Events
Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 PM
Paul Elie discusses his book Reinventing Bach with StoryCorps founder Dave Isay
Paul Elie’s award-winning debut, The Life You Save May Be Your Own, was widely hailed for its intelligence, craftsmanship, and elegance in conveying the lives four modern American Catholics who made literature out of their search for God. That same level of passionate intensity is evident in the pages of Reinventing Bach, a gorgeous exploration of the music of one of the greatest composers of all time. At once a biography of Bach woven through the stories of the musicians who have reinvented his work – including Glenn Gould, Yo-Yo Ma and many others – Elie’s book is also an examination of the technology that has made such reinvention possible. Appropriately enough, Elie discusses the book with veteran interviewer (and sound technology enthusiast) Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, with whom Elie is working on a Storycorps project about religion in America.
Saturday, September 22, 11:00 AM
Story Time: Denis Markell and Melissa Iwai present Hush, Little Monster
In the new picture book by husband and wife team Denis Markell and Melissa Iwai, a monster father softly sings his own version of the lullaby “Hush, Little Baby” to his son. A screeching owl, a vampire, an ogre, and zombies are just a few of the creatures who will come to soothe Little Monster through the night, until (when the sun comes up) it’s finally time for him to go to sleep. Author Denis will play his guitar to help with singing this delightfully monstrous lullaby, and illustrator Melissa will create a custom-made monster with help from the audience of kids! It’s the perfect pre-Halloween story time.
Tuesday, September 25, 6:30 PM
Greenlight Young Readers Book Group discusses Boy by Roald Dahl
Led by Greenlight bookseller and former teacher Brette, this book group is geared toward kids ages 8 to 14, and reads great contemporary and classic chapter books. Parents are welcome (but not required) to attend; pizza is served. For September the book group reads Roald Dahl’s memoir Boy. Where did Roald Dahl get all of his wonderful ideas for stories? From his own life, of course! As full of excitement and the unexpected as his world-famous, bestselling books, Roald Dahl’s tales of his own childhood are completely fascinating and fiendishly funny.
Friday, September 28, 8:00 PM
Zadie Smith presents her novel NW
NOTE: This event begins at 8:00 PM instead of our usual 7:30 PM.
Greenlight is honored to host internationally acclaimed and award-winning novelist Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth and On Beauty, to present her brand-new novel NW. The story of three adults who grew up in the Caldwell housing estate in Northwest London, the novel brilliantly depicts the modern urban zone—familiar to city dwellers everywhere—in a tragicomic novel as mercurial as the city itself. From private houses to public parks, at work and at play, in this delicate, devastating novel of encounters, the main streets hide the back alleys, and taking the high road can sometimes lead to a dead end. Smith will read from her novel and answer audience questions before signing books.
Please note: Customers who purchase Smith's new novel NW from Greenlight will be given priority in the signing line. Upon purchase (either online or in store), each customer will be assigned a pass with a "group number" indicating his/her place in the signing line. Passes will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Books and passes may be picked up on or after the book's publication date, September 4th. Customers without passes (did not buy their copy from Greenlight) must wait at the end of the line. Smith will sign up to 3 books per customer, including backlist titles.
Friday, October 19, 7:30 PM
Greenlight Bookstore’s First Edition Club Launch Party!
Panel Discussion: The Value of the Book
Featuring Erik DuRon of Bauman’s Rare Books, Heather O’Donnell of Honey & Wax Booksellers, Emily Russo Murtagh of Greenlight Bookstore, and John Freeman of Granta
Champagne reception to follow
On the occasion of our third birthday, Greenlight is thrilled to announce the launch of our First Editions Club, the first of its kind in New York City. Subscribers will receive each month a first edition, signed by the author, of a newly released hand-selected book that Greenlight feels is both enjoyable and valuable. To mark the launch, Greenlight hosts a discussion of the value of physical books with several experts on the subject. Erik DuRon is a member of Greenlight’s selection committee and a 13-year veteran manager, bookseller and book-buyer at Bauman Rare Books, the nation's leading dealer in rare and antiquarian books. Heather O'Donnell, an alumni of Bauman’s, recently launched Brooklyn-based Honey & Wax Booksellers, dealing in rare books in literature and the arts. Emily Russo is the chair of the Greenlight First Editions Club selection committee and a veteran of the stellar First Editions Club at Odyssey Bookshop in Massachusetts. John Freeman is the editor of Granta magazine and former president of the National Book Critics Circle, as well as the author of The Tyranny of Email. A champagne reception will follow the discussion, during which questions may be answered and subscriptions purchased.
