this week in literature

THE L.E.S. WAS THEIRS: RAYYA ELIAS AND BRENDAN JAY SULLIVAN REMEMBER THE ’80s AND THE AUGHTS

Bedford + Bowery Newsroom
155 Grand St. off Bedford Ave., Brooklyn
Friday, October 11, free, 7:00
www.facebook.com/events

Two very different Lower East Side decades come to Brooklyn on October 11 for the special literary event “The L.E.S. Was Theirs: Rayya Elias and Brendan Jay Sullivan Remember the ’80s and the Aughts.” In Harley Loco: A Memoir of Hard Living, Hair, and Post-Punk, from the Middle East to the Lower East Side (Viking, April 2013, $27.95), writer, musician, and hair stylist Rayya Elias bravely shares her dramatic story of sex, drugs, and rock and roll in the 1980s, a time she readily admits she was extremely fortunate to have survived. In Rivington Was Ours: Lady Gaga, the Lower East Side, and the Prime of Our Lives (It Books, August 2013, $16.99), writer, producer, and deejay Brendan Jay Sullivan details the year he spent with go-go dancer Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, soon to become much better known as Lady Gaga. Elias and Sullivan will read from their books and discuss the changing downtown scene on Friday night at the Bedford + Bowery Newsroom on Grand St. in Brooklyn.

NEW YORK COMIC CON

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny will talk X-FILES and take pictures with fans at New York Comic Con

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th St. (11th Ave. between 34th & 39th Sts.)
October 10-13, $30-$50 per day, four-day pass $85
www.newyorkcomiccon.com

New York Comic Con continues its exponential growth this year by focusing on the small screen more than ever. The eighth edition, taking place October 10-13 at the Javits Center, includes presentations on a wide range of television programs, including Game of Thrones, Haven, Falling Skies, The Following, The Walking Dead, Robot Chicken, Archer, Bob’s Burgers, Doctor Who, Teen Wolf, Futurescape with James Woods, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Person of Interest, Sleepy Hollow, The League, and others, with the shows’ stars, writers, and producers on hand for screenings, discussions, and Q&As, all free with the price of admission. There are lots of autograph sessions and photo ops as well, but some of them will cost you a pretty penny; it’s $220 to get your picture taken with Patrick Stewart and William Shatner together, or with Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, who will be talking up The X-Files on Sunday afternoon. Below are our recommendations for this year’s convention; please note that many of the guests will be signing autographs on multiple days.

Thursday, October 10
Autographing Highlights: Zoë Bell, Marissa Jade, Miss Zukie, Kathy Najimi, Joe Quinones, Greg Pack, Greg Rucka, Jamie Tyndall

Women in Comics, with Claudia McGivney, Megan Kociolek, Amy Chu, Becky Cloonan, Emily Weisenstein, Erica Schultz, and Laura Pope-Robbins, 1A15, 3:15

Welcome to the Brass Screen: Steampunk TV and Film, with Bruce Boxleitner, Matt James Daley, Thom Truelove, Trevor Crafts, and Leanna Renee Hieber, moderated by Diana Pho, 1A17, 3:45

Bill Plympton’s Cheatin’ & Kickstarter, with Adam Rackoff, James Hancock, and Bill Plympton, 1A08, 4:15

Carmine Infantino: A VisualLecture Retrospective, with Arlen Schumer, 1A08, 6:45

NYCC Thursday Night Kickoff with Comedy Mutant, featuring Brian Posehn, Janeane Garofalo, Mike Drucker, and Myq Kaplan, Main stage 1-D, 8:00

Friday, October 11
Autographing Highlights: Kristin Bauer, Andrea Cremer, Mick Foley, Joel Grey, Dean Haspiel, Darlene Love, Greg Pak, Raphael Sbarge, Stuart Moore, Veronica Taylor

Hatsune Miku Live Party 2013 in Kansai Special Film Concert at NYCC, 1A23, 11:15 am

He’s Back! Celebrate Chucky’s 25th Anniversary with the Creators & Cast, with Brad Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Don Mancini, Fiona Dourif, Harry Knowles, and Jennifer Tilly, Main Stage 1-D, 12:15

Game of Thrones with Jerome Flynn, 1A23, 12:30

B. J. Novak’s One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, with B. J. Novak and Lev Grossman, 1A22, 1:30

Will.i.am’s Wizards and Robots, with will.i.am, 1A23, 1:45

The Walking Dead 10th Anniversary Panel,” with Charlie Adlard and Robert Kirkman, Empire Stage 1-E, 2:45

