A Brooklyn Life

Sometimes the enthusiasm that flows from borough president Marty Markowitz’s office can be a let-down. I mean, not everything can be great about Brooklyn, right?

And so it was with a little initial skepticism that I responded to the announcement of the first ever Brooklyn Book Festival, to be held at Borough Hall Plaza on 16 September. At the kick-off party in May there were plenty of speeches and hand claps and those mini ham sandwiches, but no Web site to speak of and the staff seemed at times as confused as I was as to why we were all assembled.

But four months later, the line-up for this Saturday’s festival looks smart, impressive, and fun. More than just readings, there are performances, lectures, and lots of vendors on tap. I’ll be out of town this weekend and am disappointed to miss out on the chance to listen to some of my favorite authors (hello, Patrick McDonnell) talk about what they love–something that I love too.

Below, the official Subway Reads suggested itinerary:

for the kids: 10 a.m. Andrea Fixell and Ted Stafford
get babies and children singing, dancing, and laughing with silly/fun
songs that teach them American Sign Language. Authors of Baby Signing: How to Talk with Your Baby in American Sign Language.*

10 a.m. Truth from Youth. New York City’s top teen poets from
UrbanWord NYC, a free literary arts organization for youth. A program
filled with poetry, spoken word, and hip-hop.

11 a.m. Under One Brooklyn Roof: Carson McCullers, Gypsy Rose
Lee, and W. H. Auden. Actors from Troupe Theater Company and author
Sherill Tippins (February House) read from the work of authors who lived at the famed Middagh Street house in Brooklyn Heights

11:30 a.m  Gleason’s Gym Presents: Million-Dollar Ladies. Boxing demonstration and book signing of Gleason’s Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women.

12:00 p.m. Superborough: Brooklyn’s Indelible Stamp on Comic
Book History. A panel of five creators, publishers and critics discuss
the borough’s crucial role in the past, present, and future of comic
books. Panelists include Simcha Weinstein (Up, Up and Oy Vey!), Matt Madden (A Fine Mess), Chris Claremont (The Uncanny X-Men), and Floyd Hughes (Marvel Comics Presents).

1:00 p.m. Brooklyn Philharmonic. Maurice Edwards will read from his recent book on the history of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, “How Music Grew in Brooklyn.” Philharmonic musicians will perform.

1:30 p.m. Dirty Secrets: A Literary Investigation of Rats & Garbage. Featuring reads/presentations by Robert Sullivan (Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants) and Elizabeth Royte (Garbageland).

2:00 p.m. New World Noir. Gritty suspense provided by mystery titan Lawrence Block, Brooklyn Noir editor Tim McLoughlin (Heart of the Old Country), and author Glenville Lovell (Too Beautiful to Die).

3:00 p.m. Only the Dead Know Brooklyn. Actors will read
passages from legendary Brooklyn authors as a celebration of the
borough’s literary history.

5:00 p.m. Secrets of the Street. Readings from the winners of
the Brooklyn Secrets of the Street Lit Match, a writing contest for
students ages 14 – 19. Hosted by Jeanine Ramirez, NY 1, with a special
reading by Ken Siegelman, Brooklyn Poet Laureate.

*I worked with Andrea and Ted on their book, which is not only
ridiculously adorable (and would make a great gift for all the new
parents in the neighborhood) but also fun, easy-to-use, and will
hopefully help parents and toddlers communicate better, at younger
ages. This means fewer screaming babies in public, which is a good
thing for all of us. Check it out!