this week in literature

GRANTA 116: TEN YEARS LATER

Tuesday, September 6, Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. at Lexington Ave., free, 212-369-2180, 7:00
Wednesday, September 7, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, 2920 Broadway, free, 5:00
Thursday, September 8, McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St. between Lafayette & Mulberry Sts., free, 212-274-1160, 7:00
Friday, September 9, BookCourt, 163 Court St.
Sunday, September 18, Brooklyn Book Festival, Borough Hall Community Room, free, 10:00 am
www.granta.com

For more than thirty years, UK publisher Granta has been putting out a quarterly trade-paperback-size magazine featuring articles, essays, poems, short stories, and novel excerpts by an international collection of writers on such themes as travel, home, film, aliens, sex, and nature. They often get political, as in such issues as “The Rise of the British Jihad,” “Over There: How America Sees the World,” and “While Waiting for a War.” In their latest publication, Granta 116: Ten Years Later (Grove Press, $16.99), they have put together sixteen stories dealing with the aftereffects of 9/11, with pieces by award-winning authors Pico Iyer and Nicole Krauss, former Guantanamo prisoner Ahmed Errachidi, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Phil Klay, foreign correspondents Anthony Shadid and Declan Walsh, photojournalist Elliott Woods, and translator Linda Coverdale, among others, writing about life around the world since the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Granta will be holding a series of special free events this month in conjunction with the publication of the new issue and the tenth anniversary of 9/11, beginning tonight with “The Fireman’s Family and the Soldier,” a reading and discussion at the 86th St. Barnes & Noble hosted by Peter Carey, executive director of Hunter College’s creative writing MFA program, who will introduce two of his students, Klay and Samantha Smith. On September 7, Granta teams up with Voices of Witness and the South Asian Journalists Association for “Islamophobia, the Media, and Echoes of 9/11” at the Columbia School of Journalism, with Granta 116 contributor and law professor Lawrence Joseph, journalist Todd Gitlin, civil rights attorney Alia Malek, and Granta editor John Freeman. On September 9, Granta 116 contributors Klay, Joseph, Krauss, and Jynne Martin will be at BookCourt with Freeman for the official Brooklyn launch of the new issue. Freeman will be back in Brooklyn on September 18 for the Brooklyn Book Festival, when he will be joined by Madison Smartt Bell, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, and others for the program “Conflict, Trauma and Writing: How We Tell Stories After a Crisis.”

BOOK GIVEAWAY: ZAGAT GUIDES

ZAGAT SPECIALTY GUIDES
www.zagat.com

Tim and Nina Zagat have been facilitating the evaluation of New York City restaurants since 1979, first taking surveys of their friends’ likes and dislikes, then inviting the public to contribute their thoughts in the beloved Zagat guides. They’ve since branched out into other cities as well as specialty guides, including hotels, golf courses, and “dating (& dumping).” The company has just released New York City Nightlife 2011/12: Because It’s Always Happy Hour Somewhere, which examines more than one thousand bars, clubs, and lounges by appeal, décor, service, and price, and New York City Shopping 2012: From the Shopper’s Point of View, which rates more than twenty-three hundred retail stores by quality, display, service, and cost.

GIVEAWAY: We have one copy of each guide to give away for free. To be eligible to win, send your name, daytime phone number, and which guide you’d like to contest@twi-ny.com by Thursday, August 25, at 3:00 pm. If you want New York City Shopping, please include your favorite store, while if you want New York City Nightlife, please let us know your favorite bar or club. All entrants must be twenty-one years of age or older; winners will be selected at random.

HENRY V

Princess Katherine (Fedna Jacquet) and King Henry V (Ty Jones) are brought together in the shadow of war (photo by Ruth Sovronsky)

Classical Theatre of Harlem
Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial Center
3940 Broadway at 165th St.
Wednesday – Sunday through September 4, $20-$48
SummerStage: August 29, East River Park, free, 8:00 (August 27-28 canceled because of weather)
www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org
www.summerstage.org

Henry V is just the right play for the Classical Theatre of Harlem to take on as its first full-scale production since the November 2009 departure of the company’s founders, artistic director Alfred Preisser and executive director Christopher McElroen. Under new producing director Ty Jones, CTH, which was founded in 1999 with a mission to bring high-quality, professional theater to the Harlem community, faces an uphill (primarily financial) battle that in some ways is echoed by Shakespeare’s history play, in which the far-outnumbered English army prepares to fight French forces in the 1415 Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War. Jones, who won an OBIE for his performance in CTH’s The Blacks: A Clown Show, stars as King Henry, who has grown up since his days as Prince Hal. Now a firm, stalwart leader, the king is developing a confidence that rallies those around him, particularly after he deals with a trio of traitors and later gives one of the greatest locker-room talks ever, the St. Crispin’s Day Speech.

