Drew Barrymore October 27, at 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th Street (Union Square).
The Shirley Temple of the ‘80s will read the funny, insightful and profound stories of her past and present at the signing of her new book, Wildflower. It includes tales of her living on her own at 14 years old, getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross-country trip, and saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood. It’s the first book that Barrymore has written about her early days since she recounted her childhood drug and alcohol use in Little Lost Girl in 1991. Reviews describe it as sweet, cheerful and heartwarming, which means it’s probably safe to judge the book by its cover this time.
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.
TUESDAY All aboard “The Poetry Ville Express!” Four poets are inviting you to embark on an adventure at KGB Bar; according to the lounge’s website they want you to follow “their muses through the untamed realms of Poetry Ville – from avant romantic to nouveau commentary.” It’s “urbane grit served up with a side of Southern charm and a big old heaping of ‘holy shit.’” The poets: Lee Ann Brown, author of this year’s Other Archer as well as a string of other acclaimed works, including Polyverse, winner of the 1996 New American Poetry Competition; Wanda Phipps, author of Wake-Up Calls: 66 Morning Poems and coordinator for three years at The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church (bringing us epic New Years marathon readings each year); Mark Statman, whose most recent books include That Train Again and A Map of the Winds; and eco-activist Jeffrey Cyphers Wright (Party Everywhere), who published Cover Magazine until 2000 and currently publishes Live Mag! Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street (East Village). More →
Rachel B. Glaser’s debut novel Paulina & Fran is celebrating its launch with readings from the author and special guests Leopoldine Core (Veronica Bench) and Mark Leidner (The Angel in The Dream of Our Hangover: Aphorisms). The novel is described as “a story of friendship, art, sex and curly hair.” It’s Glaser’s first full length work of fiction, but she’s already an accomplished writer with a published short story collection and book of poetry; her work has appeared in the anthologies 30 Under 30 and New American Stories, and Nylon has cited her as one of the “Coolest Female Poets to Know Right Now.” The conversation will be led by author Elisa Albert (After Birth). Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby Street (Nolita).
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).
The music and pop culture guru presents his new book, I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined), which “offers up great facts, interesting cultural insights, and thought-provoking moral calculations in this look at our love affair with the anti-hero,” per New York.
TUESDAY
TUESDAY
TUESDAY
Tuesday
TUESDAY