781

For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians, and a different host every week. $5 cover.


No comments:

Post a Comment