Directed by Jenny Bennett, this ninety-minute Henry V makes the audience, which is seated on three sides around the center of the action, feel like it’s part of the play. The actors, who are on floor level, regularly make solid eye contact with the audience, and they continually enter and exit up and down the aisles. There is actually a preshow choreographed number in which the performers sing and dance the rules of the house, building an intimate community right from the start. Rachel Dozier-Ezell’s costumes are a stylish mix of Mad Max and the Warriors, with lots of torn leather and chains, while Anka Lupes’s set design features an assembly of girders on which the characters often congregate. The acting ranges from solid to amateurish to scenery chewing; the highlights include the aforementioned St. Crispin’s speech (which could double as a dramatic pep talk to the theater company itself from its new producing director) and Carine Montbertrand’s expository tour de force as the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the comic relief offered by Nym and Pistol falls flat, and it is sometimes difficult to hear the dialogue when an actor is standing with their back directly to you. The battle scene is wonderfully choreographed as an exciting dance piece with the actors throwing forth red ribbons that represent bloody swords. All in all, Henry V signals a terrific start to the next generation of the Classical Theatre of Harlem. The play runs through September 4 at the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial Center, located within the historic Audubon Ballroom; there will also be a free outdoor 8:00 performance August 29 in East River Park on the Lower East Side as part of the annual SummerStage program. (The August 27-28 shows have been canceled because of Hurricane Irene.)

HILARIOUS HAIKU FOR BROOKLYN / SPIRITED AWAY

All sorts of folk will be heading into Brooklyn for humorous haiku and the Miyazaki classic SPIRITED AWAY

SPIRITED AWAY (SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI) (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
Leon S. Kaiser Park
2401 Neptune Ave. at West 27th St.
Friday, August 12, free, 7:00
718-907-0709
www.nausicaa.net
www.nycgovparks.org

Prepare to have your spirits lifted up and away in this sensational animated feature from Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki, who made one of our all-time faves, 1992’s Porco Rosso (Kurenai No Buta). Ten-year-old Chihiro is unhappy about moving to a new home despite her parents’ best efforts to convince her otherwise. When her father takes a wrong turn on the road, the family ends up in an oddly deserted village that Chihiro soon finds out is a lot more than it seems. Chihiro’s adventures through this dreamlike, surreal, magical place filled with bizarre characters and evil beings are unforgettable, with nuances and references from such diverse works as The Wizard Of Oz and The Seventh Seal. The sheer visual beauty of the animation is staggering; many of the backgrounds are reminiscent of Impressionism. The film includes the voice talents of Daveigh Chase (Chihiro), Jason Marsden (Haku), Susan Egan (Lin), Michael Chiklis (Chihiro’s father), Lauren Holly (Chihiro’s mother), Suzanne Pleshette (Yubaba and Zeniba), John Ratzenberger (assistant manager), David Ogden Stiers (Kamaji), and Tara Strong (baby Boh). Joe Hisaishi’s maudlin music is way overpraised, as usual, but this Japanese box-office champ deservedly won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and was named Best Asian Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Spirited Away is screening August 12 at Mark Twain Circle in Leon S. Kaiser Park on Gravesend Bay, where it will be preceded by “Hilarious Haiku for Brooklyn,” spoken-word poetry presented by Staten Island OutLOUD.

TWI-NY TALK: MINGMEI YIP

Artist, musician, storyteller, teacher, calligrapher, and novelist Mingmei Yip will help MOCA celebrate Dragon Boat Festival Family Day on July 31

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL FAMILY DAY
Museum of Chinese in America
215 Centre St. between Howard & Grand Sts.
Sunday, July 31, $10, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
212-619-4785
www.mocanyc.org
www.mingmeiyip.com

Mingmei Yip’s given name means “bright and beautiful,” and it couldn’t be more appropriate for the vivacious, extremely intelligent, utterly engaging Chinese-born multidisciplinary artist, who earned her PhD from the Sorbonne and has lived in New York City since 1992. Mingmei is a journalist, lecturer, tai chi teacher, illustrator, calligrapher, painter, children’s book author, and novelist, having published three well-received tales of historical fiction, Song of the Silk Road, Peach Blossom Pavilion, and Petals from the Sky.

On Sunday, July 31, at 12 noon she’ll be at the Museum of Chinese in America for the second annual Dragon Boat Festival Family Day, telling stories and playing the traditional qin. The celebration will also include a poetry workshop with author Janet Wong, gallery tours, arts & crafts, and much more. Hard at work on her next novel, Mingmei discussed her career and dragon boats with twi-ny.

twi-ny: You have been at the Museum of Chinese in Americas for many events, at both the old and the new venues. What are your impressions of the museum’s new space on Centre St.?

Mingmei Yip: I like the new place! It is very spacious for people to look around, especially the area where they display the books and the permanent exhibition. There are also large rooms for different kinds of events, such as the calligraphy workshop I did earlier this year.

twi-ny: You are a multidisciplinary artist with a wide range of talents. How did you develop such a diverse group of interests?

