Photo: Angelito Jusay
The Bryant Park Reading Room has announced August’s lineup during a monumental year celebrating Bryant Park’s 30th anniversary. The 2019 African American Literary Award’s Break Out Author Of The Year, LaTonya Yvette, joins this month’s lineup on August 10th with her new children’s book, “The Hair Book,” along with Emily St. John Mandel, who has just been added to Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List, joining on August 3rd to discuss her latest book, “Sea of Tranquility.” Award-winning poetry by established and emerging poets Vievee Francis, Jee Leong Koh, Matthew Olzmann, and Victoria Redel will take place on August 9th at 6pm. The Camp Kids series will take place on Saturdays and Sundays on the Upper Terrace in the park, just behind the New York Public Library, bringing kids fun-filled afternoons.Poetry, BookClub, and Reel Talks also continue this month, along with Non-Fiction, Writers Workshop, and StoryTime with Cali Co Cat - perfect for children and families.
August’s Reading Room series details as well as additional September programs can be found below.
Tuesday, August 2
6pm
Poetry
Judith Baumel, Felice Belle, Philip Brady, Stephen Mills
Hosted by Jason Schneiderman
Wednesday, August 3
10:30am
StoryTime with Cali Co Cat
12:30pm
Author
NYPL & National Book Foundation Present
Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility
Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind
Threa Almontaser, The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems
Hosted by Idra Novey, Poet and Author of Those Who Knew and Ways to Disappear
Produced in partnership with New York Public Library and National Book Foundation
7pm
Non-Fiction
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, The Invention of Power: Popes, Kings, and the Birth of the West
Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society
Thursday, August 4
6:30pm
Writers Workshop
Memoir
With David Seigerman
Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers
Saturday, August 6
Camp Kids
12pm
Magician: Mike Patrick
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Sunday, August 7
Camp Kids
12pm
Magician: Lee Barrett
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Monday, August 8
12:30pm
Reel Talks
Tom Shone, The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan
Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert
Tuesday, August 9
12:30pm
Reel Talks
David Mikics, Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker
Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert
3pm
Classics BookClub
The Sun Also Rises: The Library of America Corrected Text
Hosted by Kelly Coyle-Crivelli, Penguin Random House
Free books while supply lasts
Produced in partnership with Penguin Random House and Library of America
6pm
Poetry
Vievee Francis, Jee Leong Koh, Matthew Olzmann, Victoria Redel
Hosted by Jason Schneiderman
Wednesday, August 10
10:30am
StoryTime with Cali Co Cat
Special Guest LaTonya Yvette, The Hair Book
12:30pm
Author
Literary Fiction
Michelle Herman, Close-Up
Adam Langer, Cyclorama
Ann Leary, The Foundling
Elizabeth Nunez, Now Lila Knows
Hosted by Kathy Curto, Writing Teacher and Author of Not for Nothing
7pm
Non-Fiction
Richard K. Rein, American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte's Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Life
Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society
Thursday, August 11
6:30pm
Writers Workshop
TV Writing
With Laura Cahill
Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers
Saturday, August 13
Camp Kids
12pm
Comic Con Kids
Produced in partnership with Penguin Random House
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Sunday, August 14
Camp Kids
12pm
Magician: Chris Capehart
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Monday, August 15
12:30pm
Reel Talks
William Boyle, Conversation on Brooklyn in Film
Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert
2:00pm
Reel Talks
Megan Abbott, Conversation on Peeping Tom
Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert
Tuesday, August 16
6pm
Poetry
Jameson Fitzpatrick, James Fujinami Moore, John Murillo, Sam Ross
Hosted by Jason Schneiderman
Wednesday, August 17
10:30am
StoryTime with Cali Co Cat
12:30pm
Author
Historical
Addison Armstrong, The War Librarian
Patrice Nganang, A Trail of Crab Tracks
Bill Shaffer, The Scandalous Hamiltons: A Gilded Age Grifter, A Founding Fathers Disgraced Descendant and a Trial at the Dawn of Tabloid Journalism
Alan A. Winter, Sins of the Fathers
7pm
Non-Fiction
Daniel S. Levy, Manhattan Phoenix: The Great Fire of 1835 and the Emergence of Modern New York
Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society
Thursday, August 18
6:30pm
Writers Workshop
Fiction
with Varud Gupta
Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers
Saturday, August 20
Camp Kids
12pm
StoryTime with Cali Co Cat
featuring Actor Julio Torres, I Want to Be a Vase
