TUESDAY
Elvis Costello
Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th Street (Union Square).
Hear the story of little Declan Patrick MacManus and how he grew up to become Elvis Costello in the musician’s long anticipated memoir written entirely by Costello, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink. In it he writes about his family, his songwriting, and his fellow musicians (the book’s description name drops Johnny Cash, The Specials, Van Morrison and The Clash, to name a few). The memoir will be accompanied by a two-disc “soundtrack album” culled from his expansive catalog. Rolling Stone recently reported that Costello himself curated the 38-song collection, which includes two previously unreleased tracks. Don’t miss your chance to meet one of rock’s greatest, most unlikely elder statesmen.
WEDNESDAY
The Rap Year Book
Wednesday, October 14 at 7 p.m. Housing Works, 126 Crosby Street.
Shea Serrano, an award-winning music critic and illustrator whose work has appeared at GQ, Rolling Stone, MTV, ESPN, VICE and more (currently he’s a staff writer for Grantland) takes a hilarious in-depth look at the best rap song every year from 1979 to now in The Rap Year Book. As the publisher’s blurb put it, it’s everything. “It’s like the gold tank from Master P’s ‘Make ‘Em Say Uhh!’ video, except it’s a book. It’s like Kanye’s verse on ‘Put On,’ except it’s a book. It’s like the face Biggie made when he was on the boat with Puffy in ‘Hypnotize,’ except it’s a book.” Don’t miss Serrano signing copies at Housing Works Bookstore Café.
Humans of New York: Stories
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th Street (Union Square).
Since he launched Humans of New York in 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton’s blog about the fascinating characters walking the sidewalks of NYC grew in followers from a few hundred to, at present count, over 15 million. If you’re not one of the millions who’ve discovered the blog already, Stanton’s second book, Humans of New York: Stories is as great a place to start as any. With new, longer interviews that delve deeper into each individual, the stories become just as intriguing and moving as the stunning photos that accompany them. Now’s your chance to snag a copy of the new book and meet the man behind the camera.
THURSDAY
Neil Strauss
Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway (Noho).
Feeling romantic? Get some personal relationship advice from controversial pickup artist Neil Strauss and curl up with a copy of his latest book, The Truth. Before you know it you’ll be transported to a magical land of Viagra-laden free-love orgies, sex addiction clinics and modern-day harems; there’s apparently nowhere Strauss won’t go to find love in all its strange incarnations, and if the title has any integrity at all we can assume the kicker is that it’s all true. Strauss’ first bestselling book The Game caused a stir when it came out in 2005, revealing the world of “pickup artists” and Strauss’ creepy guru, Mystery. (Remember the 2008 VH1 show??) The Truth, however tacky some of its subjects may sound, finds the author grappling with the social ills that plague our relationships and is said to his most personal story yet.
SATURDAY
“Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)”
Saturday, Oct. 17, at noon. Bowery Poetry, 308 Bowery.
If you’ve always wanted to break bread with 19th century religious zealots and military officers (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?), it’s probably a safe bet that the Filipino American Museum’s dinner party based on Noli Me Tangere will be your one and only chance. Characters from the seminal Jose Rizal novel, described as “a passionate love story set against the ugly political backdrop of repression, torture, and murder,” will come to life around you, acting out the happenings of the first three chapters. The cast includes an array of actors you may recognize from film and TV, including Alan Ariano (Law and Order, Treme) and Quinn Coughlin (Don’t Tell Anyone).