Once that last week of December hits, I typically don’t leave the house. I stay in, I read, I drink mulled wine and luxuriate in the pinnacle of holiday comfort wear (see image left). However, before that week hits and I break out the snowman pants, there’s still plenty of literary themed events to keep us all occupied. Keep reading Bookish Events: December Edition to see what’s happening this month.
Saturday, December 8th
Walking Tour: Gay and Lesbian writers and artists in the East Village
Allen Ginsburg, Frank O’Hara, W.H. Auden — a lot of renowned writers have been know to haunt the east village. See where they lived and spent their time in this free, one hour walking tour! Maybe you’ll find inspiration on the tour, maybe you won’t. At the very least though, you will learn more about the literary scene in NYC, and I think that’s well worth the investment.
Tompkins Square Library
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Tickets: Free!
Monday, December 10th
The Moth GrandSLAM XLV
Looking for a evening of creative story telling? Watch ten StorySlam winners compete for the title of GrandSLAM Champion as they share their brand new five minutes stories with an eager audience. Can’t make it on Monday? Don’t worry, there’s two other Moth events in NYC this month.
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North 6th Street
7:30 PM
Tickets: $25
Tuesday, December 11th
Evening Readings: Jennifer Egan
Pulitzer prize winner, Jennifer Egan will do a reading from her latest novel Manhattan Beach. She’ll also share “fascinating glimpses of her creative process” — sounds like an invaluable resource for aspiring writers.
Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard
7:00 PM
Tickets: $20
Wednesday, December 12th
Pen Out Loud: Lest We Forget
Featuring authors Amitava Kumar and Wayetú Moore, This PEN event is a reflection on 2018. “Together, these authors will speak about their work, this year’s news cycles, and what it means to work as a writer in an era of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts.'”
The Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway at 12th Street
7:00 – 8:00 PM
Tickets: $15
Thursday, December 13th
Poet/Translator IX: The New School Translation Workshop Reading
Students of the New School’s translation workshop, will recite the poetry pieces they’ve worked on. The event will be hosted by the New School’s Director of Literary Translations, Val Vinokur. Val emphasizes “Don’t translate word for word; translate sense for sense.” An appeal to retain the essence of a work and not the minutiae — a reminder all writers need.
Molasses Books, 770 Hart St.
8:00 – 10:00 PM
Tickets: Free!
Friday, December 14th
WNBA-NYC Holiday Writing Challenge
Alright, this isn’t technically an event, but a reminder that the deadline for the Holiday Writing Challenge is December 14th! So buckle down and get those pieces in!
Planning to attend any of these events? We’d love to hear in the comments below!