[Adult Swim] Presents Robot Chicken, with Breckin Meyer, Clare Grant, Keith Crofford, Matthew Senreich, and Seth Green, Main Stage 1-D, 5:00

Oldboy, with Mark Protosevich, Michael Imperioli, and Pom Klementieff, Main Stage 1-D, 6:00

Spotlight on the Fifth Beatle: The Story of Brian Epstein, with Bruce Cohen, Dave Marsh, David Kahne, Vivek J. Tiwary, and Andrew C. Robinson, 1A01, 6:30

The Cyanide and Happiness Show! with Dave McElfatrick, Kris Wilson, and Shawn Coss, 1A10, 8:00

William Shatner and Patrick Stewart will be together again at New York Comic Con

Saturday, October 12
Autographing Highlights: Gillian Anderson, Julie Benz, Bruce Boxleitner, David Duchovny, Boomer Esiason, Hulk Hogan, Jerry “the King” Lawler, Stan Lee, Andrew McCarthy, William Shatner, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Billy West

Archer Discussion and Q&A, with Adam Reed, Aisha Tyler, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, H. Jon Benjamin, Jessica Walter, Judy Greer, and Lucky Yates, Main Stage 1-D, 11:00 am

Fifty Years of Doctor Who, with Barnaby Edwards, Deborah Stanish, Graeme Burk, JK Woodward, Ken Deep, Robert Smith (TBC), and Andre Tessier, 1A23, 11:15

Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski, with J. Michael Straczynski, 1A14, 12:15

IFC’s Back to Back Comedy Event: Comedy Bang! Bang! and The Birthday Boys, with members of the Birthday Boys, Reggie Watts, and Scott Aukerman, 1A06, 2:30

Beauty and the Beast Screening and Fan Q&A, with Jay Ryan, Kristin Kreuk, and Matt Mitovich, Main Stage 1-D, 3:45

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Jeph Loeb, Main Stage 1-D, 5:00

Showrunners, with Des Doyle, Greg Plageman, Ronald D. Moore, Ryan Patrick McGuffey, and Terence Winter, moderated by Tara DiLullo Bennett, 1A23, 5:30

AMC’s The Walking Dead, with Andrew Lincoln, Chad Coleman, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Norman Reedus, and Steven Yeun, moderated by Debra Birnbaum, Main Stage 1-D, 6:30

Wikia (Live) Cosplay Contest, 1A06, 8:30

Sunday, October 13
Autographing Highlights: John Barrowman, Anthony Daniels, Chip Kidd, Gareth David-Lloyd, Simon Fraser, Andrew McCarthy, William Shatner, Gary Sohmers, Patrick Stewart

Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio, 1A06, 10:45 am

Defiance: A New Earth — with New Rules, with Grant Bowler, Jaime Murray, Julie Benz, Michael Nankin, and Stephanie Leonidas, Main Stage 1-D, 11:00

Person of Interest Special Video Presentation and Q&A, with Amy Acker, Greg Plageman, Kevin Chapman, Sarah Shahi, and Taraji P. Henson, Empire Stage 1-E, 12:15

The Following Special Video Presentation and Q&A, with Connie Nielsen, James Purefoy, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Williamson, Marcos Siega, Shawn Ashmore, and Valorie Curry, Empire Stage 1-E, 1:30

Chozen Screening and Q&A, with Bobby Moynihan, Grant Dekernion, Hannibal Buress, Method Man, and Tom Brady, Main Stage 1-D, 1:30

The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, with J. W. Rinzler and Jason Fry, 1A23, 2:45

William Shatner Q&A, 1A22, 3:45

Gillian Anderson & David Duchovny Talk X-Files, Main Stage 1-D, 4:00

FIRST SATURDAYS: ¡VIVA BROOKLYN!

José Campeche, “Doña María de los Dolores Gutiérrez del Mazo y Pérez,” oil on canvas, circa 1796

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at Washington St.
Saturday, March 3, free, 5:00 – 11:00 (some events require free tickets distributed in advance at the Visitor Center)
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org

