TUESDAY
Robert Goolrick’s most recent novel, The Fall of Princes, finds retired 1980s ad man Rooney writing his memoir after an era of American Psycho-style unrepentant debauchery and greed (but without the murdering). Join the author for a discussion with the undeniably fabulous author and actress Joan Juliet Buck. (She played Madame Elisabeth Brassart in Julie & Julia and wrote an essay about being intimidated by Nora Ephron during the audition, and she’s written for a bunch of fancy publications, including Vogue, W, and The New Yorker.) And Algonquin’s publisher Elisabeth Scharlatt will be there, too.
Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway (Noho).
If YA tales and reality TV are more your style (or if you’re just having a guilty pleasures kind of day), don’t miss Brenna Ehrlich, MTV senior writer/editor and co-creator of “Stuff Hipsters Hate.” She’ll be at WORD for the release of Placid Girl, her debut novel that has all the makings of a YA page-turner: you’ve got your bored teen, your dysfunctional parents, and your Catfish-style mystery surrounding said teen’s Internet relationship with her favorite punk musician, who disappeared long ago. Ehrlich will be joined by Jason Diamond (Vol. 1 Brooklyn), Caryn Rose (B-Sides and Broken Hearts) and Claire Beaudreault of the band Handjob Academy, who will all be telling tales about extreme fandom.
Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. WORD Bookstore, 126 Franklin Street (Greenpoint).
THURSDAY
Envious of those sophisticates at the bar, sipping their bourbon on the rocks, and you could never could find a brand you liked? Spirits expert Fred Minnick wants to introduce you to your whiskey match made in heaven at the release of his new guide, Bourbon Curious. Applying the same tasting principles he uses to teach his classes at the Kentucky Derby Museum, Minnick takes readers through an interactive tasting journey that promises to help the mixologically-challenged select the right bourbons based on their flavor preferences. He’ll be sharing his expertise at a guided tasting celebrating the release of his book.
Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton Street (Fort Greene).
Don’t miss a night that’s sure to “Kick Assonance!” (Get it? Oh, poetry geek humor.) It should be a melding of local literary minds worth coming out for when Leslie Goshko, award-winning storyteller and comedy writer for The Huffington Post, hosts a lineup of top-notch poets. Event co-creators Steven Leyva (Low Parish) and Kyle Erickson will welcome fellow authors Ron Kolm, a founding member of The Unbearables, a “loose collective of noir humorists, beer mystics, anarchists, neophobes and passionate debunkers,” and Pushcart Prize nominee Zakia Henderson-Brown for a night of original poetry.
Aug. 27. KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street (East Village).
FRIDAY
Sure, making home videos of yourself—and getting a nice paycheck for it when you’re only in high school—sounds like a pretty sweet gig, but what does it take to be a Really Professional Internet Person? She might be only 19, but famous YouTuber Jenn McAllister, aka JennxPenn, is uniquely qualified to tell you. In her new insider’s guide she gives tips for building a successful channel and also divulges some personal info about what it’s like to experience insta-fame while surviving high school. The book features top ten lists, photos, screenshots, social media posts and never-before-posted stories about her transition from shy middle schooler to teen sensation.
August 28 at 12 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th Street (Union Square).