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Sunday, August 21
Camp Kids
12pm
Ben Bryden and The Redbirds
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Monday, August 22
12:30pm
Reel Talks
Alex Segura, Conversation on Batman Films: From Michael Keaton through Robert Pattinson
Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert
Tuesday, August 23
3pm
Graphic Novel BookClub
Captain America
Alex Zalben, Host, Comic Book Club - Live! Podcast
Hosted by Kelly Coyle-Crivelli, Penguin Random House
Free books while supply lasts
Produced in partnership with Penguin Random House
6pm
Poetry
Peter Coyote, Kate Gale, Tawanda Mulalu, Tom Sleigh
Hosted by Jason Schneiderman
Wednesday, August 24
10:30am
StoryTime with Cali Co Cat
12:30pm
Author
Dog-Day Suspense
Cate Holahan, The Darkness of Others
Kathleen Marple Kalb, A Fatal Overture
Casey Sherman, Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod
Niko Wolf, Birthday Girl
Hosted by Ilana Levine, Actress and Podcaster of Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine
7pm
Non-Fiction
Nancy Foner, One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America
Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society
Thursday, August 25
6:30pm
Writers Workshop
Character
with Alexander Steele
Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers
Saturday, August 27
Camp Kids
12pm
Hopalong Andrew
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Sunday, August 28
Camp Kids
12pm
Erin Lee and the Up Past Bedtime Band
Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz
Tuesday, August 30
6pm
Poetry
Carly Joy Miller, Diannely Antigua, Brionne Janae, Tommye Blount
Hosted by Nathan McClain
Wednesday, August 31
10:30am
StoryTime with Cali Co Cat
12:30pm
Author
UnSlushed!
A panel of Editors meet and vie for manuscripts by formally rejected authors. You help decide.
7pm
Non-Fiction
Lucy Sante, Nineteen Reservoirs: On Their Creation and the Promise of Water for New York City
Hosted by Sasha Frere-Jones, Musician and Writer
Produced in partnership with the New-York Historical Society and New York Public Library
Tuesday, September 6
6pm
Poetry
John Hennessy, Soren Stockman, Julia Guez, Doug Anderson
Hosted by Nathan McClain
Saturday, September 17
12pm
Writers Workshop Teens
Produced in partnership with Writopia Lab
The Bryant Park outdoor Reading Room is located at the 42nd Street allée – between 5th & 6th Avenues – under the London Plane trees. Because of the outdoor locale, there is ample seating for all to enjoy.
The space is defined by five specially designed carts: one cart is devoted to authors who have participated in the Bryant Park literary series and best sellers; one cart is filled with a complete “Classics” collection; one cart is dedicated to children's books; one cart carries magazines; and one cart is committed to a variety of newspapers. And what makes the Reading Room even more special is that over the course of each summer, there are dozens of programs promoting multiple themes and genres for the public to attend. From poetry to fiction, non-fiction to book clubs, writers workshops, and programs for children, it is a popular destination for bookworms and authors alike and is free to the public.
This year marks several milestones in Bryant Park’s history. The park is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of its restoration and the 20-year reopening of the outdoor Reading Room in Bryant Park
The Reading Room in Bryant Park was originally established in 1935 by the New York Public Library as a refuge for the thousands of unemployed New Yorkers during the Great Depression. The “first” Reading Room closed in 1944, only to be reopened by the Bryant Park Corporation in 2003. It is now one of the most popular amenities in Bryant Park.
The Bryant Park Reading Room has received numerous prestigious awards for demonstrating excellence, partnership, and creativity in enhancing New York City's quality of life including The New York City Neighborhood Development Achievement Award presented by the New York City Small Business Services at Gracie Mansion; and two awards from the International Downtown Association Achievement Award in the public space category.
Kinokuniya Books is a member of the Bryant Park Business Improvement District and this season’s on-site retail partner. Kinokuniya works directly with the publishers to provide books for events and reports sales to the New York Times Bestseller Book List.
COVID-19 vaccinations and masks are not currently required but Bryant Park will continue to monitor and follow updated New York City and New York State COVID-19 guidelines throughout the summer as necessary. For the most current guidelines, program updates, and additional venue information and restrictions, please visit bryantpark.org. Bryant Park is situated behind the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Take the B, D, F, or M train to 42nd Street/Bryant Park; or take the 7 train to 5th Avenue.