After taking September off for the annual West Indian festivities over Labor Day Weekend, the Brooklyn Museum’s free First Saturdays program returns October 5 with ¡Viva Brooklyn!, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The evening will feature live performances by trombonist Chris Washburne and SYOTOS, Sofía Rei, and Cumbiagra; Richard Aste will give a curator talk on “Behind Closed Doors: Art in the Spanish American Home, 1492–1898”; there will be a screening of Icíar Bollaín’s 2010 film, También La Lluvia, which deals with Christopher Columbus and the local water supply; an art workshop will teach attendees how to make a home medallion using metal tooling; Marymount Manhattan College’s Blanca E. Vega will lead a talk and audience Q&A with writers about contemporary Latino literature; scenes from the moving play La Ruta, which deals with illegal immigration, will be read, followed by a discussion; the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company will host a participatory workshop; pop-up gallery talks will explore “American Identities: A New Look”; El Puente will present a social justice forum with community activists; and Las Comadres Para Las Americas founder and CEO Nora de Hoyos Comstock and a panel of writers will discuss Count on Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships. In addition, the galleries will be open late, giving visitors plenty of opportunity to check out “Valerie Hegarty: Alternative Histories,” “Käthe Kollwitz: Prints from the ‘War’ and ‘Death’ Portfolios,” “Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt,” “Life, Death, and Transformation in the Americas,” “Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn,” and other exhibits.

ATLANTIC ANTIC 2013

A huge crowd is expected at the annual Atlantic Antic festival, which this year honors Marty Markowitz

Atlantic Ave. between Hicks St. & Fourth Ave.
Sunday, September 29, free, 12 noon – 6:00 pm
www.atlanticave.org

The centerpiece of the thirty-eighth annual Atlantic Antic, a free festival of food, music, games, family-friendly activities, and more taking place Sunday, September 29, along Atlantic Ave., is a public farewell to outgoing borough president Marty Markowitz, who will be crowned honorary King of Brooklyn. More than a million visitors are expected for the party, which includes live performances indoors and outdoors, with the Windsor Terrors, the Black Coffee Blues Band, Strictly Belly Dancing, Les Sans Culottes, Liam the Magician, a domino tournament, Rolie Polie Guacamole, DJ Hard Hittin Harry, a book signing and reading by Melanie Hope Greenberg, teen jazz duo Octave Higher, Brandi and the Alexanders, Boricua Betty, the Get It, Junior Rivera and Son de Caney, the Dysfunctional Family Jazz Band, and many others. Among the participating establishments are the Chip Shop, the Waterfront Ale House, the Brazen Head, Pacheco & Lugo, Khamit Kinks, Last Exit, Gumbo, and Hank’s Saloon, and there will be local booths galore selling all kinds of items you won’t find at standard street fairs. And for the twentieth year, the New York Transit Museum is hosting the Bus Festival on Boerum Pl. between State St. & Atlantic Ave., featuring vintage buses, workshops, free tours, and other fun things, with admission to the museum only one dollar.

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL 2013

Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza (and other venues)
209 Joralemon St.
Sunday, September 22, free, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
www.brooklynbookfestival.org

The eighth annual Brooklyn Book Festival arrives in the world’s best borough September 22 with more than a hundred panel discussions, readings, signings, live performances, workshops, and other special literary events. Below are our can’t-miss picks for a festival that is growing in popularity every year; among the myriad other participants are Sonia Sanchez, Hilton Als, Edwidge Danticat, Pete Hamill, Meg Wolitzer, Claire Messud, Colum McCann, Francesca Lia Block, David Levithan, William C. Rhoden, Touré, Alan Light, Katherine Applegate, Phillip Lopate, Jane Friedman, Jonathan Ames, Sapphire, Tao Lin, Francine Prose, Leonard Lopate, Nicholson Baker, Ben Katchor, Anders Nilsen, A. M. Homes, Meg Cabot, Rebecca Miller, Lemon Andersen, Quincy Troupe, Katherine Applegate, and Donald and Nina Crews.

10:00 am, “Love to Laugh? Loud and Long and Clear?,” with Jeff Smith, Sherri Winston, and Michael Buckley moderated by Eric Luper, Youth Stoop, Borough Hall Plaza / Columbus Park

11:00 am, “Who? New!,” with debut novelists A. X. Ahmad, Caleb Crain, Ursula DeYoung, Michele Forbes, and Ayana Mathis, Borough Hall Courtroom

12 noon, “The World (According to Cartoonists): Border Crossing Comics,” with Adrian Tomine, Rutu Modan, Dash Shaw, and David Prudhomme, moderated by Kent Worcester, St. Francis Auditorium

1:00, “Sin City,” with K’wan Foye, Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, Ivy Pochoda, and Miasha, moderated by S. J. Rozan, Borough Hall Courtroom

2:00, “Love, Villainy, Ethics, and Karaoke: Chuck Klosterman and Rob Sheffield in Conversation,” moderated by Ed Park, Borough Hall Plaza Main Stage

3:00, “The Secret Lives of Girls,” with Lauren Myracle, Meg Cabot, and Sharon M. Draper, moderated by Mitali Dave, Youth Stoop, Borough Hall Plaza / Columbus Park

