The Lit List! 6/10–6/16

The Lit List is a sometimes-weekly compendium of New York’s finest literary events and readings. All events are 100% free unless stated otherwise. Something you think we should know about? Email dish@electricliterature.com

Monday, June 10

Tonight is a big night for literary events!

At Franklin Park in Crown Heights, Penina Roth & crew team up with PEN American Center to bring you Edwidge Danticat, Matt Bell, Amy Brill, and Matthew Aaron Goodman. $4 draft beers! Party! It starts at 8 PM.

For you Manhattanites who don’t want to cross the water, you can swing by McNally Jackson Books to see Elliott Holt and Marie-Helene Bertino talk about, uh, books, at the Literary BFFs series, hosted by Largehearted Boy’s David Gutowski. 7PM.

Or there’s “The Recital” at Housing Works, where Maris Kreizman is going to let a bunch of people talk about nature, sex, or both. 7 PM.

Tuesday, June 11

Catch some non-fiction action at 2A at the Big Umbrella Series, hosted by Emily Wunderlich. Toure, Brendan Jay Sullivan, and Terry Teachout are in tow. Toure wrote a book about Prince, and how he would die for Prince. I think we would all die for Toure dying for Prince. 8PM.

Wednesday, June 12

At WORD in Greenpoint, Gutowski’s other series, Largehearted Lit, will feature Alina Simone and Julia Sarkissian. At this series, there are always pastries. Pastries! 7PM.

At Congregation Beth Elohim, catch Claire Messud in conversation Michael Ravitch talk about (probably) readers shouldn’t want to be friends with most literary characters, and why this is a silly question to ask in an interview. $10 suggested donation, RSVP here.

Thursday, June 13

If you missed Matt Bell at Franklin Park on Monday, you can catch him at Park Slope’s Community Bookstore with Norman Lock. Bell’s new novel sounds pretty amazing, in both the acoustic and qualitative senses. You have probably seen it on your Facebook feed, but I am putting it in here for posterity. IN THE HOUSE UPON THE DIRT BETWEEN THE LAKE AND THE WOODS. Doesn’t that just sound super metal?

McNally Jackson Books is also hosting a crime fiction panel with publishing houses Melville House, Grove Atlantic, Akashic Books, and Europa Editions. 7PM. Bring a fedora.

Friday, June 14

The H.I.P. Reading Series happens tonight at 7PM at The Paper Box in Brooklyn. Some people named Tea Obreht, Jason Porter, and Ayad Akhtar are going to read things they wrote that a lot of people ended up liking. Slice Magazine, and Stonecutter, and Gigantic are also going to show a slideshow of their joint vacation to the Poconos. Facebook here.

Novelist Tom Drury will be at BookCourt in Cobble Hill at 7PM to read from his new novel Pacific. He’ll also answer some questions, breathe in and out, and stand on his legs. Co-presented by A Public Space.

Saturday, June 15

At KGB Bar, NY Tyrant/Tyrant Books throws a launch party for Ken Baumann’s novel Solip. Michael Kimball, Kendra Grant Malone, and Michael Savoca will be in tow. Last time I was there, the bartender was playing Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak, and I embarrassed myself by playing air guitar to this song. 7 PM.

Sunday, June 16

The highest of high holy days for the literary universe — Bloomsday!! To celebrate, the Irish Arts Center and Symphony Space present you “Bloomsday on Broadway,” a marathon performed reading of Mr. Joyce’s little novel. Goes from 7PM to after midnight. Tickets are $25 for non-members. More info here.

Alternatively, if your’e strapped for cash, you might want to drink a lot of Guinness and try to read the “Scylla and Charybdis” episode to yourself and, by the time you’ve processed all that Guinness, re-enact the scene where Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom pee in a garden. You might need a friend for this.