MY: I am very grateful to my parents — who are unfortunately no longer in this life — who sent me to take painting and music lessons at a very young age. Unlike some children who hate to practice the piano, I loved it! Later, my love of music led me to take up an ancient Chinese stringed instrument called the qin, on which I now perform professionally. I was recently invited by Carnegie Hall to play at its Ancient Paths, Modern Voices Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture. My next concert will be at Smith College on August 8. I am also doing a few storytelling events and calligraphy workshops for children.

twi-ny: Do you get different kinds of satisfactions from each artistic discipline?

MY: I do get different kinds of satisfaction from each of my artistic activities. Now my focus is on writing my novels. My third, Song of the Silk Road, just came out. It is an adventure and love story set along China’s most fabled route with the lure of a three million dollar reward.

The bright and beautiful Mingmei Yip lives up to her name in many ways

twi-ny: Might you be able to share any details with us about your next book?

MY: My next novel is The Skeleton Women, set in the thirties in Shanghai — the same era as my first novel, Peach Blossom Pavilion — to be published by Kensington Books in 2012. In China, femme fatales were known as skeleton women because their charm and scheme could reduce a man to a skeleton. For a susceptible man, the change from mansion to homelessness could happen in the blink of a mascaraed eye. In The Skeleton Women, the protagonist is known as a nightclub singer but is actually a spy for a powerful gangster organization trying to topple a rival gang!

twi-ny: Your novels touch on the changing sociocultural landscape of China on a very personal level. You were born in China; do you ever go back? What do you see as some of the positive changes occurring in China today, and what are some of the negatives?

MY: I go back to China very often, mainly to do research for my future novels or to play at qin events. I’m very glad to see that as China modernizes, things are clean and convenient. However, I am less happy to see the big cities occupied by foreign chains like McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and expensive designer boutiques.

twi-ny: You will be performing as part of MOCA’s Dragon Boat Festival Family Day. Does the Dragon Boat Festival hold any personal memories for you?

MY: The Dragon Boat Festival is to honor Qu Yuan, the patriotic poet. But what I remember from childhood is the tasty dumplings and exciting Dragon Boat races!

CHELSEA ART WALK 2011

Bernardi Roig will help light up the night at Claire Olive as Chelsea opens its galleries late on Thursday, with many special events (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Multiple locations in Chelsea
Thursday, July 28, free, 5:00 – 8:00
www.artwalkchelsea.com

Tonight dozens of Chelsea galleries will stay open late, with many featuring artist and curator talks, exhibition walk-throughs, film screenings, live performances, and other special events. Scott Ogden will guide visitors through his “Twisted” show at Ricco Maresca, Faith Ringgold will be signing books at ACA Galleries, Claire Oliver will host an opening reception for “The Devil Can Cite Scripture” (with works by Judith Schaechter and Bernardi Roig), Porter/Contemporary lets visitors get in the picture for “A Polaroid Moment Within a Portrait Apart” with Jeff Ballinger, Horton Gallery will screen Miroslav Tichý: Tarzan Retired, and Mark Wagner will cut up dollar bills and give the pieces away at Pavel Zoubok. You can also play Ping-Pong at Nicholas Robinson, get shaved ice at Jenkins Johnson, and check out concerts by Autodrone at Monya Rowe, Genevieve White at Freight + Volume, and an acoustic show at RARE from a mystery group, among myriad other activities. A two-sided guide to the second annual Chelsea Art Walk can be found here.

SEX AND TRAVEL NIGHT

A scale-model replica of King Edward VII’s sex chair will be on view during special free event at Museum of Sex

Museum of Sex
233 Fifth Ave. at 27th St.
Tuesday, July 26, free, 7:00
212-689-6337
www.museumofsex.com

“Love was immediately associated with travel,” Elisabeth Eaves writes in Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents (Seal, May 2011, $16.95), remembering a long-distance college romance. Her memoir follows her from New Guinea to Cairo and beyond. In The Sinner’s Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe (Broadway, May 2011, $15), Tony Perrottet limits his sexually inspired travels to a single continent: “The British Museum was only the first stop in a personal Grand Tour I’d planned across Europe, in search of forbidden historical fruit,” he explains. “Today, the entire continent is still littered with secret boudoirs, perverse relics, and ancient dungeons, many of which, I was convinced, could be found.” Eaves’s and Perrottet’s dual journeys will bring them together July 26 for “Sex and Travel Night” at the Museum of Sex, where they will read from their books and discuss the intersection between lust and travel in the institution’s OralFix bar, where the audience can partake in such aphrodisiac cocktails as the Aphrodite (good for potency and lust), the Golden Blossom (endurance and longevity), and the Lucky Devil (excitement and joy), as well as a specially devised elixir created for the event. Among the items on view will be a playful scale-model replica of King Edward VII’s sex chair.