WEDNESDAY
May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton Street.
Feeling unmotivated at work lately? Find some inspiration in Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work, the new book out by Storycorps founder Dave Isay. Born 13 years ago, the oral-history project’s intimate interviews have grown to be a mainstay of American public life and podcasting. The new book draws upon audio interviews of average Americans toiling in the trenches of the nation’s workforce (public defenders, salmon slicers, science teachers and more) to try to understand what motivates people in their work every day and how they got there. Some of the storytellers themselves will speak at the event.
THURSDAY
Watchlist: Readings from Persons of Interest
May 5 at 7 p.m. at The Strand, 828 Broadway
Pete’s Reading Series with Stephen O’Connor and Angela Flournoy
May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Pete’s Candy Store, 709 Lorimer Street
SUNDAY
Mammas, Mares, Mères & Mutters: Mother’s Day Around the World
May 8 at 7 p.m. at KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street.
Forget lame flower bouquets and an anodyne card. This Mothers Day, why not take yo mama out…for stories and poetry about mothers and their shared experiences across the globe? The PEN America Translation Committee is sponsoring an evening of readings of international works dealing with mothers and families, read by their translators. For example, Mary Ann Newman will read from Private Life by Josep Maria de Sagarra, a Catalan Classic, Lara Vergnaud will read from France: Story of a Childhood by Zahia Rahmani. And both Sophie Seita and Uljana Wolf will read from i mean i dislike that fate that i was made to where by Uljana Wolf.