‘Bookend events’ give Brooklyn book lovers early taste of festival
The Brooklyn Book Festival, supported by AT&T, has announced the 2012 lineup for the first ever weeklong series of Bookend Events taking place at venues throughout the borough from Sept. 17 through 23. The announcement was made at a special happy hour event held at The Rock Shop in Park Slope, which will host one of the events.
The seventh annual Brooklyn Book Festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in and around Borough Hall Plaza and Columbus Park. The Festival is presented by Brooklyn Tourism and the Brooklyn Literary Council, initiatives of Borough President Marty Markowitz, and is proudly supported by AT&T.
It’s the largest free literary event in New York City, presenting an array of national and international literary stars and emerging authors. One of America’s premier book festivals, this gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages to enjoy authors and the Festival’s lively literary marketplace. For more information, visit www.brooklynbookfestival.org.
“Brooklyn, or ‘Book-lyn’ as I like to call it, has more writers per square inch than almost anywhere else in the country, all contributing to our growing reputation as the epicenter of the literary universe — where authors from across the globe gather each fall for the Brooklyn Book Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious free literary festivals,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
“With an entire week of literary events celebrating the written and spoken word, the seventh annual Brooklyn Book Festival will be bigger, better and ‘bookier’ than ever,” said Johnny Temple, chair of the Brooklyn Literary Council. “The festival has matured into one of the world’s premier literary destinations, attracting renowned authors, publishers of all sizes, musicians, humorists, graphic novelists, and all of the creative forces that make up our eclectic and constantly evolving literary universe.”
Monday, Sept. 17
Tumblr, Electric Literature, The New Inquiry, & LA Review of Books Opening Night Party for Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends
Read these publications everywhere, and meet with their writersand staffers in Brooklyn! These three top literary web-based publications (and Tumblr super-users) invite you to meet your Internet friends in person for chatting, drinking, and dancing to kick off the most bookish week in Brooklyn. Guest DJs and free drink specials enhance the East Coast vs. West Coast faceoff, and everybody wins!
Location: Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street (between Wythe and Kent avenues)
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free
Website: www.publicassemblynyc.com
Who Gives a S–t About Literary Magazines?
The Coffin Factory and editors Lorin Stein (The Paris Review), Rob Spillman (Tin House) and John Freeman (Granta) discuss the importance of literary magazines in contemporary culture.
Location: BookCourt, 163 Court St. (between Dean and Pacific Streets)
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free
Website: www.bookcourt.com; www.thecoffinfactory.com
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Small Demons and The Graphic Canon Double Bill
Experience the new visual index for books, Small Demons! There are prizes involved! Also join Seven Stories Press as they celebrate the first and second volumes of The Graphic Canon, an anthology of world literature adapted by graphic artists and illustrators.
Location: The Bell House, 149 Seventh St. (between Second and Third avenues).
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free
Website: www.thebellhouseny.com; www.smalldemons.com; www.sevenstories.com; www.graphiccanon.com
Mystery Night
Andrew Cotto (Outerborough Blues) and Attica Locke (The Cutting Season) read from their thrillers and talk about writing. Q&A and signings follow.
Location: St. Joseph’s College, 245 Clinton Avenue (between Dekalb and Willoughby Avenues)
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free
The Greatest 3-Minute Book Stories Ever
Join Vol. 1 Brooklyn in celebration of their “Greatest 3-Minute Stories” series, a multimedia project dedicated to bridging the gaps between forms of high, middle and low culture. 
The event brings together writers, editors, and booksellers to tell exciting stories, anecdotes, and other tales related to books and literature. Participants include: Maris Kreizman (Slaughterhouse 90210), Kathleen Alcott (The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets), Alexander Chee (Edinburgh), Matt Dojny (The Festival of Earthly Delights), Rachel Fershleiser (Tumblr, Six-Word Memoirs), Jacob Silverman (journalist, critic, and three-day Jeopardy! champion), Dan Wilbur (How Not to Read), Christopher Beha (What Happened to Sophie Wilder), Karolina Waclawiak (How To Get Into the Twin Palms), Paula Bomer (Baby and Nine Months), Elissa Schappell (Blueprints for Building Better Girls) and Nick Moran (The Millions).
Location: Public Assembly, 70 N. Sixth St. (between Wythe and Kent Avenues)
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free
Website: www.vol1brooklyn.com
BAM presents
Unbound: A Literary Series with Greenlight Bookstore
Andrew Zolli with Malcolm Gladwell and Jad Abumrad
What does resilience mean to you? Andrew Zolli is joined by bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point), radio host Jad Abumrad, and other special guests to discuss the idea of resilience, the emerging field of study explored in Zolli’s new book, Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back.