4:00, “Art Spiegelman and Jules Feiffer in Conversation,” moderated by Benjamen Walker, St. Francis Auditorium

5:00, “Let’s Talk About (Writing) Sex,” with Sam Lipsyte, Amy Grace Loyd, and Susan Choi, moderated by Angela Ledgerwood, Borough Hall Plaza Main Stage

MIXER READING AND MUSIC SERIES: LUCY CORIN, ALINA SIMONE, AND RAYYA ELIAS

Rayya Elias will read from her memoir and play a twenty-minute set at free Mixer series at Cake Shop on September 18 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Cake Shop
152 Ludlow St.
Wednesday, September 18, free, 7:00
212-253-0036
www.cake-shop.com

Hosts Melissa Febos and Rebecca Keith have put together another eclectic collection of writers for this month’s edition of the Mixer Reading and Music Series, taking place September 18 at 7:00 at Cake Shop. Lucy Corin will be reading from her new collection, One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses (McSweeney’s, August 2013), Alina Simone will share parts of her latest novel, Note to Self (Faber & Faber, June 2013), and Rayya Elias will be delving into her debut, Harley Loco: A Memoir of Hard Living, Hair, and Post-Punk from the Middle East to the Lower East Side (Viking, April 2013). In addition, Elias, who has been a hair stylist to the stars, a punk rocker, a homeless woman, a drug addict, and an incarcerated prisoner during her remarkable life, will be playing a twenty-minute set of songs that serve as the soundtrack to her book.

FIAF FALL FSTVL: CROSSING THE LINE

Eliane Radigue and Xavier Veilhan’s SYSTEMA OCCAM kicks off FIAF’s seventh annual Crossing the Line festival

French Institute Alliance Française and other locations
Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th St. between Madison & Park Aves.
Le Skyroom and FIAF Gallery, 22 East 60th St. between Madison & Park Aves.
September 19 – October 13, free – $30
212-355-6160
www.fiaf.org

Curators Lili Chopra, Simon Dove, and Gideon Lester have once again put together an impressive, wide-ranging program for the Crossing the Line festival, now in its seventh year. Sponsored by the French Institute Alliance Française and taking place there as well as at other venues around the city, CTL features cutting-edge art, dance, music, theater, discussion, and more from an international collection of multidisciplinary performers, with many events free and nothing costing more than $30. The twenty-five-day festival begins September 19 with electronic music composer Eliane Radigue and artist Xavier Veilhan collaborating on Systema Occam (Florence Gould Hall, $30), a multimedia performance installation that is part of CTL’s “New Settings” series, a joint venture with Hermès; the fashion company will be hosting Martine Fougeron’s “Teen Tribe” photo exhibition at the Gallery at Hermès from September 20 to November 8. In Capitalism Works for Me! True/False (September 20, October 6-9, free), Steve Lambert will keep score in Times Square as people vote on whether capitalism indeed works for them. The award-winning Nature Theater of Oklahoma presents episodes 4.5 and 5 at FIAF of their massive undertaking, Life and Times (September 20-21, $30), accompanied by the FIAF Gallery show “10fps,” consisting of 1,343 hand-colored drawings (September 21 – November 2, free). For “The Library,” Fanny de Chaillé invites people to FIAF’s Haskell Library on September 24 and 26 and the NYPL’s Jefferson Market Branch on September 27 (free), where they can choose books that are actually men and women who will share their stories verbally one on one.

Boyzie Cekwana and Panaibra Canda look at postcolonial Africa in THE INKOMATI (DIS)CORD

In The Inkomati (dis)cord (September 25-26, New York Live Arts, $20), Boyzie Cekwana and Panaibra Canda use contemporary dance to examine postcolonial Africa. De Chaillé teams up with Philippe Ramette for Passage à l’acte / Acting Out (September 26-28, Invisible Dog, $30), using absurdist human sculpture to “rationalize the irrational.” Dancer and choreographer Nora Chipaumire will perform the CTL-commissioned solo piece rite riot (October 3-5, Le Skyroom, $30), exploring African stereotypes, collaborating with writer Teju Cole and visual artist Wangechi Mutu. Pascal Rembert’s large-scale A (micro) history of world economics, danced (October 11-13, La MaMa, $20) features New Yorkers discussing how the financial crisis impacted their lives. The festival also includes works by Annie Dorsen, Ernesto Pujol and Carol Becker, Bouchra Ouizguen, Tim Etchells, and Kyle deCamp and Joshua Thorson, in addition to a series of talks and conversations.